High on Coffee

Hurricane Ida causes coffee damage

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:17:00 PST

(Reuters) - El Salvador's agriculture chamber said on Tuesday up to 28,000 short tonnes of sugar and 76,666 60-kg bags of coffee were lost after heavy rains triggered by Hurricane Ida caused major flooding and landslides this weekend. The chamber said in news conference up to 20 percent of the cane harvest could be at risk because of serious infrastructure damage.

Guatemala Coffee Harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:16:00 PDT

Guatemala 09-10 Coffee Harvest Starts,Seen +2.7% To 3.8M Bags

By T. Johnson

Source

Harvesting of Guatemala's new 2009-10 crop has now started in lower altitude regions with growers' expected output to increase in the last crop cycle, Guatemala's National Coffee Association, or Anacafe, said Tuesday.

Anacafe said that according to the latest farm reports the organization maintains its preliminary forecast for output in the 2009-10 harvest to post a minor recovery and rise 2.7% to 3.83 million 60-kilogram bags.

But once the physical picking of the harvest starts in earnest about mid-November the estimate may be revised based on the initial harvest flow, an official told Dow Jones Newswires.

This compares to production of 3.73 million bags in Guatemala's last 2008-09 crop cycle. The crop cycle runs from Oct. 1 through September the following year.

The initial forecast for the 2008-09 harvest projected a healthy crop that would be stable to higher on output in the 2007-08 cycle, but Anacafe lowered its view two times last year following multiple weather-related damage.

Guatemalan producers reported that crop conditions for the new 2009-10 harvest in many regions hasn't recovered from the extensive weather damage last year, which led to losses of up to 30% in key parts of the country.

Coffee From Costa Rica

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:56:00 PDT

One of the great known areas for coffee production is Costa Rica. The climate and fertile soil in Costa Rica is prime growing conditions for some of the best coffee. The environmental conditions under which coffee is grown influence the physical characteristics of the seeds, the quality of which is well known to coffee connoisseurs. The altitude at which coffee is grown and the amount of water available to the plants are crucial. In Costa Rica, rainfall, relative humidity and temperature are lower at higher altitudes. There is also a difference between conditions in the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds. These differences, as well as the care with which processing and other operations are carried out, have given the Costa Rican specialty coffees high marks among international buyers.

Coffee was first introduced to Brazil in 1727 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Today, Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and is becoming a significant player in the specialty coffee industry, producing 25% of the world's supply of coffee. Brazil has one of the world’s most advanced and well cared for processing systems in the industry.

The Coffee production began in 1779 in the Meseta Central, an area with near perfect soil and climate conditions for this type of plantation. Coffee growing soon surpassed cacao, tobacco, and sugar in importance and by 1829 it had become the major source of foreign revenue. As a nonperishable commodity in an age of slow and costly transport, coffee proved an ideal product and shortly thereafter became the nation’s major export.

Costa Rica is the only country in the world which has issued an executive order (N°19302-MAG, 4 December 1989) banning the production of any variety of coffee other than Arabica.

Ybor Coffee, Naviera Coffee Mills

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:43:00 PDT

YBOR CITY

The other day I was visiting one of my favorite coffee shops in Ybor City. While sitting and enjoying a cup of Café con leche I looked across the room and spotted a bag of fresh ground coffee for sale called "Ybor City Gold Coffee".

Ybor is noted for one of the finest coffee's in Florida called "Naviera Coffee" founded by the Fernandez Family in 1921.

"If you grow up in Ybor, what you remember is all the wonderful smells," declares Fernandez, an intense, dark-eyed man with a thick white mustache. "When I was a boy, every block had a different smell. Okay? You understand? You'd smell the cod coming out the door at the fish markets. You'd smell the bread from the bakeries. And of course, the coffee was everywhere."

Here is a great link for coffee from YBOR CITY.

