Coffee: a drink that has traveled

Let’s talk about etymology first… The word coffee comes from the Arabic “qahwah” which means invigorating. According to some linguists, it could also come from the word “Kaffa“, the name of the province of Ethiopia where it was discovered. Coffee is a drink obtained from the seeds of the coffee tree, a shrub of tropical regions. And its culture is not new! From the fifteenth century, Muslims imported it to Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Turkey, where the first café, called Kiva Han, opened in 1475 in Constantinople.

In France, it was in Marseille that coffee made its appearance in 1644. A French merchant, Pierre de La Roque, would have had the initiative to import it from Egypt and make some amateurs taste it… The success is immediate and the drink seduces. Building on its rapid success, coffee consumption became popular over the years. However, coffee is still a drink reserved for the elite, as it is still a particularly expensive product.

The democratization of coffee

Then introduced to the Sun King by an ambassador on a trip in 1669, Louis XIV appreciated him for a time but not enough to offer him his hour of glory… It will come only a few years later, in 1686, with the opening of the famous café Le Procope, where La Fontaine and Voltaire will have the pleasure (and the habit!) of tasting. Over time, coffee consumption is gradually democratized and enters the homes of many French, in large cities at first, before spreading to the countryside during the nineteenth century.

Today, coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. In pods, ground, soluble, at the office, at home or at the local bistro: in 2018, the EU imported more than 3 million tons of coffee from abroad**.

* Source IVS France

** Source Eurostat

Coffee gives a boost

And yes, coffee is first a very appreciable stimulant (and very appreciated!). The coffee bean is indeed rich in caffeine, an active substance that acts in the brain and is known for its stimulating effect, both physically and intellectually.

It is rich in antioxidants

But coffee doesn’t just contain caffeine. It is also rich in antioxidants, more precisely the famous polyphenols, so valuable for health, which protect the body from aging and have anti-inflammatory virtues on the arteries. Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day would even reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 20%, according to an Australian study by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. It would also reduce the risk of diabetes by 30% and help protect the liver.

It contains vitamins

We do not always know it and yet, coffee is also a source of many vitamins, including B2, B3, B5 and B6, fiber, potassium, magnesium or calcium, all nutrients that the body needs to fuel at full speed and stay healthy. Coffee beans are thus real concentrates of protective compounds. No reason not to.

Coffee helps burn fat.

The icing on the cake, the caffeine contained in coffee stimulates lipolysis, that is to say the destruction of fat by the body. A real boost to help burn a few calories and particularly interesting when you monitor your weight and therefore your health.

Good use of coffee

To enjoy the benefits of coffee without its deleterious effects, it is recommended to limit your consumption to 4 cups per day. Want to drink more? You can also opt for the decaffeinated version of coffee: a good idea to enjoy its taste, without any risk!

Recipes based on coffee and milk

Milk and coffee lend themselves to many associations, which have not finished seducing lovers of this tasty mixture. Among them, we find of course the inevitable cappuccino, an equal blend of espresso, hot milk and milk foam. The famous Latte, originally from the United States, is prepared in a larger cup; It contains a double dose of espresso, 2/3 of milk and a layer of milk foam. Finally, the Flat White, which also has the wind in its sails, is the equivalent of a small Latte, with a little less milk but still a double dose of espresso.  The main difference between all these drinks is therefore in the amount of milk. Something to delight the palate of all gourmets.

How to make a good cappuccino?

Prepare an espresso, in a large cup, between 150 and 180 ml. Then add warm milk in equal amounts, then the same amount of milk foam. You will be able to perfectly succeed your hot milk and milk foam with all our traditional machines equipped with steam outlets but also the Super Automatic machines of our TANGO range, which allow you to automatically prepare all coffee-based drinks, milk, as well as a creamy and velvety milk foam. Serve or not with sugar according to the desires and needs of each. You can also add a veil of bitter cocoa on top.

Which milk to choose?

The ideal for a good nutritional balance and maximum pleasure? Vary milk sources. You can opt for whole, gourmet and creamy milk. Also think of goat’s milk or why not lactose-free milk, convenient for intolerants. Another trendy trend is vegetable milks: almond milk, soy milk, rice milk or oat milk. There are many varieties of vegetable milks, with or without sugar, to concoct delicious drinks.

Coffee, all in delicacy

Like a good wine, coffee is sensitive to many factors, which can significantly alter its quality and taste. Especially because it quickly absorbs odors present in its environment if it is not stored properly, coffee deserves special attention. To preserve its delicate, fragile and highly volatile aromas, its conservation must be carefully cared for. Note that roasted coffee does not have an expiry date but a minimum shelf life (“best before”) of 24 months. This means that after this date it may have lost its taste and aroma, although it remains consumable.

Ground coffee

More fragile than coffee beans, ground coffee is particularly sensitive to its environment. To protect it once the package is opened, we recommend placing it away from air and light, which tend to oxidize it. The ideal? Opt for an airtight and opaque container (which does not allow light to pass through) and store it in a room that is protected from humidity and strong temperature fluctuations. Avoid keeping coffee in the refrigerator, which offers too extreme temperatures and too high a humidity level for this fragile product. However, the fridge can help if it’s very hot or you want to keep your coffee longer. To take full advantage of its aromas, note that a good quality ground coffee can be kept for about two weeks after opening at room temperature and dry.

Coffee beans

Coffee beans keep better overall and a little longer than ground coffee. The fact that it is ground at the very moment of coffee preparation allows it to preserve its aromas in a sustainable way. To do this, keep your coffee beans away from light (an opaque container is ideal, as light helps accelerate coffee degradation) and moisture. Also avoid storing it in the refrigerator or in a cold room, as the cold tends to alter its flavors. Finally, remember to choose a perfectly airtight box, to keep it away from the air. An unsealed packet of coffee beans sells out completely in 7 days, losing all its aromas. In a tightly closed box, on the other hand, you can store coffee beans for up to a month without noticeable taste deterioration and up to two months in a vacuum storage box.

Dalgona Cafe

A drink originating in South Korea, Dalgona coffee is on the rise and is a revisited and improved version of the famous coffee with milk. The idea? A gourmet coffee prepared with a mixture of instant coffee powder, sugar and hot water and then whipped until it becomes creamy. It is then placed on a generous cup of warm milk… Before serving, Dalgona coffee can be topped with caramel or cocoa topping.

Le Cold Brew

This is a version of coffee that appeals to lovers of cold and refined drinks. Cold brew is indeed a cold version of coffee, prepared from a slow infusion of coffee, made in several hours (at least 12 according to aficionados). A process that fully releases the subtle aromas of coffee. The coffee thus obtained is then poured into a large glass and added ice cubes before being sipped, well shaken.

Vegan Latte Coffee

A Latte coffee, yes, but if it’s vegan it’s even better! The world of coffee has not escaped the lifestyle choice of veganism and many people are now in a hurry to order their Latte coffee, not with traditional cow’s milk, but rather with a vegetable milk such as soy, oat, rice or almond milk. The recipe remains the same and according to amateurs, the pleasure intact.

CBD coffee

The coffee and CBD duo: an unexpected combination that is nevertheless gaining more and more followers. CBD, a natural substance derived from cannabis (but completely legal) would indeed reduce stress, improve sleep or concentration. To prepare it, nothing could be easier: a few drops of CBD in the coffee and voila.

Le Latte Art

The trend is not new, but it is still as successful as ever. The principle: to make on the foam of his café Latte, drawings as refined as original. Souls of artists, that’s something to give yourself to your heart’s content!