kopi tubruk pake kayu manis

Hidup dalam secangkir Kopi

2011-08-05T01:26:00.000-07:00

Sebagai penikmat kopi, saya mencoba menggambarkan kenikmatan hidup dalam secangkir kopi.

Dlm sebuah acara reuni bertempat di sebuah cafe dibilangan jakarta barat, beberapa dari sahabat saya menceritakan kesuksesan mereka dalam karir dan usaha mereka sambil menikmati kopi yang disuguhkan.

Beberapa lagi hanya tersenyum mengagumi dan mungkin berhayal seandainya mereka juga memiliki kisah sukses untuk diceritakan.

Saya lalu teringat dengan sebuah cerita mengenai beberapa alumni Univesitas Barkeley, california yang menjumpai dosen kampus mereka dulu.

Para alumni tersebut saling membicarakan kesuksesan mereka satu sama lain, tampak di sana beberapa alumni yang merasa bangga akan kisah mereka serta beberapa lagi yang hanya bisa berandai-andai.

Sang profesor segera pergi ke dapur dan mengambil seteko kopi panas dan beberapa cangkir kopi yangg berbeda-beda. Mulai dari cangkir yangg terbuat dari kristal, kaca, melamin dan plastik. Profesor tsb menyuruh para alumni untk mengambil cangkir & mengisinya dgn kopi..

Setelah masing-masing alumni sudah mengisi cangkirnya dengan kopi, profesor berkata, "Perhatikanlah bahwa kalian smua memilih cangkir-cangkir yg bagus dan kini yg tersisa hanyalah cangkir-cangkir yang murah dan tidak menarik. Memilih hal yg terbaik adalah wajar & manusiawi. Namun persoalannya, ketika kalian tdk mendapatkan cangkir yg bagus perasaan kalian mulai terganggu. Kalian secara otomatis melihat cangkir yang dipegang orang lain & mulai membandingkan cangkir kalian. Pikiran kalian terfokus pada cangkir, padahal yang kalian nikmati bukanlah cangkirnya melainkan kopinya."

Hidup kita seperti kopi dalam cerita tersebut di atas, sedangkan cangkirnya adalah pekerjaan, jabatan, dan harta yang kita miliki. Pesan moralnya, jangan pernah membiarkan cangkir mempengaruhi kopi yang kita nikmati. Cangkir bukanlah yg utama, kualitas kopi itulah yg terpenting. Jangan berpikir bahwa kekayaan yang melimpah, karier yang bagus & pekerjaan yang mapan merupakan jaminan kebahagian. Itu konsep yang sangat keliru. Kualitas hidup kita ditentukan oleh "Apa yg ada di dalam" bukan "Apa yg kelihatan dari luar". Apa gunanya kita memiliki segalanya, namun kita tdk pernah merasakn damai, sukacita, dan kebahagian di dalam kehidupan kita? Itu sangat menyedihkan, karena itu sama seperti kita menikmati kopi basi yg disajikan di sebuah cangkir kristal yg mewah dan mahal.

"Kunci menikmati kopi bukanlah seberapa bagus cangkirnya, tetapi seberapa bagus kualitas kopinya."

Pemain Lama di Pasar Kopi

2010-04-26T00:55:00.000-07:00

Menyambung postingan saya sebelumnya mengenai Kopi Kapal Api, saya mencoba mencari tau merk-merk kopi yang telah diseduh sejak dulu... diantaranya Kopi Warung Tinggi, Kopi Kapal Api dan Kopi Aroma.... berikut ceritanya...(Thanks buat Bang Tony atas foto-fotonya disini)

Apa rasanya ya menjadi juragan kopi seperti mereka???

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Pemain Tua di Pasar Kopi

TAK jelas, berapa banyak merek kopi yang beredar di pasar. Antara daerah satu dengan daerah lain sering tak sama. Sebab, ditengah persaingan berbagai merek kemasan kopi moderen, terselip pula produk tradisional hasil olahan industri rumahan. Tak mengherankan jika jumlahnya dari tahun ke tahun naik turun, timbul tenggelam. Satu pergi (bangkrut) diganti merek baru lagi, dan seterusnya.

Dari sekian produk tua yang ada, hanya sebagian kecil yang bisa bertahan, dan hingga kini masih berkembang. Inilah beberapa di antaranya:

Kopi Warung Tinggi:

Tertua dari Jakarta

MEREK ini terhitung yang tertua dibanding merek-merek lainnya. Perusahaan kopi ini didirikan oleh Liauw Tek Siong yang dikenal sebagai "Sang Pemula" produsen kopi perorangan di Indonesia.

Berawal dari usaha kedai makanan dan minuman di Jalan Molenvliet Oost, kini Jalan Hayam Wuruk, Jakarta, pada 1878. Liauw mulai melirik kesenangan orang-orang Belanda menyeruput kopi dan menyediakan minuman segar itu di warungnya. Bahan baku biji kopi ia beli dari perempuan penjaja yang setiap hari datang ke warungnya. Biji-biji kopi itu kemudian disangrai dan ditumbuknya sendiri sampai siap diseduh.

Pelan tapi pasti, ia kemudian sadar bahwa kopi berpotensi besar dikembangkan sebagai lahan bisnisnya. Ia lalu mendirikan toko kopi berjuluk Tek Sun Ho. Toko itu yang juga menjual bubuk kopi kemasan itu ditanganinya sendiri sampai 1927. Pada tahun itu juga ia menyerahkan pengelolaan harian toko kepada anaknya, Liauw Tian Djie.

Di tangan sang anak, toko kopi ini boleh dibilang kian maju. Tian Djie pun memperbarui proses produksi tokonya dengan mengganti alat sangrainya. Pembaruan alat ini dilakukannya untuk memenuhi peningkatan produksi karena permintaan langganannya meningkat pesat.

