Seasonings and spices for coffee change its taste and aroma beyond recognition. You will like spices if you have already tried coffee variations and are familiar with the varieties and types of beans. Depending on the type of additives, you will get notes of warmth, sweetness, spiciness, bitterness, and sourness. At your disposal are pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, anise.
Who and when came up with the idea of adding seasonings to coffee drinks?
The idea of adding spice to coffee is not related to the desire to add variety. It all started in the 13th century, when people began brewing coffee en masse.
Eastern merchants noticed that during long transportation the grain began to rot and smell unpleasant. In order not to lose income, they came up with the idea of mixing them with seasonings. This helped sell damaged goods.
According to another version, spices began to be added in the East to neutralize harmful caffeine and enhance the tonic properties of the drink.
In coffee shops, spices were added to mask the aroma of the cheap Robusta coffee variety. Over time, the method began to be used to give an unusual taste and maintain health.
Do not add seasonings to elite beans: Blue Mountain, Yemen Matari, Kopi Luwak, Old Java. This will spoil the taste.
Let's look at what spices are added to coffee.
Historical reference
This drink became the founder of an entire taste industry, which elevated coffee consumption to a real cult. Eastern merchants, engaged in the coffee trade around the world, often brought slightly stale goods to the end point of their journey. And to improve its aroma, they offered customers coffee with spices that changed the taste of even the cheapest drink.
The tradition of adding various herbs and spices has taken root in the culture of preparing the aromatic drink. Today they are used when brewing coffee not to mask the smell of cheap beans, but to add a new, refined taste to this aromatic drink.
Experts advise buying grains and your favorite spices only in whole form and grinding them immediately before brewing the drink, if this is indicated in the recipe. Spices lose their aroma if they are stored in ground form, and some of them can completely change the taste of the drink if they are crushed. Therefore, when preparing coffee with spices, you must strictly adhere to the recipe.
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Black pepper
If you're new to making spiced coffee, try black pepper. It will highlight the natural coffee flavor.
Pepper cleanses the gastrointestinal tract and regulates its functioning. If used regularly, it will help get rid of toxins, cleanse the blood vessels of the brain, improve memory and mental performance.
Salt
No more than 2-5 grains of salt will change the flavor of the coffee. To avoid spoiling it, use purified salt.
In many eastern countries, salt has become a secret ingredient. It is added to the cezve during cooking.
To learn this method at home, read the article “How to make coffee with salt.”
Jamaican coffee
We suggest making Turkish coffee with Jamaican spices.
Ingredients:
- Sweet cream – 110 g.
- Cloves – 3 pcs.
- Two cups of strong coffee.
- Brown rum and sugar - to taste.
- Cinnamon sticks – 6 pcs.
The cream must be whipped into a stable foam. We brew coffee in a Turkish pot with cloves. Add sugar at your discretion. Its quantity depends on your taste preferences. Strain the drink and pour it into cups. Add up to 20 grams of rum to each. And on top of the drink we decorate it with a cap of cream whipped with cinnamon. The amount of sugar and rum in coffee can be changed to suit your taste.
Classic and other options
Cinnamon
A common seasoning. It is added in the form of powder and sticks. Suitable for tea and coffee. Use cinnamon in other warming drinks like mulled wine.
Aromatic cinnamon combines harmoniously with Arabica, shades its sourness, and adds spice. Add it at different stages of cooking. Cinnamon stick - during or at the end of cooking. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top of the finished drink. Dosage: for one cup – no more than half a teaspoon of powder.
Interesting! How to choose a Turk for coffee
The spice speeds up metabolic processes, helps break down fats, and warms you up on cold evenings.
Vanilla
The seasoning is used in the form of powder or vanilla pod. With it, it becomes tender, sweet, with a dizzying aroma.
Vanilla warms, relieves tension, relaxes. To get the effects, add half a teaspoon of powder. Or soak a vanilla stick in the hot liquid for 3-5 minutes.
A drink with vanilla is considered an aphrodisiac that stimulates libido.
Carnation
The spice is fine if you are not afraid of the excessive bitterness it imparts. The valuable thing about cloves is the smell, which quickly disappears. Therefore, to get a flavorful drink, add it at the end.
The seasoning is refreshing. And thanks to clove essential oil, it kills harmful microorganisms. Cloves warm and help with colds.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg gives a tart, astringent flavor. Use it grated, no more than 1-2 grams.
The seasoning tones and stimulates the heart, invigorates. Doctors prescribe it for the complex treatment of sexual disorders: erectile dysfunction, impotence, lack of sexual desire.
Cardamom
Cardamom has a rich scent that is similar to a combination of ginger and cloves. It intensifies the coffee taste and emphasizes its bitterness. Use in powder and grain form.
