Since man first began to drink coffee back in the in the 15th century, they added spices to the coffee.
The first spices, of course, were locally used spices, which were cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and anise.
These spices did not change the coffee aroma flavor attributes, but did change the mouthfeel of sweet, salt, bitter and sour.
Although mouthfeel plays an important part in drinking coffee, it is the aroma plays the most important part to a spiced coffee.
So, what does the spice really add to your cup of coffee? Let's start with cloves.
Cloves are considered the most important of the flower spices as they contain essential oils once used in medicine, to aid digestion, antiseptic action and toothache relief.
When added to coffee when it is brewed it offers a strong, pungent, sweet flavor that treats the mouthfeel of a sweet taste similar to vanilla.
Some say it is more a robust woody flavor with earthly overtone to it.
Cinnamon can be added to your coffee two ways.
Pre-ground cinnamon is a very popular condiment and is said to save the most destitute of coffee taste.
A small amount of this spice absorbs the oils and infuses a flavorful cover of a slightly woody taste with a sharp cinnamon edge.
However, it is a spice with a bite and has a very distinctive taste that can enhance a bitter taste to the coffee.
Is there a solution? You can a cream or a creamer, if need to cut the bitterness.
Cardamom has a powerful and aromatic odor and flavor.
Today the spice comes from plantations and is sold mainly as green and sun-dried pods.
It is the third most expensive spice sold today, topped only by saffron and true vanilla.
The preparation of cardamom coffee begins with roasting green coffee beans, which are then crushed.
At the same time green cardamom pods are broken by hand and a large amount, approximately two tablespoons per cup, is dropped into hot water with a touch of saffron or ground cloves, some sugar, and the ground roasted coffee.
This mixture is boiled for about two minutes and then strained before consumption.
This brew is so highly aromatic that the aroma taste of the coffee is overwhelmed by a powerful, spicy flavor of cardamom.
It is believed that a milder recipe is more appropriate for most American tastes.
Cardamom also contains essential oils obtained through steam distillation and is used to mask the taste of foul-tasting medicine.
Anise is actually an herb used as a spice.
The seeds are dried and threshed to produce usable product.
An essential oil, anethole, is recovered by steam distillation of the crushed anise seeds.
Anise seeds and anise oil are characterized by a very strong, licorice-like flavor and odor, which is well-noted when added to coffee.
Today, many other spices are added to coffee.
However, these four remain the basis for flavoring coffee.
They also remain the sole flavoring for some coffees and are added in different ways depending on which type of coffee is used.
But, that will be at another time.
The first spices, of course, were locally used spices, which were cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and anise.
These spices did not change the coffee aroma flavor attributes, but did change the mouthfeel of sweet, salt, bitter and sour.
Although mouthfeel plays an important part in drinking coffee, it is the aroma plays the most important part to a spiced coffee.
So, what does the spice really add to your cup of coffee? Let's start with cloves.
Cloves are considered the most important of the flower spices as they contain essential oils once used in medicine, to aid digestion, antiseptic action and toothache relief.
When added to coffee when it is brewed it offers a strong, pungent, sweet flavor that treats the mouthfeel of a sweet taste similar to vanilla.
Some say it is more a robust woody flavor with earthly overtone to it.
Cinnamon can be added to your coffee two ways.
Pre-ground cinnamon is a very popular condiment and is said to save the most destitute of coffee taste.
A small amount of this spice absorbs the oils and infuses a flavorful cover of a slightly woody taste with a sharp cinnamon edge.
However, it is a spice with a bite and has a very distinctive taste that can enhance a bitter taste to the coffee.
Is there a solution? You can a cream or a creamer, if need to cut the bitterness.
Cardamom has a powerful and aromatic odor and flavor.
Today the spice comes from plantations and is sold mainly as green and sun-dried pods.
It is the third most expensive spice sold today, topped only by saffron and true vanilla.
The preparation of cardamom coffee begins with roasting green coffee beans, which are then crushed.
At the same time green cardamom pods are broken by hand and a large amount, approximately two tablespoons per cup, is dropped into hot water with a touch of saffron or ground cloves, some sugar, and the ground roasted coffee.
This mixture is boiled for about two minutes and then strained before consumption.
This brew is so highly aromatic that the aroma taste of the coffee is overwhelmed by a powerful, spicy flavor of cardamom.
It is believed that a milder recipe is more appropriate for most American tastes.
Cardamom also contains essential oils obtained through steam distillation and is used to mask the taste of foul-tasting medicine.
Anise is actually an herb used as a spice.
The seeds are dried and threshed to produce usable product.
An essential oil, anethole, is recovered by steam distillation of the crushed anise seeds.
Anise seeds and anise oil are characterized by a very strong, licorice-like flavor and odor, which is well-noted when added to coffee.
Today, many other spices are added to coffee.
However, these four remain the basis for flavoring coffee.
They also remain the sole flavoring for some coffees and are added in different ways depending on which type of coffee is used.
But, that will be at another time.
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