Pada ulang tahun keenam puluh tokonya, Tian Djie membuat gebrakan baru. Terinspirasi oleh perempuan penjaja kopi yang dahulu datang setiap hari ke toko itu, ia pun menjadikan gambar perempuan menjunjung keranjang di kepala sebagai logo usahanya. Ia pun mulai merambah pasar ekspor, yakni ke Belanda.

Setelah peristiwa berdarah G-30-S/PKI pada 1965, pemerintah Indonesia memberlakukan peraturan pengindonesiaan semua nama Cina. Sejak itu pula Tian Djie menggunakan merek dagang "Warung Tinggi" pada setiap kemasan kopinya.

Kini, di tangan generasi ketiga, Liauw Tiam Yan yang memimpin perusahaan sejak 1969, perusahaan itu telah memakai peralatan modern dan tempat produksinya dipindahkan ke Tangerang. Tujuan ekspor produknya pun meluas sampai ke Jepang dan negara-negara Timur Tengah.

Pada 2001, perusahaan ini dipecah dua. Yang satu tetap memakai merek dagang "Warung Tinggi", sedang lainnya menggunakan merek dagang baru, yakni "Bakoel Koffie". Merek dagang yang terakhir inilah yang sampai sekarang masih dipegang oleh keturunan asli Liauw Tek Siong.

Kopi Kapal Api:

Karya Anak Fujian

PENDIRI perusahaan kopi yang berbasis di Surabaya ini, Go Soe Loet, boleh bangga. Produk perusahaan yang dirintis pria asal Fujian, Cina Daratan, itu kini menempati posisi teratas dalam pasar kopi di Indonesia. Dalam data yang diolah dari berbagai sumber, Kopi Kapal Api merebut 65% pasar kopi nasional. Ia mengalahkan merek-merek lain yang tak kalah populer.

Go Soe Loet yang mulai merantau ke Indonesia sejak awal abad XX itu mulai mendirikan usahanya pada 1927. Ketika itu naluri bisnisnya mengatakan, peluang dagang masih begitu terbuka untuk kopi. Sehari-hari, sembari menjual sayur-mayur, ia melihat banyak orang suka menyeruput kopi. Alhasil, ia memutuskan menjual kopi dengan merek dagang sendiri, yaitu "Kapal Api".

Pada awalnya, untuk menekan harga agar terjangkau oleh masyarakat luas, Soe Loet mencampur produk kopi bubuknya dengan jagung. Tetapi, tak seperti kopi lainnya di pasar yang rata-rata bermutu rendah, ia berusaha tetap menjaga kualitas rasa dan aroma kopinya. Kemasan produknya sampai tahun 1970-an memang masih dalam bungkus kertas.

Pada 1968, anak kedua Soe Loet, Soedomo Mergonoto, mulai bergabung ke perusahaan ini sebagai tenaga penjual. Kala itu, produksinya masih beberapa ratus kilogram per hari. Sepuluh tahun kemudian, pada 1978, saat Soedomo dipercayai mengendalikan perusahaan, sebuah gebrakan dilakukan perusahaan ini. Kopi Kapal Api mulai tersedia dalam kemasan seratus gram.

Malah, dengan berani ia memutuskan memasang iklan (siaran niaga) di TVRI pada akhir 1970-an, lewat kontrak selama tiga bulan. Perusahaan ini relatif menjadi pelopor dalam iklan kopi di layar kaca. Dengan memilih pelawak Jawa Timur yang lagi naik daun, Paimo Srimulat, sebagai bintang iklan, nama Kopi Kapal Api pun cepat melesat. Berbarengan dengan itu, tingkat penjualannya pun meningkat berlipat-lipat. Hanya dalam waktu empat tahun, pada 1984, perusahaan ini telah memakai mesin yang mampu memproduksi 500 kilogram kopi per jam. Kini, Kopi Kapal Api sudah memiliki mesin dengan kapasitas produksi yang jauh lebih besar, yakni 5 ton per jam.

Kopi Aroma:

Yang Bertahan di Banceuy

BICARA soal kopi di Bandung, niscaya ingatan orang tertuju ke Kopi Aroma. Dirintis sejak 1930 oleh Tan Houw Sian, perusahaan kopi yang berlokasi di Jalan Banceuy itu kini ditangani oleh generasi kedua, anak tunggalnya, Widyapratama yang kerap disapa Pak Widya.

Perusahaan ini sejak awal sudah berkembang. Pada 1936 Houw Sian sudah mampu membeli mesin pengolah buatan Jerman merek Probat. Perusahaan ini punya keunikan tersendiri. Bukan saja karena hanya mengolah kopi langsung dari tangan petani di Aceh, Lampung, hingga Jawa Timur dan Nusa Tenggara Timur yang menjadi langganannya. Houw Sian menurunkan tradisi menyimpan dulu kopinya selama beberapa tahun sebelum diolah. Untuk jenis Robusta penyimpanan itu selama 5 tahun, sedangkan jenis Arabika disimpan dulu selama 8 tahun.

Menurut Widya, tradisi itu tetap ia pertahankan karena berkaitan erat dengan kualitas rasa kopi produksi perusahaannya. Malah, rumahnya di Jalan Banceuy No. 51 yang berdiri di atas lahan seluas 1.300 meter persegi itu tetap dipertahankan sebagai tempat penjemuran, gudang penyimpanan, pabrik pengolahan, sekaligus toko.

Kopi yang menggunakan merek dagang Koffie Fabriek Aroma ini rupanya sengaja tak dikembangkan sebagai produksi massal. Widya yang lulusan Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Padjadjaran ini punya alasan sendiri untuk tetap bertahan dengan kondisi usahanya itu. Ia tak mau lebih repot bila perusahaan itu menjadi lebih besar lagi.

Seperti ayahnya dulu, Widya turun ke lapangan memilih sendiri biji kopi di perkebunan langganannya. Sebab, ia tetap ingin mempertahankan kualitas rasa kopi produk perusahaannya yang tidak besar itu. Malah, bubuk kopinya yang dijual seharga Rp 30 ribu per kilo untuk jenis Robusta dan Rp 38 ribu per kilo untuk jenis Arabika itu hanya dapat dijumpai di toko Jalan Banceuy itu saja.