You will get a specially spicy coffee if you add no more than 3-4 cardamom grains. Just take them out of the plant box and crush them. If desired, replace the grains with 2-3 grams of powder. It goes perfectly with cappuccino and latte. You can enhance the taste and pour 10-20 grams of cream liqueur.
The seasoning soothes, freshens breath, cleanses the digestive system and kills harmful microorganisms.
Star anise
The fruits of this plant are shaped like a star. They help treat the throat during colds and improve the functioning of the digestive tract.
To achieve a rich, pleasant coffee taste and aroma, add 2-3 grains of star anise when cooking in a Turk.
Ginger
Use fresh ginger so it retains its beneficial properties. It warms up, strengthens the immune system, accelerates blood flow, and improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Add grated or thinly sliced ginger at the end of cooking. It will give the drink a spicy, bitter taste.
Orange zest
The zest will add sourness and bitterness. Suitable for espresso and sweet coffee drinks. The orange addition is combined with black pepper, mint or herbal liqueur. To achieve a pleasant aroma and taste, 5 grams is enough.
Lemon zest
Lemon zest, like orange zest, adds bitterness. But at the same time it makes the aroma fresher. In addition to the zest, dilute the coffee with lemon slices or lemon juice.
Lemon zest or juice removes toxins, improves digestion, and burns fat. This drink is relevant during a weight loss diet.
Red pepper
If you like sweets and spiced Turkish coffee, add red hot pepper. Serve this drink with grated dark chocolate on top and pieces on a saucer.
Instead of powder, take a pod, it will reveal the taste better. Dip it into the finished drink for a minute.
Interesting! How to brew coffee in the microwave
Anise
This seasoning is refreshing and invigorating, giving a pleasant taste. Too much anise will overpower the aroma. To get a harmonious and tasty drink, add no more than a quarter teaspoon of powder. Pairs well with cinnamon, vanilla and honey.
Bay leaf
A classic spice that can also be added to coffee. More often used in powder form, less often in sheets. Gives a piquant aroma and taste, soothes, reduces blood pressure, and eliminates headaches. Has a mild antidepressant effect.
Add the powdered spice during cooking, and dip the leaf into the hot drink for a few seconds.
Caraway
Use cumin if you like spicy coffee with a fiery aftertaste. The spice imparts a subtle aroma with pungent notes that stimulate the appetite. It also invigorates and tones the circulatory system.
Don't overdo the portion of cumin - there will be enough on the tip of a knife.
Dill
If you compare it in taste, this spice is similar to cumin and anise. It did not find a wide response, but it has a circle of admirers. If you overdo the dosage, the coffee will turn out too spicy. Use dill seeds - no more than 2-3 per cup.
Saffron
If you want royal morning coffee, add saffron. The seasoning has earned a high status due to its sweet-tart aroma with a slight bitterness and cost - from 500-600 rubles per 50 gram bag.
Saffron is a storehouse of vitamins. It tones the heart, normalizes blood pressure to 120 to 80 mmHg. It also cleanses the blood and liver and calms the nervous system.
Coriander
Connoisseurs of Turkish coffee with spices like to brew it with coriander. It has woody and spicy notes, which, combined with the aroma of a freshly brewed drink, improve your mood and general condition in the morning.
Coriander calms the nervous system, relieves tension, improves the functioning of the digestive system, and restores metabolism.
Cold spiced coffee
Ingredients:
- 225 ml freshly brewed black coffee;
- 2 clove buds;
- 1 cinnamon stick;
- 2 peas of allspice;
- chopped lemon zest.
The amount of ingredients is indicated for two servings.
Combine and grind seasonings. Transfer the aromatic mixture into a container with hot, freshly brewed coffee. Leave for an hour and a half. Pour into glasses three-quarters filled with crushed ice. For a more sophisticated look and a fresh touch, sprinkle lemon zest on top.
Rules for combining coffee with spices
Do it right
To make delicious Turkish coffee or another recipe with spices, follow the recommendations:
- do not combine more than 3 types of additives in one drink;
- do not use elite blends of Arabica with Robusta to prepare a spiced drink;
- For the first experiments, start with a small dose so as not to overdo it and spoil the taste and aroma.
Brands of mixtures
If you like coffee with additives, but don’t want to bother, purchase factory-made spice blends and seasonings. Their advantage is hermetic packaging that preserves the taste and aroma. Basically, these are mixtures of several types: cloves with cinnamon, vanilla with cardamom.
Brands of seasonings for making Turkish coffee have proven themselves well: Kamis, Sonnentor. Spices of the first brand are also added to tea. The second is created specifically for coffee drinks.
