Coffee Indulgence

Almost as old as time, tea has been a favored drink for centuries – regardless of class or social standing. It has been enjoyed by the elite, the aristocracy, and at the same time – the common man.You see, legend has it that Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a Camellia Sinensis tree when some of its leaves blew into his cauldron of boiling water. Being a renowned herbalist, Shen Nung decided to try the potion – thus accidentally concocting the first pot of tea in 2737 BC. This event, according to folklore, is where the story of tea begins.

Now, fast-forward two thousand years to 618 AD, when the Chinese scholar, Lu Yu wrote the first book about tea. The Ch’a Ching. It’s then, during the Tang Dynasty that tea gained popularity and became available to the common man.

The Ch’a Ching would forever change the face of tea.

Lu Yu expanded on the traditional preparation of tea and heightened it to a near religious experience. With set rituals, implements and guidelines – tea became ceremonial.

The Cha’ Ching was extremely influential in Japan, where it transformed the traditional tea ceremony into something much more sophisticated. By the 13^th century, the Japanese tea ceremony had become associated with humility, naturalism and Zen Buddhism.

By the 16^th century, tea drinking in Japan spread to every class, as the Japanese became absolutely engrossed with all things tea – including the tea ceremony. Tea Masters like Takeno Joo began teaching the ceremony in special rooms – known today as Tea Rooms. Ranging in size from large to small, these buildings, called chashitsu in Japanese, were influenced by the Zen philosophy of simplicity and tranquility.

A similar philosophy was seen in England during the reign of Charles II, when tea was introduced to the British Isles by way of the British East India Company. Tea had become extremely fashionable in aristocratic circles thanks to Queen Catherine of Braganza, who married Charles II of England. Very formal tea parties then began to sweep Britain because of Queen Catherine’s love for tea.

To fill the increasing demand for tea, the British East India Company monopolized the tea trade with India and the Far East for years, inflating costs and imposing high taxes on tea. Tea smugglers and criminal gangs began competing with the British East India Company, providing tea without the high taxes to the less affluent in Britain and America.

The tax on tea became such a hot political issue in Colonial America that it sparked the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. At that time, a majority of colonists felt that the tax Britain imposed on tea was unfair since they were not represented in Parliament.

So in retaliation, when three ships from the British East India Company reached Boston Harbor filled with tea, the colonists refused to pay the tax and allow the tea to come ashore. At the same time however, a naval blockade prevented the ships from leaving without paying a duty on the tea.

It became a stalemate until the enraged colonists, led by Samuel Adams and Josiah Quincy took matters into their own hands. They disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, boarded the three ships, split open the tea chests and threw the tea into the harbor. This event is said to have sparked the American Revolution, and incidentally, the beginning of the end of the British East India Company’s monopoly on trade with China.

By the 19^th Century, tea drinking had fallen out of favor in America, but had become firmly established as part of the British way of life. So much so, that during World War I and II, the British government took control over the importation and rationing of tea.

For nearly three hundred years, nearly a third of all the world’s tea was bought and sold at the London Tea Auction. It was sent from London warehouses to retailers around the world specializing in blending and packaging. But as countries like India and Sri Lanka gained independence, many estate owners preferred to sell their tea without using the London Tea Auction as a middleman.

These countries and others, including China, began exporting tea independently after the London Tea Auction closed in 1998. The popularity of White Tea, specifically White Silver Needle Tea harvested from China’s Fujian Province, has grown in popularity around the world since the close of the auction.

American-owned companies like Teaposy began using the Fujian White Tea for blooming teas. These blooms are carefully hand-sewn by artists who tie the tealeaves around flower blossoms – creating teaposies. When the teaposies are steeping in a clear glass pot, they blossom into unique and beautiful shapes and colors. In a sense, these trendy blooms have brought tea full circle – bringing the tradition of ceremony back to tea.

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It sounds like an urban myth of some sort. You can’t keep yourself from laughing the first time you hear of it. As strange as it may be, Kopi Luwak is not an urban myth but in fact one of the rarest and most costly coffees in the world.Kopi Luwak gains it’s legendary status from the way it is “processed”, as opposed to its origin. There is a small cat-like animal called the Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) found in Indonesia that reside in the coffee trees. Civets were considered pests because they constantly ate the ripe red coffee cherries of the trees. Just like the rest of us, what Civets eat, Civets digest and excrete. One fine day some rather bored locals gathered the expelled beans to find them still intact and wrapped in their thin layers of cherry mucilage. We’re not too sure how the story goes from this point but they decided to roast these beans.

They found that the Civet’s stomach enzymes added uniqueness to the flavor of the coffee. This process of natural fermentation using stomach acids and enzymes has a different effect than the typical fermentation with water. We personally have yet to try it, but those that have, described it as having a heavy caramel taste, gamy flavor and a musty and jungle-like aroma.

Because of this “process” it obviously takes a long time to collect enough beans to roast. It can be found priced upwards $300 a pound and seems to have become more of a novelty coffee. If you do ever get a chance to taste it you just might be able to appreciate its uniqueness and rarity. Or not. Either way, we’d love to hear what you thought of it!