Walau demikian, toh, banyak orang mengenal kualitas kopi yang sampai kini masih diolah dengan mesin kuno buatan Jerman itu. Lebih-lebih, orang jadi mudah mengingat merek Aroma setelah singgah di toko berarsitektur art deco itu.

Erwin Y.S. dan Taufik Abriansyah (Bandung)

[Ragam, GATRA, Edisi 47 Beredar Jumat 3 Oktober 2003]

Source: http://www.gatra.com/artikel.php?id=31494

Foto: http://mypotret.wordpress.com/

Kopi Kapal Api

2010-04-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

Akhirnya setelah sekian lama tidak mengupdate blog ini saya kembali tergerak menulis setelah membaca artikel berikut...

Kedua orang tua saya dan Kakek nenek saya sudah meminum kopi sejak lama. Bahkan Kakek saya dimasa hidupnya pernah berdagang kopi kiloan di pasar Mester, begitu pula dengan Om saya yang juga berdagang kopi kiloan di daerah Bojong.

Kopi Kapal Api, merupakan merk Kopi yg saya sudah kenal sejak kecil. Bahkan mungkin kopi pertama yg saya pernah cicipi adalah Kopi Kapal Api. Kedua orang tua saya telah meminumnya sejak dulu dan tidak pernah menggantinya sampai sekarang. Diantara banyaknya bermunculan merk-merk lain dengan packaging dan rasa yg beraneka ragam, Kopi Kapal Api akan selalu menjadi pilihan mereka.

Dengan lamanya menguasai pasar, tak heran Kapal Api mampu menjadi Top Of Mind bagi para penikmat kopi. Selain itu bagi saya, pada Kopi kapal Api ada yg berbeda dari rasanya, harumnya dan teksturnya yang cocok bagi saya. Aromanya menyisa di rongga dan Tidak langsung kering dimulut. Manis dan Harum jika dikulum, Heavy body dan tidak masam.

Mungkin bagi para Coffe Cuppers bisa lebih mendeskripsikan lagi rasa dari Kopi Kapal Api ini... monggo silahkeun comment dengan hasil Cuppingnya supaya yg pingin nyoba Kopi Kapal Api gak penasaran lagi...

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Pangsa pasar kopi bubuk instant di negara kita hingga kini masih dikuasai Kapal Api Group yang diproduksi oleh PT. Santos Abadi Jaya. Perusahaan kopi bubuk yang tumbuh dari sebuah industri rumah tangga sederhana di Surabaya, lebih dari 81 tahun silam pada tahun 1927, itu kini menguasai mayoritas market share kopi bubuk domestik.

Kalau mengacu pada “Indonesian Consumer Profile (ICP) 2008” hegemoni Kapal Api Group (Kapal Api, ABC, Ya, dan Good Day) agaknya sulit digeser oleh produk kopi bubuk instant manapun. Maklum, berdasar hasil riset yang MARS Indonesia lakukan pada 2006 dan 2007, perusahaan ini masih menjadi jawara di pasar serbuk penyegar badan dan penahan kantuk tersebut.

Tahun 2007, Kapal Api bertengger di posisi teratas dengan porsi 44,3% sedikit lebih tinggi dari tahun 2006 yang memperoleh 44,0%. Disusul kemudian oleh ABC, dengan porsi 17,9%, naik sedikit dari tahun 2006 yang mendapat porsi 17,5%. Sedangkan merek Ya bertengger pada posisi ke-6 pada 2006 dengan porsi 2,3% dan posisi ke-8 pada 2007 dengan porsi 2,2%. Sementara Good Day berada pada posisi ke-13 pada 2006 dengan porsi 0,6% dan posisi ke-11 pada 2007 dengan porsi 0,9%.

Adapun yang menguntit ketat Kapal Api Group pada posisi ketiga, keempat, kelima dan seterusnya adalah Nescafe, Torabika, Indocafe, Tugu Luwak, Kopi Mix, Ayam Merak, Gelatik, Singa, dan lain-lain. Hanya saja, total market share mereka masih jauh di bawah Kapal Api Group.

Kenapa Kapal Api menjadi jawara? Tak lain adalah ramuan istimewa Kapal Api menawarkan kualitas yang terbaik, rasa yang mantap dan aroma yang memikat. Untuk memenuhi kebutuhan akan kenikmatan kopi, Kapal Api dibuat dalam beragam pilihan mulai dari Kapal Api Special (kopi bubuk murni), Kapal Api Special Mix (kopi plus gula), Kapal Api Kopi Susu (kopi, gula dan susu) sampai ke produk yang terakhir diluncurkan, Kapal Api Mocha (kopi, gula, susu dengan campuran cokelat).

Sebagai produk berkualitas prima yang didukung penuh oleh manajemen yang handal serta distribusi yang merata, Kapal Api dengan tagline “Jelas Lebih Enak” kini bukan hanya memimpin pasar di Indonesia, namun juga telah berhasil memasuki pasar-pasar di Asia Tenggara dan dunia.

Guna melanjutkan sukses merek Kapal Api dan demi kepuasan pelanggan, PT Santos Jaya Abadi memperkenalkan beberapa merek kopi lain yang juga berhasil meraih sukses di pasaran, yaitu ABC, Good Day, Ya, Excelso, dan Kapten.

Lalu, bagaimana untuk riset 2008, apakah Kapal Api Group akan mampu mempertahankan hegemoninya ataukah akan tergeser oleh para kompetitornya? Mari kita tunggu hasil riset MARS Indonesia berikutnya! ***

Source : http://marsnewsletter.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/hegemoni-kapal-api-group-di-pasar-kopi-bubuk-instant/

How to Reuse Coffee and Coffee Grounds

2009-10-30T00:40:00.001-07:00

As a daily drinker, I have a lot coffee grounds. In the spirit of the 3 green R's Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, I've managed to find few ways to reuse those old coffee grounds.

