Archive for June, 2009
Scoprire E Riscoprire La Pausa Caffè
Oggi, in alcuni casi, la pausa caffè è esagerata e in altri ancora non viene fatta nemmeno osservare, mentre per alcune ditte, la pausa è ritenuta obbligatoria, ma questo varia molto dalla mansione che si svolge e dalla ditta presso cui si lavora. Ma dove fare la pausa caffè? Ci sono diverse scelte, che fa il datore di lavoro. Può installare per esempio una macchina da caffè espresso (detta anche commercial automatic espresso machines), in una saletta dove a turno, ogni lavoratore può concedersi la pausa caffè. Alcuni datori di lavoro invece autorizzano i dipendenti a fare la pausa caffè al di fuori del posto di lavoro, a patto comunque che si seguano le regole in termini di durata pausa.
Dove andare quindi a fare la pausa caffè? Ed ecco spuntare i bar e i diversi punti ristoro nei pressi dell’azienda, dove consumare appunto la pausa. La maggior parte dei lavoratori si “butta” sul caffè (macchiato, corretto, con schiuma, senza schiuma, corto, ristretto, lungo, e chi più ne ha più ne metta). Il caffè è una pianta che appartiene alla famiglia delle rubiacee comprendente 4500 varietà diverse. Tra queste 60 specie di piante sono del caffè, ma solo 25 sono quelle che vengono commercializzate. Segnaliamo la qualità robusta, arabica, excelsa, liberica. Il caffè fa bene o fa male? La domanda andrebbe girata agli esperti ma i pareri si dividono. Quello che possiamo affermare è che non bisogna certo esagerare. Una media di 3 caffè al giorno va benissimo per non eccedere. Al fatto poi che il caffè tiene sveglio, possiamo sicuramente dire che è una bevanda eccitante, ma che non si è ancora trovato nessun nesso logico tra assunzione di caffè e insonnia. Non tutti però amano il caffè. Durante la classica pausa caffè molti consumano altre bevande, rigorosamente calde. La più gettonata è sicuramente la cioccolata che si prepara con della polvere di cioccolato fondente, latte e zucchero (in questo sono specializzate le gourmet vending machines, distributrici automatiche di bevande calde). In aggiunta, di panna montata, la bevanda assume un gusto davvero ottimo.
A seguire abbiamo il thè, non solo la bevanda preferita dagli inglesi, all’appuntamento oramai classico delle 5 del pomeriggio. Sempre durante la pausa caffè, molti consumano le tisane. Ne esistono davvero tante, vediamo insieme le più classiche. Iniziamo dalla tisana digestiva con funzione di stimolazione gastrica e costituita da estratti di carciofo, liquirizia e verbena. La tisana anti-tosse funziona da espettorante, mentre la tisana drenante hanno la proprietà anti-gonfiore. La tisana rilassante invece è consigliata contro la tachicardia e la stanchezza. Il thè al punto ristoro, viene servito con i diversi gusti di questa bevanda, tra cui il classico al limone, il thè alla pesca, al bergamotto, il thè verde, all’arancia, alle rose, al lampone, ai frutti di bosco. Non scordiamo che insieme alle bevande si possono aggiungere anche piccoli stuzzichini prelevati dalle snack vending machines, come dolcetti, brioche o salatini.
Tante alternative quindi per una pausa caffè diversa dal solito “caffè”!
A cura di Pinuccia Carbone distribuito da
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All You Need to Know About Styles of Coffee
First, though, it’s important for understanding styles of coffee to recognize some key names for when you’re ordering a coffee the next time you’re in Italy, or at a great restaurant in your own town. You’ve probably said at least one of these names before, but maybe you don’t know what really goes into the drink. Well, now you’re going to:
Caffe Latte
Also referred to as Cafe au Lait, depending on where you’re ordering your drink, this is one of the most popular styles of coffee worldwide, and is really just a fancy way of saying espresso with milk. A single shot of espresso is made with steamed milk, and then served with an extra inch of frothed milk (foam) on top.
