Fairly Traded Coffee

Fairly Traded Coffee

Speciality coffee by its nature is fairly traded. Rather than being treated as a commodity on the futures market, it is traded on its quality, which in turn demands a premium price for the farmer. For example, in May 2006 ‘Hacienda la Esmeralda Geisha’ coffee, from Panama, set a record of USD50.25 per pound at online auction (This award winning coffee retails for over USD100 a pound). More over, it is not only third world countries which grow coffee, developed nations such as Australia and United States (Hawaii) also have established industries.

Many people imagine coffee to be grown in large plantations akin to vineyards, with row after row of coffee bushes. This may be the case for the beans that are sold to make your jar of instant coffee, but speciality coffee tends to be grown in smallholdings by the indigenous people of the land. In contrast to the mono-culture of plantations, these smallholdings are bio-diverse. The farmers cultivate the land with self-sufficiency in mind. They have to feed their family and their livestock as well as growing coffee and other produce they can sell.

This approach has great benefit for both the quality of the coffee and the sustainability of the land. The bio-diversity of the smallholding attracts natural predators to eat the pests, so chemicals are not needed. The nutrients of the soil are not drained as the different species of plants require and produce different nutrients. And so, although most farmers choose not to pay to be certified, their produce is organic and therefore better for us.

So you should feel good when you buy speciality coffee. Not only is it fairly traded, but it is grown in a sustainable and organic manner. You get great tasting coffee which is ethically sound.

Coffee Is It Good For You

Coffee has been enjoyed by millions of people around the world for at least a thousand years. Apart from it's wonderful aroma, the attraction of coffee lies in its properties as a stimulant.

In many people, coffee enhances alertness, concentration and mental and physical performance. This is due to its caffeine content. The average cup of instant coffee contains about 60mg caffeine while filter coffee contains about 85mg. For those who are sensitive to caffeine and prefer decaf blends, the decaffeinated beverage contains only 3mg.

Some have worried that coffee is not good to consume during pregnancy, but there is no sound evidence to suggest that modest consumption of coffee has any effects on the wellbeing of an unborn infant. There is also no evidnece that coffee increases the risk of breast, ovary, pancreas or kidney cancer in women.

There is also evidence that coffee protects against colon cancer and some preliminary evidence that it protects against male breast cancer. Some even use coffee for colonic irrigation.

There is no evidence that coffee increases the risk of heart disease. Some have reported heart palpitations and a rise in blood pressure after coffee consumption, but there is no persistent hypertensive effect in the long term.

Others have claimed that drinking coffee promotes indigestion, but this is not the case in the majority of people, although it has been known to produce heartburn in people with gastro-oesophageal reflux problems. But there is no evidence that coffee increases the risk of peptic ulcers and there is some evidence that it protects against gallstones.

Evidence is growing that coffee might protect against developing Parkinson's disease and possibly Alzheimer's. Diabetes is still under investigation. Because coffee is a diuretic, it is important to drink enough fluid to replace what is lost.

Coffee is rich in anti-oxidants, far moreso than other common beverages. This is due to compounds formed during coffee bean roasting. Anti-oxidants prevent free radicals from multiplying and are a major deterrent of chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

In recent years the gourmet coffee industry has come of age. Discerning consumers have come to expect distinctive coffee tastes and aromas with all the passion of fine wine connoisseurs.

Coffee lovers all over the world are discovering the experience of the finest gourmet coffees which can be ordered with a few mouse-clicks on the internet and delivered to your door or workplace shortly after. Boca Java gourmet coffee and teas are fast becoming one of the main players in the online coffee market.

Cappuccino: Basic Information

Cappuccino is a cup of coffee with fresh milk and milk foam bubbles burst on the top of cup. The milk foam bubbles burst acts as the insulator and keep the heat of the coffee for a longer time. The color of Cappuccino is dark brown. Normally, the cappuccino is served in the porcelain cup. It is better than the glass or paper cup. Cappuccino is a name that from the color of the robe of priest in Roman Catholic called “Capuchin”. It always drinks in the morning with breakfast. And now, cappuccino is modified to serve by the chain stores and the other manufacturing.

Type of Cappuccino

Base on the mixture ratios of the cappuccino
1. Traditional Cappuccino
It is the espresso with the hot foam milk on the top. The Thick of foam milk is about 1 cm.

2. Cappuccino Chiaro (Light Cappuccino or Wet Cappuccino)
There is more milk ratio than the normal cappuccino.

3. Cappuccino Scuro (Dark Cappuccino or Dry Cappuccino)
There is less milk ratio than the normal cappuccino.

How to make a cup of cappuccino

Compositions
1. Roasted bean = 8-10 grams
2. Fresh milk = 4-6 ounces
3. Coffee cup = 6 ounces
4. Chocolate or cinnamon powder
5. Sugar
Method
The important point in making the cappuccino is the milk with foam bubbles. The skilled barista who has acquired some level of expertise in the preparation of coffee should be pay attention while creating the milk foam bubble burst in each type if cappuccino.

1. Use one by tree of coffee volume in a cup.
2. Heat the fresh milk with 60 grade Celsius or lower.
3. Make the fine milk foam bubbles burst in suitable volume.
4. Add one by tree cup of warm milk in the cup.
5. Use a tea spoon for take the milk foam bubbles burst on the top of coffee until the edge of cup.
6. Before serve, sprinkle the top with chocolate or cinnamon powder.

Ice Cappuccino (Cappuccino “Freddo”)

The method is similar to hot cappuccino. Ice cappuccino is cappuccino that serves with ice. The ice has to fine to small molecule. The glass volume should be 8-12 ounces and cylinder shape. Put cappuccino in fine ice and add the milk foam bubbles burst on the top about one of three from the edge of the glass. Before serve, coffee maker ought to wait a moment for cooled glass of cappuccino. And do not forget to put a stick in the glass. The drinkers should drink all in one time because if the ice melt, the taste/flavor will change.

How to drink Cappuccino

1. Never stir Cappuccino with spoon.

2. Normally, no need to add sugar because the Cappuccino is pretty sweet already. But if you want sweeter, add sugar a tea spoon and stir with gentle. Never use syrup as sweetener in Cappuccino because milk and syrup will incompatibility.

3. Smell the flavor of Chocolate or cinnamon powder before drinking.

4. After drinking, the foamed milk will stick at the bottom of the cup. If no foamed milk stick means the method of making coffee is not good enough.

Coffee History

Coffee was first discovered in the 9th century in eastern Africa in an area we know today as Ethiopia, kaldi an ethiopian shepherd who discovered this beans by observe his goat were "dancing" after eating berries from a bus, kaldi found that this berries gave him an increased level of energy after he consumed himself. Berries dried in the 13th century in order to maintain the fruit for long distance journey Muslims dried the berries, and consuming this black powder for a more awakened time for prayer.

Coffee arrived in Indonesia in 1696 the Dutch who brought and opened plantation in java during their colonization. In the early days the Dutch colonial government planted Arabica because of a rush plague the Dutch colonial government changed Arabica with liberica Robusta was primarily coffee in central java and in east java are Arabica

Now a days coffee plantation in Indonesia are run by the small farmers or cooperatives many small farmers produce their on coffee brand, they roasted and sell on traditional cafe called "warung kopi"