As a body scrub. Mix a bit of oil or cleanser into a handful of coffee grounds and exfoliate those dead those dead skin cells away! However, you should not use coffee grounds as a facial scrub because they are too sharp and rough to use on delicate facial skin.

For shiny hair and to prevent dandruff. After shampooing, rub a handful of coffee grounds through your hair to increase the shine and scalp to help prevent dandruff. Rinse the grounds out of your hair (this took awhile for me because my hair is long and it made a big mess in my shower afterwards!) Coffee may add dark highlights to dark colored hair. Blondes may want to stay away from this tip.

Make fertilizer.Place those coffee grounds in a traditional or worm compost bin.

Make quickie compost <http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AnRYGoT_iUMi__pGyiHVi9KkfqU5/SIG=12dblbegt/**http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-make-quickie-compost.html> . This is a great alternative for anyone who doesn't have room for a traditional or worm compost bin.

As a plant booster. Pour coffee grounds directly on the soil around the base of roses, acid loving plants like azaleas, and unbelievably, carrots and radishes.

Make iced coffee. Freeze leftover coffee into ice cube trays. Then use those coffee cubes to cool down a warm cup of coffee.

Make Vietnamese-style coffee popsicles <http://www.yumsugar.com/1663993> .

As a deodorizer. Dry used coffee grounds on a cookie sheet. Put them into a porous container such as a paper bag (paper wine bags work well for this), a leg of pantyhose, or an empty butter tub with holes poked into the lid. I sometimes use an old room deodorizer container. Place the container in a room, refrigerator/freezer, or even in a musty smelling piece of furniture. As long as the coffee has access to air, it will trap odors and musty smells. For a short-term quick fix, I do the same thing with a freshly empty coffee can or bag in a closed closet.

To repeal garden pests. Spread coffee grounds around anthills to deter ants or mix with orange peels and spread it in a flowerbed to deter cats from using it as a litter box. However, be aware that some pets like to eat coffee grounds and that can cause coffee toxicity. The symptoms in both cats and dogs range from mild hyperexcitablity to the severe such as causing arrhythmias and seizures.

As a pot scrubber. Add a handful of coffee grounds an extra abrasive when cleaning clean stuck on food gunk from the bottom of a cast iron or metal pot or pan. However, this method may stain light color items such as porcelain sinks, pots and pans, or storage containers.

There you have it... few useful tips for reusing old coffee and coffee grounds that may not only save you money but may also help you save the planet. How do you reuse coffee grounds?

Kopi luwak

2009-10-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

kopi luwak di Jakarta dijual seharga Rp 200.000 per cangkir.

Kopi luwak merupakan biji kopi matang pohon yang dimakan oleh binatang luwak (Viverridae) dan dikeluarkan bersamaan dengan kotoran binatang tersebut. Jadi, di dalam pencernaan luwak, biji kopi tetap utuh tidak tercerna karena keras, tetapi mengalami proses pencampuran dan fermentasi dengan makanan luwak lainnya.Sebagai pemakan tumbuh-tumbuhan, buah-buahan, dan bunga-bungaan, luwak merupakan binatang yang pandai memilih makanan yang baik untuknya. Maka, proses fermentasi di dalam pencernaan luwak itulah yang membuat rasa kopi ini berbeda. Aromanya lebih harum serta ada rasa pahit dan getir asam yang lebih khas dan spesial. Daripada sulit membayangkan, ok kita simak saja prosesnya melalui gambar-gambar ini ya.

Pertama, para petani mulai memetik buah kopi yang sudah matang di pohon, yang berwarna merah.

Gambar-gambar ini diambil di perkebunan kopi Bondowoso, Jawa Timur. Kedua, setelah buah kopi terkumpul, dipilah lagi yang bagus-bagus saja, soalnya hanya buah kopi matang (warna merah) yang akan disantap musang sebagai makanannya.

Ketiga, luwak atau bagaimana Anda menyebutnya? Civet? Musang? A small squirrel-like arboreal mammal, hehehe, dipersilakan memakan buah kopi terbaik yang sudah dipilih oleh para petani tadi. O ya tubuh luwak hanya akan mencerna daging buahnya saja, sementara bijinya nanti akan tetap utuh saat dikeluarkan kembali dalam bentuk feces, hiks.

Dan keempat .... inilah bentuk feces luwak yang terkenal itu, seperti sudah disebut di atas, bijinya tetap utuh kan? Secara fisik, biji kopi luwak dan kopi lain bisa dibedakan dari warna dan aromanya. Biji kopi luwak berwarna kekuningan dan wangi, sedangkan biji kopi biasa berwarna hijau dan kurang harum.

Kelima, selanjutnya biji kopi yang tercampur dalam feces, dipisahkan, dikumpulkan, dibersihkan, kemudian dijemur, dan .... jadilah biji kopi luwak yang terkenal mahal itu. Bisa dipastikan, ini adalah biji kopi terbaik, sebab hanya buah kopi matang yang dipilih musang sebagai makanannya. Kopi BlueMountain - Jamaika atau kopi Arabica Supremo - Kolombia? Hahah, lewats!

Kopi luwak mantap diminum tanpa gula, rasa getir dan aroma kopi pun sangat terasa, begitu nikmatnya sampai jika kita minum minuman lain setelahnya, entah itu air putih, teh, coklat, atau minuman lainnya, bahkan sudah dipakai ciuman satu jam pun, rasa nikmat kopi luwak masih terasa manis di mulut.

Coffee Cup Power Inverter

2009-10-02T01:12:00.001-07:00

Like a caffeine boost for your electronics!

When you start to feel a little low on energy you can turn to that terrific alkaloid, caffeine. Available from many sources like Bawls and, of course, that tried and true hot beverage, coffee. Reaching for your coffee cup to get an energy boost when you're tired is pretty much second nature. Well, now your gadgets can turn to a coffee cup of their own when they need an energy recharge.