Green Mountain Coffee to sell 4M shares

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:50:00 PDT

This just in,

Green Mountain Coffee is said to be selling off four million in common stock. Green Mountain intends to use the proceeds from the offering to "repay debt, including part of the outstanding balance under its credit facility, and the remainder for general corporate purposes."

Green Mountain Coffee is based in Waterbury, Vt.

Shares of Green Mountain Coffee (GMCR), which reported impressive earnings July 29, are up 169% in 2009.

Green Mountain Coffee got investors' attention with the success of its Keurig coffee brewers. Costing about $100 each, these brewers make single cups of coffee at home in about 30 seconds.

This has helped Green Mountain Coffee considerably. Since the economy has hurt the high end coffee business, people are staying home more and brewing their own coffee. With this nice little machine that brews coffee one cup at a time it has been a hit to the consumer.

"But, while Americans are still drinking plenty of coffee, they're getting coffee from different places. Purchases of coffee for the home are up, while sales at coffee shops and other retail locations have softened, Rhinehart says. "

We wish the best for Green Mountain Coffee in the days and weeks to come.

Caribou coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:36:00 PDT

I live in Central Florida and the one thing I miss from the north is Caribou Coffee Shops. Oh to have a Caribou in our neighborhood or in the state.

So much for whinning.

I see Caribou is hitting the big times with its joing of forces with Sun Country Airlines. This is a good for both companies since they are both based out of Minnesota.

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sun Country serves up Caribou
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by Staff report

Sun Country Airlines today announced they will begin brewing Caribou Coffee for complementary in-light beverage service.

Fliers traveling today received complimentary coffee as well as pastries from Mel-O-Glaze bakery served by Sun Country CEO Stan Gadek, Caribou Coffee CEO Michael Tattersfield and Caribou’s mascot Carri-Bou in a tent outside the Hubert Humphrey Terminal and at tables in the Sun Country gate area to mark the partnership.

“We are pleased to partner with another hometown company, Caribou Coffee,” said Gadek.
MN Airlines, LLC, which does business as Sun Country Airlines, is based in St. Paul. Caribou (Nasdaq:CBOU) was founded in 1992 and is based in Minneapolis. Caribou is the second-largest company-owned gourmet coffeehouse operator in the world.

All I can hope for is that the Caribou migrate south and make it down to Florida some day.

Sour cream coffee cake recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:07:00 PDT

Kristin King
Norfolk Cooking Examiner

Coffee cake does not necessarily have coffee in it, but it’s certainly great served with coffee. Another breakfast and or dessert item, sour cream coffee cake is a tangy, light and moist treat. This recipe is another family favorite, one that my sister and I used to fight over when we were young. My grandmother would always make a coffee cake, cut it in half and give the one half to my sister. The remaining half was to be split between the rest of the family. My sister was spoiled, right??

In our house, sour cream coffee cake was either eaten for breakfast or an after school snack. Either way, it’s a wonderful departure from the ordinary. The streusel-like topping cuts the tangy bite of the sour cream in the cake while the walnuts give it a nice crunch. Plus, it’s a safe bet that you have all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Whenever you decide to eat this coffee cake, I guarantee you’ll be fighting over it just like my sister and I did.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

½ cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking sodaTopping

½ cup walnuts

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Liberally grease a tube or bundt pan with butter or cooking spray.In the bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about 1 minute.

Add the vanilla and eggs mixing until just combine.

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a small bowl.

Add the dry mixture alternatively with the sour cream making sure not to over mix.

Prepare the topping by mixing the walnuts, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together.

Place half of the batter in the pan and top with half of the topping.

Carefully spread the remaining batter into the pan, tapping the pan on the counter to flatten and remove excess air bubbles.

Spread the other half of the topping evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes in pan, then remove and let cool completely on a baking rack.