Americano
You know how when you use your drip coffee machine at home, how the product tastes more like coffee-flavored water if you don’t put the right amount of grounds in? Well, the Americano is named, jokingly, after the sort of taste it is that Americans prefer when drinking their coffee. Basically, eight ounces of hot water is added to a shot of espresso, giving you a–you guessed it–watered down version of a stronger espresso drink.
Caffe Creme
A number of different styles of coffee just involve a couple of variations to change the end result. Here, your coffee is brewed right from the beans, resulting in a non-milk layer of foam, referred to as crema, on top of the drink itself. No dairy is involved, but the taste is surprisingly smooth, considering.
There’s more to knowing about styles of coffee than just remembering some of the key names to the drinks. It’s even more important to know some of the processes–i.e. what heats the beans. Here are a couple of the most popular:
The French Press
It’s known but a bunch of different names, but the concept is always the same. A glass container has a wire part and a plunger. The coffee goes in, almost-boiling water goes on top of it, and then you physically press the coffee with the plunger part. You use coffee that’s ground a little rougher in here, and basically are filtering the coffee to make a more delicious cup at home. Surprisingly, it really works.
The Fully Automatic Espresso Machine
This is what makes the drinks that you pay the money to buy in a cafe. Machines in some spots in Italy are over a hundred years old, and they’re worth every penny because here you have something that grinds the beans, places the right amount of ground beans into the brewer, and then highly compressed water is pumped through. Amazing, and incredibly tasty. Much better than drip coffee, any day.
Of course drip coffee, popular in offices and homes across the land, is simply when you plug in a machine that heats the water and drips it slowly over the grounds, which are located in a filter. The taste, usually, is a little more watered down than with an at-home espresso machine.
Now that you understand the difference between espresso and drip coffee, you’re ready to get out there and start trying some drinks. Remember your word roots, and don’t be surprised if you forget to say “cafe” at the beginning of “cafe latte,” that a gigantic cup of milk might show up. If so, just take it in stride and do better next time.
Coffee Makers for Different Coffee Types
A World Wide Business—Coffee Types
Coffee is grown on five different continents and dozens of countries around the world. There are coffee plantations in Columbia and much of South America. There are hundreds of plantations in Africa. The growing region expands to the east and west including the West Indies, Sumatra, and Java.
All of the coffee growing regions are in tropical zones within 30 degrees or so of the Equator. While all coffee grows in bean form, there are different types or varieties of coffee plants, hence the many different coffee types.
Roasting and Brewing
Although plant variety can affect the taste of coffee, the way it is handled following harvesting has a great deal to do with the flavor as well.
Some coffee beans are naturally roasted. These generally produce the darker and bitterer tasting coffees. The sun does the roasting and then the grinding and brewing take care of the rest of the flavorful attributes.
There are many different recipes for a great cup of coffee and variations on how they are served. The cooking methods require specific kitchen gadgetry to help make the best rated coffees.
From Coffee Makers to Cappuccino and Espresso
There are different types of cappuccino, espresso and coffee makers on the market. Each of these appliances is designed to make specific coffee types. Cappuccino is a rich, dark coffee whose recipe originated in Italy. It is a milder version of Espresso, but not as light as “city” coffee.
Espresso is made by high heat and pressure which produces a thicker and more potent cup of coffee.
This is usually served in much smaller cups and quantities because of how strong it is.
Electric machines are making their way from the restaurant into many home kitchens. The cleaning and care including the job to decalcify are made easier by the popularity of stainless steel appliances. There are coffee makers also that do all of the jobs of creating the perfect mug of coffee right on your counter top and even while you sleep. The grind and brew combination machines are the ideal way to get the freshest cup of coffee possible.
Decaf and coffee types that contain caffeine can be equally as appealing to the taste buds. An important fact to remember is that just because a coffee type taste strong, it does not necessarily contain more caffeine. On the other hand, a decaf cup of coffee will taste and smell just as good, but without the health concern of having too much caffeine. The process with all of the new recipes available at coffee shops, restaurants and even at home, it is possible for anyone to make the best rated coffee around. This includes caffeine and decaf varieties.
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