The Coffee Cup Power Inverter is a conveniently shaped power source that coverts your car's DC power into two 120-volt AC outlets. Perfect for powering or charging TV's, DVD players, game consoles, cell phones, and other portable electronics. This coffee cup also has a USB charging port providing 500mA of power. The unique coffee cup shape fits nicely in today's auto/boat/truck cup holders, preventing it from moving around inside your vehicle.

200 Watt inverter with 2 AC plugs and USB power port
Provides 120 Volt AC power from any cigarette lighter socket
200W continuous/400W peak
Fits into standard cup holders
18" cord
Overload protection and low battery shut-off
Power 3 devices at once
One year warranty
Dimensions: 6" tall x 3.5" dia

Source : thinkgeek.com

Coffee is good for the brain and liver

2009-08-23T01:05:00.000-07:00

Another good news for a Coffee addicts...

A German health organization has issued a brochure with new conclusions about the effects of coffee on human health, saying that it is good for the brain and the liver.

Germany's Green Cross said coffee speeds up digestion and protects people from age-related diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease and cirrhosis of the liver. The brochure summarizes the results of several studies on coffee consumption.

Coffee has a preponderance of positive influences on health and well-being. Caffeine plays an important role not only by improving the ability to concentrate, but also by decreasing the risk of liver cirrhosis by up to 80 per cent among people who drink at least four cups a day.

In addition coffee contains a number of health promoting ingredients such as chlorogene acid, a substance that has antioxidant effects and that can cut nearly in half the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

Source

Lulur Kopi Hitam

2009-07-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Biji kopi yang telah dihaluskan menjadi bubuk akan menghasilkan minyak antioksidan yang bersifat menghaluskan, membuat kulit menjadi cerah dan terlihat lebih putih.

Bahan-bahan lulur kopi:
- ½ kg biji kopi bali
- Olive oil /minyak zaitun secukupnya
- Tepung bengkuang secukupnya

Cara membuat lulur kopi:
- Tumbuk biji kopi bali menjadi setengah halus.
- Tambahkan minyak zaitun dan tepung bengkuang, lalu campur hingga rata, dan siap digunakan.

Cara pemakaian:
Usapkan lulur kopi pada seluruh tubuh, sambil digosok-gosokkan secara perlahan. Diamkan lulur kopi lebih kurang 1 jam pada tubuh agar minyak yang terkandung pada kopi menyerap ke seluruh tubuh. Setelah itu, bilas dengan air bersih yang telah dicampur sedikit garam.

Wisnu Sulistyanto

Source : lulur kopi hitam untuk tubuh mulus putih

Coffee Fun Facts

2009-07-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Among many facts about coffee, these upcoming facts may be some truth that have not been widely published.

First, may be there still few people knowing that coffee has no calories. It is naturally a no calorie drink.

At one time "coffee" was a term for wine. The drink became so popular and many turned to drink actual coffee for the fact it kept you awake rather than put you out, they gave the name to what we know as "coffee" today.

Do you know how much coffee beans needed to make a shot of expresso? It takes about 45 coffee beans to make one shot of espresso!

Another fact is : In Japan, the Japanese bathe in fermented pineapple pulp mixed with coffee grounds for a beauty treatment that reduces wrinkles and tones the skin. Woow, they must waste coffee on this :)

You know, "Coffee Day" is actually celebrated as a holiday in Costa Rica on September 12th and in Ireland on September 19th, and Japan actually has "Coffee Day" on October 1st.

Source : fun fact about coffee

How to apply for a job at Starbucks?

2009-07-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

How to apply for a job at Starbucks? It's real simple. Just follow the following steps:

Step 1: Make sure that you have a well-organized resume complete with all your extra-curricular and work, and leadership experience. Work experience is a huge plus in working for a company like Starbucks.

Step 2: Go to their company website and figure out which position is best for you. You can apply for a job (1) in one of the many Starbucks coffee shops, (2) in the company offices, (3) or in the roasting plants.

Step 3A: If you want to work in retail, there is an application form you can download in the retail career page of the company website. Then you can submit the completed form to the Starbucks branches convenient for you. Make sure to check if the branches you want to apply to are actually hiring. If not, your chances of getting hired may be significantly lower.

Step 3B: On the other hand, if you wish to apply for a corporate or roasting plant career, you should make an account on the company website, click on the job you want in one of the career pages, and follow the instructions from there.

Step 4: If the company is impressed with your application they will call you for an interview. Remember to show off your pleasing personality, and impress your interviewer with how much you know about Starbucks coffee, in order to show that you are really interested in working for their company.

If you follow these 4 steps on how to apply for a job in Starbucks, you should be well on your way to landing a job in this company.

Good luck....

Indian Coffee Recipe

2009-07-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sweetened Coffee, Brewed with Milk, Ginger, and Spices

In a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil:

3 cups whole milk
3 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
3 TBS ground coffee beans, or 1 1/2 TBS instant coffee
3 TBS fresh grated ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons tea masala*

Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 2 minutes. Strain into a teapot, pitcher, or directly into cups.

*To make tea masala, mix well together:

3 TBS ginger powder
1/2 TBS clove powder
1/2 TBS black pepper powder
1 TBS cinnamon powder
1 TBS cardamom powder

You can save a batch of tea masala and use it over time - no need to make it fresh each time.

Servings 6 cups with Serving Size 3/4 cup
Calories 102
Protein 3 g
Fat 2.8 g
Carbohydrates 15 g

Source : Indian Coffee Recipe: Sweetened Coffee, Brewed with Milk, Ginger, and Spices

Picture Credit : A Life (Time) of Cooking

The Smooth Criminal Coffee

2009-07-06T05:06:00.000-07:00

A guy named Ivan Rimach of La Duni came up with a drink to answer a challenge to create a drink with Michael Jackson as the inspiration. Ivan created a a slick cocktail as a great way to cope with triple digit temperatures!