Iced coffees can be bad for your health, warns charity

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:52:00 PDT

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Sugita Katyal)

Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:35am EDT

REUTERS LIFE

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Enjoying an iced coffee? Better skip dinner or hit the gym afterwards, with a cancer charity warning that some iced coffees contain as many calories as a hot dinner.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) conducted a survey of iced coffees sold by some popular chains in Britain including Starbucks, Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee to gauge the calories as studies increasingly link obesity with cancer.

The worst offender -- a venti dark berry mocha frappuccino from Starbucks -- had 561 calories. Other iced coffee contained more than 450 calories and the majority had in excess of 200.
Health experts advise that the average woman should consume about 2,000 calories a day and a man about 2,500 calories to maintain a healthy weight. Dieters aim for 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day.

"The fact that there is an iced coffee on the market with over a quarter of a woman's daily calories allowance is alarming," Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager at London-based WCRF, said in a widely-reported statement.

"This is the amount of calories you might expect to have in an evening meal, not in a drink."
The WCRF has estimated that 19,000 cancers a year in Britain could be prevented if people lost their excess weight with growing evidence that excess body fat increases the risk of various cancers.

Thompson said having an iced coffee as an occasional treat was fine but it was best to opt for an unsweetened coffee with skimmed or semi skimmed milk -- and steer clear of the cream or sugary fruit syrups.

"If you are having them regularly then they will increase the chances of you becoming overweight, which in turn increases your risk of developing cancer, as well as other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes," she added.
The WCRF, which identified the drinks' calories, did note that healthier versions of iced coffees were available at all the stores.

Starbucks in 2007 changed its default milk used in beverages like lattes to 2 percent from whole milk and is this year testing a frappuccino formula that mirrors its bid to cut calories in its food items to offer healthier choices.

Costa Coffee on its website gives full details of the contents of its drinks and food items, stressing that drinks can be made as asked with skimmed, full fat or soya milk.

Caffe Nero also publishes the calorie contents of all its drinks and food on its website.

Savannah Georgia

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:01:00 PDT

Hello All,

I just got back from Savannah Georgia this past week and what a trip it was. Savannah is an interesting city, with great restaurants, night life, pubs, and etc. When it comes to coffee, I had some of the best coffee I have tasted in a long time.
One of the best places we came across for a relaxing cup of superb coffee was Cafe Ambrosia. I so wish this coffee house was in our town in Florida. I love going into coffee cafes and this one is at the top of my list.

Here is a little link for them: Savannah dining guide

Savannah also offers some of the best coffee roasting in the south. Here is a link to one of Savannah Georgia best coffee roasting companies:

Savannah Coffee Roasters

Everybody has heard of Paual Deen. Now her husband Michael is coming on the scene with his own blend of great tasting coffee. Michael has teamed us with Savannah Coffee Roasters to bring on the market Captain Michael Coffee.

Captain Michael Coffee

Starbucks Turns Healthy

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:22:00 PDT

The coffee giant is turning healthy!

Starbucks the big coffee giant is trying something new they are going to start banning high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and dyes and cutting down on artificial preservatives in an effort to make its food more appealing to health-conscious customers.

The company has been listening to their customers and asking them what they would like to see changed.

Sandra Stark vice president of food with Starbucks announced “We answered their call with a delicious new menu of food made with real ingredients and more wholesome options.”

To Read The Rest of The Story

Home Roasting Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:46:00 PDT

Roasting of coffee is something that I have always wanted to do. Since visiting an old friend who owns a wonderful coffee shop in Guatemala Lake Atitlan area called Crossroads Cafe I fell in love with the concept of roasting my own coffee. This friend moved to Panajachel, Guatemala on the shores of Lake Atitlan about 10 years ago from California and opened up a small coffee shop catering to the tourist and the hippies that live in the area. He roast and grinds his own coffee and it is wonderful. Him and his wife roast about 30 pounds of coffee a day and use it in their own café or sell it to the patrons that come in to visit.

I came across a web site called Sweet Maria’s a few months back. This web site is filled with some interesting recipes for home roasting along with some good and off the wall techniques for home roasting . You may ask off the wall, what do you mean. How about this, home roasting using a WOK. Yes a WOK, this is to me a little off the wall, some say it works and others give it a thumbs down.