Preferences of residents of different countries
A common seasoning for Turkish coffee in Greece and Italy is cinnamon. Iraqis prefer saffron. The Romans use cardamom with cinnamon. Yemenis also add cardamom.
Scandinavians love to add alcohol to their drinks. Mexicans use vanilla beans instead of a spoon and also add cloves and cinnamon. Tunisians prepare coffee with rose or orange water.
Interesting! What should a Turk be made of?
Residents of Louisiana (America) use cloves with cinnamon and zest. They also like to add brandy and set the drink on fire. The Turks make their coffee thick, sweet, very spicy, and mix different seasonings.
It doesn’t matter what kind of coffee we prepare, the main thing is that it is brewed according to the rules, and that the spices are combined with each other. Let's look at popular recipes for making drinks with additives.
Coffee with spices for weight loss
It would seem that spices are designed to whet the appetite, stimulate digestion, and, in the end, it is they who make most of our food especially tasty, so that we want more and more. But adding them to your morning espresso or daily servings can speed up your metabolism, burn fat more effectively, and help process food.
For weight loss, it is best to add cinnamon, cloves, ginger, black pepper and cardamom to your cup. Of course, you will have to do without sugar, but you can use a little skim milk. And pay attention to green coffee with ginger - a very popular remedy for weight loss and getting rid of cellulite.
It is best to drink spiced coffee after meals, but not at night, as you will need to sleep for a good metabolism, and caffeine can interfere. If you just want to try something new and enjoy an interesting taste, drink when you want it!
Recipes for cooking in Turk
With cardamom
Making Turkish coffee requires skill and care, especially if spices are added to it. The main mistake is an oversaturated composition of additives that interrupt the aroma of a freshly prepared drink.
Common coffee with cardamom is prepared according to the following algorithm:
- grind the roasted grains;
- warm up the Turk;
- add ground coffee beans, cardamom;
- fill with cold water;
- put on low heat;
- wait until foam appears;
- remove the Turk, after 1-2 minutes put it back on the fire.
If desired, strain the mixture and add sugar.
With ginger
Prepare the drink in the same way as in the previous recipe. The sequence of actions is in most cases similar, only the composition and spice options change.
Add ginger at the end of cooking. Before serving, let the drink brew for 1-3 minutes.
In Moroccan
For this recipe, add spices to the cezve before cooking. These include ginger and cinnamon with cardamom. Add sugar if you like.
In Tunisian
To prepare the drink, prepare cinnamon and cardamom with cloves. Brew the drink using the traditional method. Add cardamom and cloves immediately, and sprinkle with cinnamon at the end.
"Spicy Evening"
For the recipe, use high-quality Arabica beans and 2-4 salt crystals. The drink will be piquant, with a rich smell and taste.
In Kenyan
Coffee beans from Kenya are ideal for this recipe. A distinctive feature is the addition of hot Cayenne pepper at the tip of the knife. This drink should not be drunk by people with gastritis, ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems.
With nutmeg
Nutmeg and cinnamon are the perfect combination. Add nuts during the cooking process, and cinnamon at the end, in the form of a powder or stick.
With ginger, cognac and whipped cream
Brew coffee the same way as in the first recipe. Grate the ginger and add to a hot drink. Pour 10-20 ml of cognac in a thin stream. Decorate the top with whipped cream.
When you add alcohol to a spiced coffee recipe, try to drink no more than 1-2 cups. Otherwise, the warming and invigorating effect will turn into problems with blood pressure. It can rise to 140/90 mmHg. You cannot drive after an alcoholic cocktail.
Features of the use of spices
Arabs traditionally prepare coffee with spices. They prefer drinks with a spicy tartness and spicy accompaniment against the background of the usual aroma. Arabs use not only the previously listed spices, but also cumin, star anise, anise, allspice, and garlic. Sometimes clover grains, dates, figs, mint, citrus essences, almond powders, etc. are also used. Such a wide range of additives allows you to prepare a drink for all occasions. In the east, coffee is served as a complement to main courses and as dessert. The drink can be liquid or creamy.
If you are taking your first steps in using coffee spices, you should follow certain rules. It makes sense to start with small doses of spices and a small amount of drink. The new taste and aroma may not seem very pleasant upon first tasting. Spices require moderate use. Otherwise, the excess will completely destroy the taste and aroma of the coffee, making it disgusting. For example, if you want to use black pepper, just add one pea to a cup for the first time.
Spices are believed to neutralize the negative effects of caffeine. However, recent research by scientists suggests that coffee is an extremely healthy drink that has no negative effects.
Experts say that even ground spices can be used to prepare the drink. However, it is worth remembering that over time they lose their intense aroma. Therefore, spices should be purchased whole and then crushed immediately before use.