Here's Ivan's: Smooth Criminal
Created by: Ivan Rimach, La Duni Latin Kitchen & Baking Studio

This drink will make you sing out: "You've been hit by (bom, bom), you've been struck by (bom), a smooth criminal..." as you sway your self aside on sipping it.

Ingredients

2 oz Grey Goose L’Orange vodka
4 oz cranberry juice
3 orange wedges
3 lime wedges
1 Tablespoon sugar
crushed ice

Directions

In a tall glass, muddle sugar, orange, and lime. Add crushed ice and vodka, then fill to the top with cranberry juice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Source : http://www.examiner.com/x-8963-Dallas-Bartender-Examiner~y2009m6d29-Michael-Jackson-drink-recipe-challenge-the-Smooth-Criminal

"Michael Jackson" Drink Recipe

2009-07-06T04:49:00.000-07:00

Here's what a guy from Penang came up with Michael Jackson on his Drink Stall.

Ingredients

Grass Jelly (cut in cubes of 1x1 cm)
Sweeten soy bean milk, chilled in fridge

Method:

Fill 1/4 of a glass with grass jelly cubes.
Top up the glass with chilled sweeten soy bean milk.
Now you have "Michael Jackson" drink on your hands, take a sip, sit back and enjoy his "Black or White" music video.

Source : http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/2009/05/penang-michael-jackson-drinks.html

Michael Jackson's Coffee

2009-07-06T04:18:00.001-07:00

The King of Pop died on June 25th 2009, just one day before my birthday. I was shocked on hearing the news as i brewed my morning coffee. It was making the headline on that day. Kindda sad though, his music has been accompaniying my footstep both as a teen and adult.

I quickly dedicated that morning cup of coffee for the King of Pop. A Legend on Music Pop which popularity known worldwide as wide as people knowing bout Coffee.

Check this page just as i searched for term "Michael Jackson's Coffee" .

Mr. Daz, who is an Affiliate Marketeer, SEO, web developer and all round Internet personage, created a Scale to measure the colour of Coffee Brewing based on Mikey's Transformation. With all due respect, to colour skin i have no intension on making fun or whatever. I'm just amazed that Mikey's influence not just merely on Music, Society and Humanity. Yet also on a Cup of Coffee.

Salute to Michael Jackson for his passion on Music, and Mr. Daz for his creativity blending Mikey's into a Cup of Coffee.

=========

In a busy office environment it's often better if one person makes a round of drinks for everyone, that way you don't all leave your desk at the same time and the work flow isn't interrupted too much. However, it's difficult when making tea and coffee for five or more people when you have to do them all differently, sugar/no sugar, white/black, various degrees of milk. This is why I've come up with the Michael Jackson coffee scale. It's simple and easy to understand, as everyone knows who Michael Jackson is, and what colour he was at different stages in his career.

For example, if you want a black coffee you ask for a 1968 Jacko, if you want it really milky you ask for a 2002 Jacko. If you like a splash of milk, you ask for a 1984 Jacko.

It's very straightforward and everyone understands the scaling system. Plus, if you need one for your office wall, here' a handy printout that you can paste up in your office. You can even use it to pantone match the colour of your coffee.

How do you take your Michael Jackson?

Source : http://www.mrdaz.com/michael-jackson-coffee-scale/

How much is your site worth ?

2009-07-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

Find out How much is this site worth ?

A very interesting things though...

How much is your site worth ?

Coffee Smile

2009-06-30T03:52:00.001-07:00

Coffee tastes great and it's hard to stop drinking it, however, it stains your teeth and causes coffee smile. Coffee beans have a dark brown color that sinks into teeth. The brown stain causes teeth to darken but it's most noticed on the upper front teeth of coffee drinkers.

Sipping on coffee throughout the day bathes teeth in the coffee stain. Coffee coats the teeth and sinks in. The shorter the time spent drinking coffee, the less chance it has of causing coffee smile. It's best to drink coffee over a short period of time and then rinse with a glass of water.

Fortunately, dental whitening is effective in removing coffee smile. Teeth are made of salt crystals like table salt and tooth crystals are naturally white. Staining is caused when coffee coloring gets inside the salt. Tooth whitening can be effective in removing the stain. It involves soaking the teeth in a liquid that goes into the tooth and dissolves everything not part of the crystal. The result is that the tooth is left with it's natural white color.

If you have coffee smile and are interested in a beautiful new smile then make an appointment with your dentist

Ampas kopi sebagai bahan alternatif bahan biosolar

2009-06-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

oleh Tomi Rustamiaji

Para peneliti di Nevada telah melaporkan bahwa ampas kopi dapat memberikan sebuah alternatif bahan biosolar untuk mobil dan truk yang murah, berlimpah, dan ramah lingkungan.

Dalam studi terbaru, Mano Misra, Susanta Mohapatra, dan Narasimharao Kondamudi mengatakan bahwa halangan utama dari penggunaan luas dari biosolar adalah rendahnya kesediaan bahan baku yang berkualitas untuk menghasilkan energi baru ini. Ampas kopi mengandung minyak dengan 11-20% berat. Jumlah ini setara dengan bahan baku biosolar tradisional seperti kelapa sawit atau kacang kedelai.

Para petani menghasilkan lebih dari 16 milyar pon kopi diseluruh dunia tiap tahun. Ampas kopi dari produksi espresso, cappucino, dan kopi jawa seringkali berakhir di tempat sampah atau digunakan sebagai pupuk. Namun, ilmuwan memperkirakan bahwa sebenarnya ampas kopi memiliki potensial untuk menambah 340 juta galon biosolar kepada pasokan bahan bakar dunia.

Untuk memvalidasi ini, para ilmuwan ini mengumpulkan ampas kopi dari sebuah ritel penyedia kopi cepat saji dan mengekstrak minyaknya. Mereka kemudian menggunakan proses mudah nan murah untuk merubah 100 persen minyaknya menjadi biosolar.