For me I found a lot of useful techniques to help me with home roasting.

I love my coffee, to me I try everything to get the best, freshest and the most favorable coffee I can. Even if it is flying to where I can pick the bean off the tree and roast it myself. I will do it.

Tres Leches Latte

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:56:00 PDT

I was doing some work on Squidoo today and I came across an interesting recipe on a website that I frequently visit called www.Ineedcoffe.com

This recipe sound so wonderful that my mouth is watering just thinking about it. If you have never heard of Tres Leches or know any recipes for Tres Leches please visit my website for Tres Leches.

The Tres Leches milk syrup is roughly 2 parts evaporated milk, 2 parts sweetened condensed milk, and 1 part heavy cream. Since you will surely want to share with your friends the easiest recipe is as follows…

Stir together:

1-14 oz can of evaporated milk
1-14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 Cup heavy cream

For my latte I started with 4 oz espresso

Steam: 5 oz milk, 3 oz Tres Leches syrup, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.

Squidoo - Addicted to coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:01:00 PDT

Hey everybody,

Come check out my squidoo lens http://www.squidoo.com/addictedtocoffee addicted to coffee. This lens has been fun to build and it has some awesome information on it. So take a moment and check it out.

Another good squidoo site to visit is the Group Page for Addicted to To Coffee Group Site: http://www.squidoo.com/groups/addictedtocoffee
This site has over 39 other lens that you are welcome to check out. Very good information on different things about coffee.

LegalZoom The Online Document Form Service [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:29:28 PST

LegalZoom is an online legal service that was started by some of the countrys top attorneys. LegalZoom.com was started by attorneys who recognized the need for simple answers to simple questions through an inexpensive forum. They have a team of legal experts, retired judges, and law school professors who work with you and answer your questions. You can rely on the fact that their legal forms are accurate and dependable. They want to offer you customer service and satisfaction that is second to none and they work to provide you with quality efforts.

Spas International [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:29:49 PST

My wife and I do a lot of traveling, and we receive a tremendous amount of literature from travel resorts and international day spa destinations. Day Spas have really been a boom in the fast few years and really have hit the international scene.

Florida Gators [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:48:56 PST

he Florida Gators are the athletic teams that collectively represent the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Lady Gators is an alternative often used for the women's teams. The sum of the program and its followers is referred to collectively as the Gator Nation.

Guy Fieri [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:25:38 PST

First guy is a chef, and a TV personality and the winner of the second season of "The Next Food Network Star". He is now co-owner of Johnny Garlic's California Pasta Grill in Windsor, Roseville, and Santa Rosa, California, as well as Tex Wasabi's in Sacramento and Santa Rosa California.

SWEDISH PACAKES [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:28:15 PST

Swedish Pancakes (plattar) are some of the best pancakes I have ever eaten. I remember as a small child growing up in Rockford IL. in our Swedish part of the city eating Swede's as we called them. Swede's are small (about 3 inches in diameter) delicately moist, rich pancake traditionally served with butter and lingonberries.

Jamaica, The Jewell Of The Caribbean [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 14:24:28 PST

amaica is the fourth largest island in the Caribbean, and the most populous English-speaking island in that region. The island of Jamaica is home to the Blue Mountains inland, and is surrounded by a narrow coastal plain. Most major towns and cities are located on the coast.

American Congress for Truth- » Russia: A Future Radical Muslim Superpower? [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:27:25 PDT

summary: the demographics of Russia and the rest of the European nations are clearly in favor of Muslims over native peoples - many sources now project their Islamization by mid-century - with the acquisition of WMDs from both Pakistan and Russia, the future may well be a bleak one unless the endangered countries wake up, smell the coffee, and act forcefully against their Muslim residents - with the fervor which Russans have for ‘Mother Russia’, at some point they will have to resist Muslims as hard as they battled the Germans during WWII

Italian Coffee [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:03:39 PDT

Coffee in Italian is Caff'e, and may indicate either the Italian way of preparing this beverage at home or espresso, which is prepared instead with electrical steam machines. Notably, a coffee house in Italy is generally termed a bar, and only in some cases a caff'e, as opposed to most other parts of the world, where a coffee house is termed a caf'e.