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If you are like most people you probably get your coffee beans and think “How do I store these wonderful beans?” There are many different ideas on what you should and should not do with your coffee to store it. Over the past few years everything from freezing to packaging has been considered. What should you put the beans in? Where should you put them? How long can I store them? Is storing ground coffee different from storing beans?According to a wonderful article at the National Coffee Association of U.S.A. (NCAUSA), Inc the best way to go is “airtight and cool”. Preserving the freshness of your coffee can be difficult. The freshness gets depleted very fast when it is subjected to excessive air, moisture, heat and light. So, you need to get your precious beans in airtight glass or ceramic containers. Once you have your coffee in the right container, put it in a cool, dark place. Remember, any place near the oven or a window will get quite warm, so try to avoid putting the container there.

What do air, moisture, heat and light do to your coffee?
Well, coffee beans have a natural chemical process they go through after roasting. After the beans have been roasted they degas for three days. That means that carbon dioxide gas is released from the beans when they are at room temperature. Even after they emit the carbon dioxide the chemical composition of the beans continues to change. Air, moisture, heat and light affect the process. An increased amount of air, as from an open container, will cause oxidation and make the beans become stale. If moisture is added to the beans, like freezing, the flavor becomes weaker. Just like any chemical process heat and light make it go faster. The beans’ chemical process is affected the same way. If your beans are in a particularly warm or hot place with a lot of light the process will be faster and the beans will become stale much quicker than usual.

To buy ground or whole bean?
Ground coffee loses its freshness faster than whole bean coffee. The process speeds up much quicker when you change from bean form to ground form. Think about it, you increase the surface area that the chemical process is taking place in, so it increases the speed it is done at. That is why you read that grinding your own coffee is best as long as you grind what you need and use it. If you buy your coffee pre-ground you will want to put it in an airtight container immediately after you open the bag.

The Roaster’s packaging makes a difference.
Another important thing to remember is that the way the roaster packages the coffee makes a difference too. If you buy your beans and ground coffee in a sealed bag or can the shelf life on it is about two years. For example illy coffee is packed in nitrogen, thus eliminating Oxygen, and pressurized in a sealed can. You can leave it in that stored can for two years. Once you open it, the beans are subjected to air, moisture, heat and light. Those four elements speed up the chemical process and make the beans age and become stale. If you receive your beans in a bag or container that is not sealed you will have to put them in an airtight container and use them quickly.

Do I buy large quantities or small?
 You can buy as much coffee as you want, as long as you are going to use it within three to four weeks after opening. Also, if you are going to buy different kinds of coffee and open all of the containers at once, try to buy a small quantity of each kind. Once you decide which kind you like you can then buy bigger quantities. The most important thing to remember about buying large quantities is this: Once you open a bag you should use it within three to four weeks. During that time store it in an airtight container. The sealed bags or cans of coffee are fine. You do not have to open them and put them in containers. Just keep them in a cool, dark place.

Can I freeze my beans or ground coffee?
That is quite a debatable question. One article recommends freezing beans for no longer than a month, and only if you have purchased a large quantity of coffee that will not be used immediately. To do that you would break up your large quantity into smaller sections. Then wrap those small sections airtight bags. Once you remove them from the freezer you cannot return them. You have to put them in the airtight containers mentioned earlier to be used and stored in a cool, dry place. Other companies, like illy, do not recommend storing your beans in the freezer for any reason.

You can find many different articles and opinions on freezing or not freezing your coffee beans. Here are a couple things to keep in mind: Beans themselves are very hard. When you freeze beans you lock in moisture and stop the chemical process. After you remove those beans from the freezer you would have to let them defrost completely; this may take 4 hours or even more. Take care to avoid moisture buildup on the surface of the beans – this is called condensation and occurs when warm moist air comes in contact with a cold surface. The moist air looses its ability to hold the moisture and it collects on the cooler surface. Think of the water that collects on the outside of your tall glass of iced coffee (or tea). That water is not leaking from the glass but from the process called condensation. Also, frozen beans are like putting rocks in your grinder and could damage the burrs or motor. The moisture that gets trapped in those frozen beans changes the flavor of your coffee. The change from freezing to room temperature will make the beans become stale quicker because you are increasing temperature. So, in a nutshell – avoid freezing, but if you do, follow our dos and don’ts and you will preserve freshness.

The next time you buy your coffee beans or ground coffee consider how fast you will use it, where you are going to store it, and when you will have to order it again. It may not be a bad idea to see what kind of airtight ceramic or glass container you can find. If anything, remember this: Fresh is the Best.

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Instead of eating less, eat several small, high-protein meals about every three hours. This will make you feel satisfied, so you won’t scarf down excess holiday food. Plus, eating small, high-protein meals more often kick-starts your metabolism.

Here’s a sample meal plan to try:

• Breakfast - a bowl of Ezekiel cereal, made with sprouted grains and high-quality protein
• Snack - a whey protein shake
• Lunch - a spinach salad with a sprinkle of feta or goat cheese and a little organic balsamic vinegar dressing, 4 ounces of grilled chicken, and half a cup of blueberries or raspberries
• Snack - half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese and a handful of berries

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