Hasil dari bahan bakar berbasis kopi ini − yang memiliki bau kopi − memiliki keuntungan besar dalam hal kestabilan dibandingkan biosolar tradisional karena kandungan antioxidan tinggi di dalam kopi ungkap para peneliti. Limbah padat yang tersisa dari konversi ini dapat dirubah menjadi etanol atau digunakan sebagai kompos. Para peneliti memperkirakan bahwa proses ini dapat menghasilkan keuntungan lebih dari $8 juta dollar di Amerika saja. Mereka berencana untuk mengembangkan sebuah pabrik skala kecil untuk menghasilkan dan menguji bahan bakar eksperimen dalam rentang waktu enam hingga delapan bulan ke depan.

Biosolar adalah sebuah pasar yang sedang menggeliat. Para ahli memperkirakan bahwa produksi global tahunan dari biosolar akan mencapai angka tiga milyar galon di tahun 2010. Bahan bakar ini dapat dibuat dari minyak kedelai, minyak kelapa sawit, minyak kacang, dan minyak sayuran lainnya; lemak hewani dan bahkan minyak bekas menggoreng dari restoran cepat saji. Biosolar juga dapat ditambahkan ke dalam solar biasa. Selain itu produk ini dapat dijadikan produk tersendiri dan digunakan sebagai bahan bakar alternatif untuk mesin-mesin diesel.

Source : http://www.chem-is-try.org/artikel_kimia/biokimia/ampas-kopi-sebagai-bahan-alternatif-bahan-biosolar/

Mercedes-Benz serves up virtual coffee

2009-06-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Mercedes-Benz E-class suggests coffee if it thinks you are falling asleep.
(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)

The new E-class features quite a few cutting-edge driver aid gadgets, such as night vision, blind-spot detection, and adaptive cruise control. We saw these features previously in the Mercedes-Benz S550, but the E-class will also include Attention Assist, a new feature for Mercedes-Benz that keeps you from falling asleep at the wheel.

Attention Assist monitors the car's driver, using 70 parameters to determine if he or she is dozing off. If it detects a drowsy driver, the system sounds a warning tone and lights up a coffee cup icon on the speedometer display. The system relies heavily on monitoring steering-wheel input, as a tired driver will drift, then make sharp corrections.

Volvo launched a similar feature last year in the S80, complete with coffee cup icon. During our testing of that car, we tried our hardest to make it think we were falling asleep.

We predict the next generation of this technology won't bother with the warning part, instead automatically driving the car to the next rest stop and letting you nap.

Source : http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10271437-48.html

Cara Menikmati Kopi

2009-06-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Banyak yang menanyakan pada saya bagaimana caranya menikmati secangkir kopi? Pada dasarnya, cara yang benar untuk menikmati kopi adalah jika kopi bisa menjadi sebuah kenikmatan bagi anda. Cara yang salah adalah jika kopi justru membuat anda merasa tidak nyaman. Contohnya jika Anda harus menyelesaikan pekerjaan semalaman, minum kopi akan membuat Anda terjaga. Nah, Perlu Anda ingat bahwa kopi mengandung racun yang bernama kafein. Seperti obat, kafein bisa menyehatkan sekaligus melukai kita. Terlalu banyak kafein bisa menimbulkan gangguan kesehatan, seperti tekanan darah tinggi, mudah marah, dan gangguan tidur.

Kesalahan lainnya adalah membiarkan anak Anda minum kopi sebagai ganti minuman bergizi lain yang dibutuhkan anak. Kafein dalam kopi bisa berbahaya bagi anak-anak yang masih dalam masa pertumbuhan. Kafein dapat mencuri kalsium dari tulang, dan bisa membuat tulang anak menjadi rapuh.

Inilah cara minum kopi yang disarankan: Minum lebih sering dalam dosis kecil. Cukup minum seperempat cangkir kopi setiap jam. Jika Anda meminumnya untuk mencegah kantuk, cara ini lebih efektif daripada jika Anda menenggak satu mug besar.

Isi dulu perut Anda. Bohong bila ada yang mengatakan bahwa minum kopi bisa menyingkirkan rasa lapar, yang membuat anda merasa kenyang adalah kandungan Gula atau Susu yang terdapat dalam kopi anda. Hal itu hanya membuat perut Anda kembung. Justru Anda harus makan sebelum minum kopi.

Anda tidak perlu minum kopi bila:

Anda merasa gelisah atau jantung berdebar-debar setelah meminum kopi.
Anda mengalami kesulitan tidur (insomnia).
Anda punya masalah dengan perut, atau gangguan dalam pencernaan.
Anda sedang mengonsumsi obat flu atau sakit kepala yang juga mengadung kafein. Hal ini akan melebihi kuota kafein yang aman.

Selamat menikmati Kopi anda.

Kopi Hilangkan Nyeri akibat Capai

2009-06-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Jika Anda ingin terbebas dari rasa nyeri akibat kehabisan tenaga atau kelelahan setelah berolah raga, minumlah segelas kopi.

Satu studi baru menunjukkan, kopi mengurangi rasa nyeri akibat kelelahan tak peduli seseorang memiliki kebiasaan minum kopi atau tidak. Demikian laporan kantor berita resmi China, Xinhua, Rabu (1/4).

Profesor bidang kesehatan masyarakat dan kinesiologi di Universitas Illionis Robert Motl mengatakan, "Kafein bekerja pada satu sistem di otak dan urat tulang belakang yang sangat terlibat dalam pemrosesan rasa sakit. Dan karena kafein menghalangi adenosine, zat kimia yang memainkan peran penting dalam pengalihan energi dan olah raga, kafein dapat mengurangi nyeri."

Peneliti itu, yang mantan pebalap sepeda, membagi 25 mahasiswa sehat menjadi dua kelompok pembeda.