Ecotourism Development in Mwaam, Cameroon [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:41:08 PDT

This casual Guatemalan greeting, translating to “hey, what’s up?” is one of the first things Spanish students from all over the world will learn inside Guatemala’s many Spanish schools. For the past ten or fifteen years, Guatemala has built a growing industry upon the fact that foreign tourists will pay to learn Spanish as part of a vacation experience.

Christopher Lowell, A Great Interior Designer Celebrity [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:07:21 PDT

Christopher Lowell (born Richard Lowell Madden November 6, 1955), is an interior decorator and television personality.

Digg - Ex-president of Guatemala extradited for corruption | Intern [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:20:40 PDT

UATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo, accused of fraud and corruption at the end of his term in 2004, was extradited on Tuesday from Mexico to face charges in his home country. Portillo slipped into Mexico amid a wave of arrests of his former cabinet members after he left office. Guatemala's attorney general's office said he diverted $15.7 million, slated for the defense ministry, to his own accounts.

Brooklyn al Qaeda? Materials Found During Arrest Prompts Investigation [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:23:47 PDT

Brooklyn police stumbled upon a trove of possible terrorist related materials including; al Qaeda news clippings, chemical manuals and weapons literature. The discovery was made while responding to a landlords call regarding photocopied drivers licenses he discovered in an evicted tenants apartment.

My Favorite Celebrity Chef, Giada De Laurentiis [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:40:36 PDT

Giada De Laurentiiswas born Giada Pamela De Benedetti in Rome, Italy, the eldest child of actress Veronica De Laurentiis and her first husband, actor-producer Alex De Benedetti, who was a close associate of his wife's father, the film producer Dino De Laurentiis.

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:59:00 PDT

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee gets it name from being grown in the blue mountains of Jamaica. This coffee is one of the most expensive coffees I have ever witnessed. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the most sought after coffee in the world. This coffee is certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica as 100% Pure Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.
In addition to its use for brewed coffee, the beans are the flavor base of Tia Maria coffee liqueur.

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is one of the most sought after coffees in the world. This "Java of Kings" has been satisfying coffee connoisseurs around the globe for more than two centuries and is famous for its exquisite flavor, good acidity, a clean refined taste,unusual sweetness, excellent body and intense bold aroma. As rare and prized as this coffee is, we`ve been able to secure a very limited supply of Peaberry beans.

Check out our material by clinking on the button below this line.

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is like I mentioned above one of the most expensive coffees I have seen. At our resort gift shop Blue Mountain coffee was running around $39.00 a pound. I am told there are a large amount of fraudulent blue mountain coffee on the market and if you come across coffee saying it is Blue Mountain coffee and it is priced at around $12.00 a pound then more than likely it is a fake. So be careful and be ready to spend a good deal of money for this brand of coffee.

Homeland Security National Terror Alert - Homeland Security News » Nuclear Terror Attack Number One Threat - ElBaradei [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:21:14 PDT

The likelihood that terrorists will detonate a nuclear weapon poses the greatest risk to world security, surpassing proliferation threats from Iran and North Korea, United Nations atomic chief Mohamed ElBaradei said. “There is a lot of interest on the part of extremist groups to obtain nuclear material,” ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said at a scientific forum today in Vienna during the annual conference of the 145 nations in the IAEA. “It’s the No. 1 security threat right now.”

