January 30, 2024
by Natasha Nesic
Coffee is so omnipresent that we often take it for granted.
Consider the famous Central Perk coffee shop in Friends; the dollar-store mugs and T-shirts that beg you not to expect anything to get done before that first morning cup; the countless casual, “Can I take you for coffee?” invitations when you’re both peckish but it isn’t time for lunch or dinner.
(To name a few examples.)
But coffee has some things going for it that go beyond just being a drink or a one-liner. Curious what they are? Read on!
1. Anthocyanins
No, these aren’t a new brand of superheroes—though they do certainly pack super benefits!
Anthocyanins are a particular type of antioxidant that is well-studied for their potential effects on the human body. So far, science has been able to uncover their capabilities for what they summarize as, “These health benefits are antioxidative effects, antiangiogenesis, prevention of CVD, anticancer, antidiabetes, improved visual health, anti-obesity, antimicrobial, and nueroprotection.” Meaning that anthocyanins may be linked to being powerful and protective mechanisms for your tissue, brain, and immune systems—among many other possible benefits.
Most often we find anthocyanins in deep red-blue fruits and vegetables such as blackberries and purple kale, but did you ever wonder if coffee’s roasted color concealed its own inner rainbow of natural constituents?
It turns out that the coffee cherry—aka the natural fruit surrounding the bean before it’s washed and processed—is confirmed to be a fantastic source of these little wonderunits. Your best bet to taste a hint of that husk is by trying a freshly-washed Lardera coffee
Geisha Caturra Washed.
2. Multiple Brewing Methods
Now that we’ve started talking about processing coffee, what about brewing it? There is never just one be-all and end-all technique or method. (That’s why they have international barista competitions. This stuff is real, and it’s intense.)
That’s why we encourage you to find your own personal brewing style and method. Lardera makes sure to carry only top-of-the-line equipment, so that if you prefer hands-off then you can go for the ease of the
Wilfa Performance Coffeemaker, or try your hand at the stylish
Wood Collar Coffeemaker, or the
Metal Pour Over Coffeemaker, or ever-classic-in-a-tiny-apartment-above-the-Seine
French Press. All of these options will enhance your versatility at coffee and help you develop your own brewing flavor—no pun intended.
3. Worldwide Origins
It’s always surprising to discover how many places in the world can grow and produce coffee!
At Lardera we have
Ethiopian,
Costa Rican,
Peruvian, and
Colombian... so far!
According to the Worldwide Review, producing-countries the grand total of worldwide coffee growing nations is fifty! They list the top ten as follows:
Brazil
Vietnam
Colombia
Indonesia
Ethiopia
Honduras
India
Uganda
Mexico
Guatemala
4. Historical Significance
Coffee may not have started the American Revolution the way that tea did, but it still certainly has boatloads of historical significance and many, many legends surrounding its origin.
The National Coffee Association of USA has a delightful rundown of coffee creation myths from around the globe. For example, did you ever hear the Ethiopian story of how coffee came to be discovered? A goatherder named Kaldi noticed that his goats were too energized to sleep after consuming a certain berry. (Imagine that—a berry for the Zoomies! Or would that be a Zoom-Zoom berry?) Kaldi brought it to the local monks, who did what any monk would do and drink a tea from this random berry that was only dubiously confirmed not to be poisonous. It turned out that it had the opposite effect of poison—it actually kept them nice and awake for their practice. Much the same way we use coffee today, right?
Whenever you want to embark on a coffee-fueled spiritual quest (or just a trip to work) we recommend being prepared with a
Cold Brew Pitcher stored in the fridge overnight. Just take it out and your coffee is ready to come with you in your favorite travel mug or water bottle.
5. A Skincare Secret Weapon
Have you ever accidentally spilled coffee grounds on yourself and rubbed them into your skin while trying to clean them off? Little did you know that you were actually treating yourself to a spa experience.
Coffee grounds are a powerful antioxidant that science has confirmed to maintain its effectiveness even when applied topically. How cool is that? You can now find extra upcycled uses for spent grounds—especially if you went to trouble of
meticulously measuring them out, then carefully
grinding them to your beloved texture, and even making sure that they get the brewing VIP treatment of a
high-class paper filter.
The good news is that you can just scoop out the grounds from that filter into your favorite moisturizer for a DIY exfoliation pampering session, or use them straight up for more aggressive treatment that helps clear out impurities and excess skin cells that may have accumulated while you were up to other coffee-related activities, like the monk journey above.
What are some unexpected things that you like about coffee?
