About Coffee Holidays

If you are a coffee lover (and who isn’t?) then you might very well be interested in learning about coffee holidays. Coffee is, without a doubt, the world’s most popular drink. We consume this beverage by the gallon on a weekly basis, gather at coffee houses to chat and do school work, wake up and brew a pot as soon as we get out of bed, and use coffee to keep going during a long and stressful day. It is no wonder, then, that many countries across the globe have holidays to celebrate coffee. This article will tell you about coffee holidays around the world. Who knows? Maybe you will participate in one someday!

Learning About Coffee Holidays in North and South America

Coffee is a wonderful beverage, and for many, growing it is a good way to make a living. Several countries in the Western Hemisphere depend on coffee as one of their main exports and crops, so it is natural that they celebrate this drink and plant with a holiday. In Brazil, for example, National Coffee Day is May 24^th. In Costa Rica, the day for celebrating coffee is September 12^th. In the United States, National Coffee Month is August, and the National Coffee Day is July 24^th. On these days, people who are coffee fans gather and drink – what else? – coffee and enjoy the richness and splendor of this marvelous beverage. If you are traveling through the Western Hemisphere on these days, make sure to pack a mug.

Learning About Coffee Holidays Elsewhere

Coffee is also widely celebrated elsewhere and recognized for the marvelous contributions it gives to millions of people worldwide. In Japan, the first of October is the official Coffee Day. This is a time at which many coffee producers and distributors have sales and discounts on their products to celebrate coffee. In Ireland, September 19^th is National Coffee Day. They also celebrate a beverage that was invented in Ireland – Irish coffee. Indeed, the fourth week n January is National Irish Coffee Week.

Learning About Coffee Holidays: Ways to Celebrate

If you want to get in on the fun and toast the creation of coffee in your own way, there are a few things that you could do. For example, February 17^th is National Café Au Lait Day. On this day, drink a café au lait – which is basically strong coffee or espresso with steamed milk. You can also throw a coffee party. Just invite your friends over and give them a wide selection of flavored coffee to choose from, complete with chocolate and caramel sauce, whipped cream, and other tasty additives so that each person can customize their own cup of coffee. You can also bake foods, believe it or not. Coffee cake is delicious and can be baked in a variety of ways. It would make a great snack for your Coffee Day celebrations. Most importantly, do not be afraid to experiment and try something different. You never know; you just may like your new beverage.

Now you know all about coffee holidays in the world. You also have a few ideas for your own Coffee Day festivities. All that is left is to open up a pack of coffee, brew it, pour it into a mug, sit back, and enjoy the coffee!

 

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About Grinding Coffee Beans

 

If you are a coffee lover, then you undoubtedly have at some point been interested in maybe making your own coffee from the privacy and comfort of your own kitchen. If so, then this article is here to help. The entire process from start to finish can be confusing and can put you off, but that would be a shame. Making your own coffee from start to finish is a great pleasure and will bring joy to any kitchen. This article will discuss one of the main steps in that process – grinding coffee beans – and will give you solid advice on preparing your own beans for use.

Getting Your Coffee Beans Just Right- the Brewing Process

Making homemade coffee involves several steps. Fortunately, this process is not difficult if you get good instructions on how to do it. This is why I am writing this article for you! Home brewing all begins with the beans. Coffee beans are the most important part, so picking the right beans is important. But once you get those beans, you have to roast and grind them before you can use them. Once ground, the coffee then has boiling water run through it to create the great beverage we all know and love.

Getting the coffee just the way you like it – the right taste, the right amount, and the right consistency – all comes down to grinding.

The Best Equipment for Your Grinding Needs

Honestly, one of the most complicated parts of grinding your coffee beans is what you use to grind it. There are several types of grinders, but generally we can talk about two categories: blade and burr grinders.

Blade Grinders-

As the name suggests, blade grinders consist of sharpened blades that whirl inside a grinder and dice up the beans into smaller pieces. These grinders are typically far less expensive than other types and are easier to clean to boot. The downsides, though, may make you want to choose something else depending on your needs. Blade grinders do not grind their coffee beans as consistently as other types. Furthermore, they can generate quite a bit of heat during the process – and heat will sap away the flavor from your beans. Therefore, if you are on a budget and need a grinder for your basic needs, then blade grinders may be for you.