Charming Beauties | The hot sexy girls [del.icio.us]

bwcabound — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:43:58 PDT

Cuban Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:26:00 PDT

Cuban Coffee,

Long before Castro, great Cuban cigars, and the dictatorship that made Cubathe way it is today, some of the best coffee in the world came from this once rich country.. In the 19th century, the epicenter of coffee production was in the foothills of Sierra Maestra, a lush mountain range in southeast Cuba. In 1959 the Castro Revolution killed the coffee industry. Before the revolution there was some of the best coffee coming out of Cuba, today the only good coffee coming out of Cuba is going to Japan and Europe. More or less the Cuban coffee is industry destroyed

HISTORY

Coffee was introduced to Cuba in the early 18^th century, with it rich untouched soil, high humidity and great climate it was an ideal location for growing coffee. It started with small scale coffee farming and them with the help of slaves from Africa the coffee industry grew all the way from the western hills to the limits of Havana. By 1870 Cuba was exporting 185,000 quintiles a year to Spain. Then with the revolution hitting nearby Haiti French farmers came to Cuba and they grew the coffee industry even larger. By the mid 1800’s the coffee plantations grew to a remarkable 2,067 but in the later years with the fight between Cuba and the Spanish the coffee industry took a sharp nose dive.

In the early 1900 the coffee industry took another major nose dive to sugar cane and tobacco exports. This lasted for several years but by 1950 Cuba was once again exporting coffee. By 1956 Cuba was exporting some 20,000 metric tons of coffee beans. After the marxis take over in the later 1950’s the coffee industry really fell apart and by 1970 the industry for Cuba was almost wiped out.

Today there are still some small private farms. The problem is;

“The loss of experienced workers has forced the government to rely on unpaid middle- and high-school students to harvest the coffee crop,” reports CubaNews. “During the harvest, tens of thousands of students go into the mountains for several weeks to pick coffee. While they are reportedly earnest in their efforts, their lack of experience and stamina is one reason the sector continues to languish.”

TODAY

Today, Cuba’s coffee plantations are located mainly in three regions. The most important are on the slopes and valleys between 1,000 and 2,000 ft, located in the Nipe-Baracoa and Sierra Maestra mountains of eastern Cuba (in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Granma); the Escambray mountains near the center of the island (in the provinces of villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spíritus); and, to a lesser extent, the Sierra del Rosario, close to the western tip of Cuba in the province of Pinar del Rio. The government owns most of the coffee plantations in Cuba, though in the 1990s it began to reverse earlier policies and allowed farmers to lease land for the first time since the revolution.

Today France and Japan are the largest importer of coffee from Cuba, The U.S. does not import one bean from Cuba and hasn’t since 1962 with the embargo set against Cuba.

From Wikipedia

Cuban coffee (café cubano, cuban espresso, cafecito, cuban pull, cuban shot) is a type of espresso which originated in Cuba after espresso machines were first imported there from Italy. Specifically, it refers to an espresso shot which is sweetened with sugar while it is being brewed, but the name covers other drinks which use Cuban espresso as their base. Drinking café cubano remains a prominent social and cultural activity within Cuba as well as the expatriate community.

So if your like me and like to taste the bean when you drink your coffee, try some Cuban coffee that is if you can get your hands on the true coffee from Cuba.

Coffee from Vietnam

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:32:00 PDT

French missionaries first brought coffee to Vietnam with the first tree being planted in 1857. Vietnam was not a thriving producer of coffee until about 1975. Coffee has been grown in different regions of the country since 1910 but only on small scales. It was in the 70's and 80's when coffee really hit the large scale markets. The coffee that was and is being grown and produced is a Robusta coffee. In the past few years the industry leaders are looking into more of the Arabica development programs.

Most of the farming is done in the Central Highlands by the borders of Cambodia and Laos. Most of the farming is done by families with one to two acres of property.

Production and exporting of coffee for Vietnam is on a rapid rise. Vietnam is now second to Brazil in in tons of coffee exported. The problem is that with so much coffee being exported the market price is in a rapid decline which hurts everyone including Vietnam.

