Coffee Intelligence Agency

I have since decided that all new posts will be posted on Thursdays. Sorry for the gap in posts everyone and I look forward to sharing more coffee/tea knowledge with you.

CIA Episode 2: The Perfect Tea from Brittney Murray on Vimeo.
Sorry this post is late everyone, I've had an incredibly insane week.
Things to Remember:

• Japanese cast iron teapots are the best, but you don't have to use them
• 1 teaspoon per 8 oz. of water (don't use a measuring teaspoon here)
• Don't use the infuser that comes with the teapot and remember to prep it by swishing around hot water inside the pot (remember to dump it out before adding the tea)
• Boil your water and dump it inside the teapot, allow it to brew according to the type of tea you're using (for black tea, between 2-3 minutes)
• Place a small strainer over the cup to catch the tea leaves and pour yourself the perfect cup of tea

It's been a while since I posted something pertaining to tea, and in my opinion, that's a shame. I'm from the South, so most Southerners are used to good tea, although it's usually iced and sweet. I'm not opposed to sweet tea, but I encourage my readers to branch out a little in the realm of tea. Truth be told, I didn't fall in love with hot tea until my trip to Ireland in 2005.


A few months back, I went to visit a good friend who is as equally addicted to coffee as I am, and that's when I was introduced to Earl Grey tea cookies. First of all, doesn't that cause the brow to furrow in confusion right there? Stick with me here because these cookies are fantastic and great to have not only with tea, but coffee as well. Remember, I enjoy things that can pull double duty. If you don't have Earl Grey tea? No problem, use this recipe with any other tea that you may have. I've discovered that chamomile is a wonderful substitution for this recipe.


Yield: 2 Dozen

• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar 
• 1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves (use the ones in tea bags, not loose leaf) 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

Things to Remember:

• Make sure the coffee is a French Press grind or coarse grind
• 1.5 grams of coffee (ground) per 1 ounce of hot water
• Pour hot water slowly over the grounds and stir
• Place plunger onto the press but DO NOT PUSH DOWN YET!
• Set timer to 5 minutes
• Once the time is up, then slowly press the plunger down and you're ready to rock n' roll

Huge props to Willie and Becky for helping me out with the video!

There are times when you reach for that pot of coffee and feel like something is missing. That once satisfying cup of joe just isn't hitting the spot anymore and you don't know why. How about improving your daily brew? A few of the things I'm going to suggest are things that I've tried myself. I don't feel right about recommending methods that I haven't tried myself.


Water


Really? Could it be something as simple as the water you're using? Yes. Water can effect the taste of your coffee, so if you live somewhere that the water is typically hard, I'd recommend using bottled or filtered water (NOT distilled) when you brew a pot. If you're skeptical of this, then try a little experiment. Make a pot one day using your normal tap water, and then the next make one using bottled or filtered. I can taste the difference, but keep in mind that if you're new to coffee the subtle nuisances will not be as predominate to you to start off.


Storage


How do you store your coffee beans? Whatever you do, don't freeze or refrigerate them! All you're doing is speeding up the process of degrading the beans. The best method of storage is to pour the beans into an airtight container and as long as you don't store them near the oven, room temperature will be fine. If you'd like the maximum about of flavor to your coffee, I recommend buying whole beans and for about $15-$20, you can find a decent coffee grinder so you can grind your own beans. Put the grinder on a medium setting when you're grinding beans for your coffeemaker. That's important!


Over-extraction


Hate it when you go over to a friend's house, they offer you coffee and after your first sip you swore that coffee proceeded to stand up and have a conversation with you? That's some strong coffee! Contrary to popular belief, the less coffee grounds you add to the filter, the more bitter the pot of coffee will be and that's not a good thing. That's less surface area for the water to move through as it brews your coffee so what you're effectively doing is over-extracting the oils from the grounds and leaving yourself with a pot of motor oil. The adequate measurement for brewing a great pot of coffee is 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water. I realize that seems like a lot, but trust me, the flavor of the coffee is going to change your mind. If it's too strong for you? No problem, add some hot water to your cup and voila, instant fix, but be careful when doing this or you'll dilute the coffee too much.


Syrups/Spices




Keep in mind that these are only a few methods of improving your daily brew. The water type, storage of the beans, and insuring you don't over-extract the beans are a must. Save the syrups and spices for when you really can't go with a simple pot of coffee. 