Burr Grinders-

The next type of grinder is called a burr grinder. Instead of a big blade, burr grinders use a moving surface (like a wheel) and a non-moving surface to crush the beans. This allows you more control, because you can more closely adjust the consistency of your grind and get your coffee beans how you want them. Wheel burrs are a sub-type which can generate a lot of noise and can be messy, but they work quickly. Conical burrs are superior in that they are quieter and less messy, and really make a consistent grind. They are the most expensive type of grinder out of all of them, however, but then again, you get what you pay for.

Grinding The Perfect Coffee Bean

For best results, you should grind your beans right before you plan to use them. Beans lose their freshness quickly, so it is important to brew your coffee right after grinding. Also, consider investing in a hand-driven grinder. These tend to be the best types, and although they are expensive, any serious coffee lover and home-brewer will want to get one eventually.

No matter what type of equipment or process you chose, however, grinding is essential to some delicious coffee. So, if you want coffee that you make yourself, and want it to be delicious, then find the perfect grinding process for you and have at it!

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About Fair Trade Coffee

Do you enjoy coffee? If so, you may or may not have heard of fair trade coffee. This is not surprising, because most of the time the term never comes up. When we think of coffee, we think of going to Starbucks or the nearest coffee house and drinking a delicious mug of gourmet coffee with friends. Did you know, though, that there are real issues with how coffee is grown and produced over the world? This article will explain the big deal behind fair trade coffee and give you an insight into how coffee is produced worldwide.

The Coffee Bean Production Process

First, a little lesson about growing coffee. We see black streams of tasty beverage being poured magically from brewing machines, but the coffee process begins well before that final stage. Coffee is grown in tropical regions around the world by either independent, small-scale farmers (who either have small farms or collect berries from plants in the forest) or large corporations and companies. Coffee plants are harvested for their berries, which contain beans. The beans are cleaned, packaged, and sent by workers across the world to distribution companies, who sale them to retailers or sell them direct. Thus, in a few steps, the coffee beans picked from plants in Sumatra or Colombia find their way to the kitchen tables of people all over the globe.

All About Fair Trade Coffee

While we value convenience, we also value a hard day’s work and the fruits of one’s labor. Thus, fair trade coffee was born. This simply means that coffee with the fair trade label is sold at a fair market price that is acceptable to those who produce the coffee. Why is this an issue? Because thousands of coffee workers across the world live in poverty and depend on selling coffee to make a living. Unfortunately, many workers receive wages that are below what the market can bear – which means their coffee is being sold for less than what it costs to make it.

This is a problem because workers in the coffee industry cannot afford to live on wages that low. This results in a cycle of poverty that is hard to break. To help with this predicament, fair trade coffee was developed. The idea is that importers can be certified as fair trade distributors by meeting a few standards. They must pay a minimum price per pound of $1.26; provide credit to local farmers; and give technical help to farmers in the form of advanced agricultural concepts and assistance. This really helps coffee workers develop their businesses and improve their way of life.

The Benefits of Fair Trade Coffee

There are two great benefits for you with fair trade coffee as well. Fair trade coffee increases the quality of the coffee you get. Corporation plantations use large machines that harvest indiscriminately – which means they pick up every coffee berry regardless of if it is ready for picking. Therefore, the coffee beans that you get from these plantations may or may not be ripe, which affects how your coffee tastes. With fair trade coffee, individual workers who get a fair wage take more time and pay more attention to each berry that they pick, which means better-tasting coffee for you!

Also, fair trade coffee doesn’t pollute as much as regular coffee. Those harvesting machines cause pollution, as do the massive coffee plantations that are built, often with clear-cutting of forests and jungles. So, by buying fair trade coffee, you are actually encouraging protecting the environment.

Whether or not you buy fair trade coffee is up to you, but hopefully you will see how this can help those across the world who pick and produce your coffee. So, the next time you pick up a nice, steaming mug of coffee, just think of those who made it for you – and buy fair trade coffee!

 

 

 

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