When you think of coffee next time, Vietnam may not be the first thing that pops into your head but when it does give a cup of Vietnam coffee a try.

Vietnamese coffee is very rich full bodied coffee, Vietnamese coffee can be brewed in your own home coffee maker but it does come out better if brewed in individual servings in an Vietnamese Coffee Filter

UGANDA COFFEE

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:43:00 PDT

Uganda is dubbed as having the best Robusta beans in the world. Indigenous to Uganda and the Congo , Robusta (coffea robusta) is a specialty coffee grown at high altitudes in volcanic soil and wet climates.

The economy depends on the coffee grower, coffee is 50% of the economic base. So if the production of coffee increase it will help the struggling people of this country. Uganda is a leading world producer of Robusta coffee. Currently out of all of the exports coming out of Uganda 65% are some sort of coffee product. 3.5 million families in Uganda work in the coffee industry, so any growth in the coffee industry will help out the working families.

In 1991 the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) was formed. The vision of the UCDA is "to promote and oversee the development of the entire coffee industry through research, quality assurance, improved marketing and providing for other matters connected therewith."

UCDA records show that cumulatively, coffee export earnings from July 2006 to May 2007 amount to $204 million (USD), representing 28 percent increase from the year before.

Photo credit: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Global Warming Threatens Coffee Collapse in Uganda:

National Geographic News reports that Growers say global warming is already cutting into coffee harvests, the country's biggest export. And a new report warns that even a slight increase in temperature could wipe out Uganda's entire coffee crop, which brings in more than half of the East African country's revenue.
"Climate change has affected coffee production already," said Philip Gitao, executive director of the East African Fine Coffees Association.

Coffee grown in Late Atitlan Guatemala

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:03:00 PDT

One of the most beautiful areas of the world in Lake Atitlan Guatemala.

This part of the world also grows some of the best coffee known to man. One of the reasons the coffee here is so good is that Lake Atitlan is surrounded by volcanoes which creates a very rich soil, excellent for growing coffee. This area of Guatemala also receives a tremendous amount of rain fall each month. Also the altitude ranges from 4,000-5,900 feet which keeps down the pest's from hurting the coffee plants.

The majority of coffee harvested in these regions is Bourbon, but Typica, Caturra, and Catuai coffee beans are also grown. Harvest occurs between December and March. Atitlan coffees are aromatic. They have a crisp and pronounced acidity and full body.

Lake Atitlan is the deepest lake in Central America with e.stimates of its maximum depth range up to 340 meters
The lake is surrounded with many villages dotting the shore line, the two largest towns is Panajachel and Santiago Atitlan. The culture of the people are Mayan Indians. Each village has great shops and great markets to go through.

If you ever find your self in Panajachel Guatemala stop in and have a great cup of coffee at Crossroads Cage I have been there several times and they are wonderful people.

Are You Stressed

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:27:00 PDT

Studies from the Seoul National University in South Korea, by Han-Seok Seo show that "coffee smells do change the brain to some degree, and it behooves us to understand why that is happening."

The experiment done on laboratory rats that were stressed from lack of sleep, when the rats smelled the coffee that 11 genes in there body increased.

The experiment provides "for the first time, clues to the potential antioxidant or stress-relaxation activities of the coffee bean aroma," the researchers wrote.

Chemically, the antioxidants in liquid coffee are polyphenols, Joe A. Vinson said. Those in the aroma are heterocycle compounds containing sulfur or nitrogen atoms.

"There are two ways to get things into your system, and the quickest way is to smell them," Vinson said. "Caffeine gets into the brain via the blood stream. Here, aromatic molecules get into the brain through the olfactory system. The levels in the air are parts per million, so obviously these are minor components in the air. But they are doing something."

The latest on coffee health research is available from the Coffee Science Information Centre.

Folgers Gourmet Coffee, Special Coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:38:00 PDT

I am not a avid coupon shopper but here is a coupon for a special blend of Folgers Gourmet Coffee from Healthier.com Click Here.