You've seen it on the menu of your favorite coffeehouse, but exactly what is it? Espresso and hot water to put it simply. The Americano is the less fancy item on the menu other than a simple drip coffee, but it has its own delightfully full flavor. The Americano came about during World War II when American soldiers would add hot water to espresso so they could have a cup of coffee that tasted more like their brew back home rather than the ones in their D, C, or K-rations. Honestly, I can't blame them for doing so and I'm grateful for their discovery.

Some of you may be unwilling to try this drink, but don't discount it for its simplicity. If you're new to espresso drinks, I highly recommend giving this one a chance because the flavor of the espresso is still evident, but its bite is tamed thanks to the water. The recipe for an Americano is very simple, one to two shots of espresso and then add hot water. Much like a cup of drip coffee, although slightly stronger, an Americano can be doctored up with your favorite cream or sugar. I definitely enjoy this drink, but I prefer it most without cream or sugar. I love tasting the fullness of the espresso's flavor and I think you'll agree once you try it as well.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Elizabeth Johnson, a friend of mine from college who had just returned from Japan after studying abroad. While in Japan, Elizabeth was able to participate in a Japanese tea ceremony which is a practice that’s rooted deep in Japan’s culture. The tea ceremony, or Ocyaka (pronounced “oh kuh kye”) is a form of spirituality in Japan much like a church service is in the U.S. The three major schools of tea ceremony in Japan are the Urasenke, which is the most popular, the school Elizabeth participated in called the Omotesenke, and Mushakōjisenke. There are more similarities than differences between the schools. Imagine gansta rap, hip-hop, and R&B, they’re essentially the same thing, but still different.


Most ceremonies last between one to four hours, typically longer if food is served along with the tea. The food that is served is usually sweet, which I would imagine would intensify the bitter taste of the matcha, which is a green powder that the host makes into tea. If the host is a woman, she will be dressed in a traditional kimono and will stir the matcha until it is very frothy. I was curious how Elizabeth felt participating in such a ceremony and asked if she felt awkward at all during the ceremony. She was studying abroad with students from other countries as well, so she told me it wasn’t as awkward as one might think, even though she had to ask on numerous occasions when to say certain things. In Omotesenke, there are times during the ceremony where certain phrases should be said prior to drinking the tea, etc.


In Japan, tea, especially green tea is an integral part of their culture, so much so, that nearly every vending machine in Japan contains a bottle of cold green tea. The tea ceremony is something that’s so important to Japanese culture, that often women will learn how to perform the ceremony prior to marriage so that it may be performed with her husband. The tea ceremony is a very intricate and beautiful ceremony, that many people take years upon years to master. It’s like playing the guitar, it’s very difficult and takes years to become adept to, but once you do the results are beautiful.


In response to the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated Japan, I urge you to click the link and donate to the Red Cross. Every little bit counts no matter how much you're able to give.

A café mocha is very simply a café latte with chocolate syrup added to it. There are variations of the drink and many coffeehouses have their own recipes that work for them. The recipe that I am most familiar with is one shot of chocolate per shot of espresso, and then add steamed whole milk. Obviously, you can change it up to your liking because nothing is set in stone when you’re making something for yourself. Many mochas are topped with a thin layer of froth, or sometimes whip cream that’s been decorated with either cocoa powder or syrup. One of the variations of the drink that I mentioned is using cocoa powder instead of chocolate syrup. I haven’t tried this method myself so I cannot testify to the taste of the drink.

Fiction. Espresso is merely a concentrated form of drink made by forcing hot water that's under pressure through finely ground coffee. A lot of people think that by adding an extra shot to their daily latte will give them the little pick-me-up they need in the morning before heading into the workday. They're unfortunately wrong. So what do you need to drink if you actually want that quick burst of energy? The answer might surprise you. Break out your coffeemaker and make yourself a pot of light roast coffee. Yep, plain, old fashioned drip coffee will give you the jolt you need. A good rule of thumb is, the lighter the roast, the more caffeine it has. Ultimately, the break down of coffee roasts is as follows:

• Light roast/Light City Roast (or Half City)
• Medium roast/Full City Roast
• French/Vienna Roast
• Italian Roast (espresso)

If you enjoy the taste of charcoal, then by all means go for the Italian roast, but I personally go for the medium roast coffees. Medium roasts are the perfect combination of caffeine with a wonderful, full-bodied flavor minus the charcoal.