Coffee
Coffee has a mysterious air about it.
It might come from the secrecy surrounding its origins and cultivation methods once instigated by the Arabs of Mocha.
Coffee has a slightly bitter flavor, although full and highly aromatic, when infused as a drink or added to cakes, ice cream, desserts and baking as a flavoring. Nearly always used in sweet dishes, it is added to some savory dishes.
Facts about coffee
The Arabian Mocha once had the monopoly of coffee beans. Not that they were not selling coffee abroad -they were exporting beans to Europe since the early 1600s as travelers visiting the Levant acquired a taste for coffee and introduced it to the mainland Europe. In no time at all the enterprising Venetians were taking beans to Europe. However, the Arabs from Mocha rendered the beans incapable of germination as a mean to retain their control of the plants.
Alas! Their domination did not last much longer than a hundred years. Dutch traders were able to smuggle some plants into Europe - sometime in the 17th century - and from there to their colonies. By the 19th century Brazil had become the first coffee producer in the world, and it still is.
How to grow
Coffee grows well in warm climates. It is farmed in large areas, not srecommended as garden crop.
Cooking with coffee
On the sweet side, try clearly coffee flavored chocolate cream or these espresso brownies, something to beat the ones your mother makes. Black Russian cake is an sensational dessert to impress unexpected guests.
On the savory side, try coffee meatloaf sauce.
Be adventurous and try adding a little coffee to your favorite dessert sauces, custards and cakes.
How to use and store
Store coffee in an airtight container. It is better to store the roasted coffee beans and ground them when needed. Ground coffee keeps fresher when stored in the refrigerator, tightly closed.
coffea arabica, coffea robusta (rubiaceae) - coffee.
French: cafe
German: kaffee
Italian: caffè
Spanish: café.
Everything about coffee.