Folgers offer 10 blends to there selection of Gourmet Roast's try this special offer and let me know what you thought.

Coban Guatemala Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:01:00 PDT

Today we will take a look at the rain forest region of Coban Guatemala.

Cobàn was founded by the Spaniards on August 4th, 1543. The city is a mixture of Spanish architecture and German influence. The area is filled with rivers and small lakes.

Coban Market

A charming city of 70,000 in habitat's, Coban is the state capital of Alta Verapaz and a convenient base for exploring the area. The area around Coban is very wet and cloudy and sits at an altitude of 1,300 to 1,500 meters above the sea level.

Most of the coffee crop is grown by small producers and mostly all of the picking of the beans is done by hand. The harvesting is done in December and January.

Coban Coffee

The taste of Coban coffee starts with a very clean, mildly sweet flavor with a pleasant fruitiness that dances in the mouth and fades gently to a smooth, cocoa and smokey finish. The cup is quite dynamic due to its intense brightness that heightens the other characteristics. These unique characteristics makes a dynamic cup of coffee with intense brightness.

Latin America Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 07:57:00 PDT

We are going to spend some time discussing coffee from Latin America. I have travelled extensively in Latin America and have experienced many coffees from this region. Personally I prefer coffee from Latin America over some of the other regions of the world since most of the coffee is full bodied and have very distinctive flavors since most of the coffee growers grow there coffee bean in very rich volcanic soils.

Volcano Agua overlooking Antigua Guatemala

Coffee grown in Guatemala is grown in the central highlands of the country in an altitude starting around 4,500 feet. One of the most famous regional market names is Antigua, from the countryside west of the old capital. The best Guatemalan coffees have a very distinct, spicy or smoky flavor and a delightful acidity. They also have a medium to full body that is rich in flavor.

Cafe Condesa in Antigua Guatemala (one of my favorites)

Antigua is internationally renowned for its high-quality coffees. This region is located between three volcanoes in a valley with a climate perfect for cultivating coffee. The temperature around Antigua ranges from 66 - 72F (19 - 22C) and the humidity is around 66%. So this makes its an ideal location for growing coffee.

Tomorrow we will be looking at others areas around Guatemala for growing coffee.

How to Roast Coffee at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:36:00 PDT

Here is a good video to teach you how to roast your own green coffee beans in a small batch on top of your kitchen stove.

Coffee from Kenya

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:01:00 PDT

Kenya is the 17th largest producer of coffee in the world. The major coffee growing regions in Kenya are the High Plateau. Kenya has a formal coffee grading system wherein each lot of coffee is cupped for quality and graded according to size (A, AA).
The Coffee Board of Kenya strives to make sure that the quality of their beans doesn't suffer by placing strict guidelines and rewards for growing the best possible beans. Although Kenya's great coffees mainly are grown by small-holding farmers organized into cooperatives, Kenya's finest coffees attract substantial premiums.

For some time now the profit for the high priced coffee have not gotten back to the farmers that produce the coffee, this has turned to violence several times. the government stepped in to aid the farmers and it has helped some but not enough. So the coffee industry in Kenya has plummeted. The coffee industry is heading to an open market system which could be good for the growers and pickers to be in open trade but it also can cause corruption to enter in.

But still Kenya has still some of the best coffee in the world and it still can be purchased at most of your favorite coffee houses.

Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Johnson) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:16:00 PDT

Coffee-

Like anything else we need to start with history, the history of coffee. Coffee use can be traced at least to as early as the 9th century when it was first found in the higher ground of Ethiopia. The shepards watching there sheep and goats are the first people to find out about the caffeine in coffee. From there it spread to other lands including the Arabia land where they were the first to roast the coffee bean. From the muslim countries it spread to Italy and then to the rest of Europe. Coffee was used to treat many illesses and it was deemed a Christian drink by Pope Clement VIII in 1600.

Coffee reach America during the Colonial period and has been here ever since.