IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED BY COFFEE ENTHUSIASTS, that over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed every year, making it one of the world’s most popular drinks. Over time, some cultures have created their own ways to brew and drink it. We thought it would be fun to share four of those methods. They are Turkish brewing, Concentrate Brewing, Yuenyeung Brewing, and Nitro Brewing.
Each method and recipe has brewing variables with an introduction of ingredients, brewing temperature, and preparation of the coffee grounds.
TURKISH COFFEE
Turkish coffee or kahve –the traditional name– is made in small containers directly on the flame with boiling water and finely ground kahve. Kahve refers to the special brewing method that is most common in the Levant. The coffee is made unfiltered with finely ground coffee beans (so fine that they resemble the texture of cocoa powder). The ground beans are boiled with sugar and cardamom in a special pot called a cezve or ibrik. In some traditions a small portion of kahve is poured off into a cup and then brought to a second boil, pouring the rest into each cup ensuring an even distribution of grounds.
Since the coffee is not filtered, it leaves a thick pungent and muddy brew. Once the mud settles to the bottom of the tiny demitasse cups, and is consumed, the mud at the bottom of the cup is read by fortune telling mystics. Remember that Turkish Coffee must always be served with foam on top.
CONCENTRATE BREWING
Concentrate brewing is very popular in Latin America and other parts of the world. It is beginning to make a come back in the U.S. Concentrate brewing takes large amounts of coffee that is brewed with small amounts of water to brew a concentrate. To make a cup of coffee you mix some of the concentrate with hot water. The concentrate is brewed either hot or cold. When it is brewed cold you must let the coffee sit for at least a day. Cold-brewing iced coffee results in a delicious, potent elixir, which, if you’re not car. This method creates a mild light-bodied coffee with little aroma and a little acidity with a muted flavor.
YUENYEUNG
In Hong Kong, coffee is typically mixed with black tea and condensed milk to make Yuenyeung. In addition to getting all of the health benefits of coffee, black tea adds the benefit of antioxidants. Many of the antioxidants found in black tea help to lower risk of inflammation and any related disorders such as heart disease. To make Yuenyeung, start off by mixing 3 tablespoons of condensed milk, or whatever milk substitute, with one part coffee and one part black tea. Top it off with ice or serve hot. If you are looking for dairy-free substitutions try making the drink with sweetened almond or soy milk.
NITROGEN-INFUSED
Nitro brew coffee is a nitrogen-infused cold brew(coffee beans steeped in water for over 12 hours) which has a naturally sweet taste due to the gas. It’s served straight from the tap, just like a cold beer, and it offers that frothy and bubbly, adult-beverage feeling with the carbonation and beer-like head from the nitrogen. A big bonus for consumers is that there’s no sugar, milk or alcohol in nitro coffee, and it contains about 30 percent more caffeine per ounce than your good ol’ cup of joe. And now nitro coffee is available in bottles and cans, so you can enjoy this trending coffee at home or at the office. Because it is naturally sweet, there’s no need to add any sugar or artificial sweeteners which is a great benefit for those wanting to cut out sugar. Even if that isn’t a concern, many find the taste of the nitrogen-infused coffee to be a unique pleasure to the taste buds. Nitro brew coffee cannot be made easily at home but it is found at most grocery stores and in Starbucks.