Di satu kelompok terdapat pria yang setiap hari mengonsumsi kafein sangat rendah sampai tidak ada, dan kelompok lain meliputi orang dengan rata-rata konsumsi kafein sebanyak 400 miligram per hari, sama dengan tiga sampai empat gelas kopi.

Setelah menyelesaikan tes olah raga awal di laboratorium dengan menggunakan sepeda statis guna memastikan konsumsi oksigen maksimal atau energi aerobik, obyek penelitian kembali ke kegiatan olahraga selama 30 menit dengan intensitas tinggi yang dipantau.

Satu jam sebelum masing-masing kegiatan, para pebalap sepeda-yang telah diinstruksikan agar tidak mengonsumsi kafein selama masa 24 jam sebelumnya-diberikan satu pil.

Pada satu kesempatan, pil itu berisi dosis kafein seukuran 5 miligram per kilogram berat badan, atau sama dengan dua atau tiga gelas kopi, dan pada kesempatan lain mereka diberikan pengganti.

Selama kedua masa olahraga, penglihatan obyek penelitian mengenai nyeri otot besar empat bagian di bagian depan paha dicatat dengan jeda tetap, bersama dengan data mengenai konsumsi oksigen, detak jantung, dan porsi kegiatan.

Apa yang kami saksikan ialah sesuatu yang tidak kami kira," kata Motl. "Orang yang tak mengkonsumsi kafein dan yang biasa mengkonsumsinya memiliki tingkat pengurangan nyeri yang sama selama berolahraga setelah mereka mengkonsumsi kafein," katanya.

Hasil studi tersebut dirinci di dalam International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, terbitan April.

Penulis studi itu meliputi Steven P Broglio dari University of Illionis dan Sigurbjorn A Arngrimsson dari Center for Sport and Health Sciences, Iceland University of Education.

Source : http://sains.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/04/02/14211965/kopi.hilangkan.nyeri.akibat.capai

Kopi, Minuman Lezat yang Sempat Terlarang

2009-06-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ada cerita menarik berkaitan dengan sejarah kopi. Konon, Raja Gustaff II (1594-1632) dari Swedia pernah menjatuhkan hukuman kepada dua orang bersaudara kembar. Mereka dianggap bersalah dalam suatu tindak pidana yang dituduhkan kepada mereka. Untuk menentukan siapa yang bersalah, sang raja membuat aturan unik dan tak lazim.

Salah seorang hanya diizinkan minum kopi selama hidupnya, sedangkan seorang lagi hanya boleh minum teh. Nah, siapa yang lebih dulu meninggal, dialah yang dianggap bersalah. Ternyata, yang meninggal duluan adalah peminum teh pada usia 83 tahun, meski sudah terlambat, dia ditetapkan sebagai yang bersalah. Sejak saat itulah, orang Swedia dan negara-negara di kawasan Skandinavia menjadi begitu maniak dan fanatik terhadap kopi. Mungkin mereka percaya dengan minum kopi, umur mereka bisa lebih panjang.

Mitos dan Sejarah

Kisah Raja Gustaff II dan aturan minum kopinya hanyalah salah satu kisah unik yang mewarnai perjalanan kopi. Di sejumlah tempat dan negara ada banyak legenda dan kisah mengenai kopi, meski kisah-kisah tersebut bercampur aduk antara mitos dan sejarah. Legenda paling masyhur dalam perjalanan kopi adalah kisah Kaldi dan temuan "biji merah ajaibnya".

Dalam satu kisah disebutkan, sekitar abad ke-3, hiduplah seorang penggembala kambing di Ethiopia bernama Kaldi. Kaldi dikenal sebagai penggembala yang baik dan sangat bertanggung jawab terhadap hewan yang diurusnya. Suatu hari, kambing-kambing tersebut tidak pulang dan Kaldi pun mencarinya. Ketika ditemukan, Kaldi melihat kelakuan aneh diperlihatkan oleh kambing-kambingnya, berloncatan riang gembira, seperti sedang mabuk.

Tentu saja Kaldi heran dan mencari tahu apa gerangan yang menyebabkan kambing-kambing itu "menari-nari"? Kaldi kemudian tertarik oleh sekumpulan biji-biji berwarna merah mengilap yang ada di semak-semak dan dimakan oleh kambing-kambingnya. Dengan rasa ingin tahu, Kaldi pun mencoba memakan biji-biji tersebut. Sungguh ajaib, beberapa saat kemudian sang penggembala kambing itu menari-nari dengan riang, sama seperti kelakuan kambing-kambingnya.

Saat itu lewatlah seorang pria terpelajar asal kota. Pria bernama Aucuba itu merasa mengantuk, lelah, dan lapar. Aucuba kebetulan menyaksikan "aksi gila" Kaldi dan kambing-kambingnya. Saking laparnya, Aucuba pun mencoba makan biji merah yang dimakan Kaldi. Tak berapa lama, Aucuba merasa tubuhnya jadi segar, tenaganya pulih, rasa mengantuknya hilang, dan siap melanjutkan perjalanannya.

Ia pun membawa beberapa biji merah ke kota dan mencampurnya dengan makanan lain. Ia juga menggunakan biji merah itu sebagai bahan pencampur bagi minuman para biarawan agar bisa tetap terjaga selama berdoa. Ia juga menyebarkan biji-biji merah yang ajaib itu ke kota dan biara lain. Aucuba pun jadi orang kaya. Sedangkan, kisah Kaldi dengan kambing-kambingnya tak ada kelanjutannya.

Peran Pedagang Arab

Terlepas dari berbagai legenda, mitos, dan klaim berbagai pihak, sejarah mencatat penanaman komersial kopi pertama kali dilakukan di Arab pada abad ke-15. Untuk jangka waktu yang lama, perdagangan komoditi yang berkelas tersebut dijaga dengan sangat ketat, para petani Arab berusaha dengan berbagai cara untuk menghentikan negara lain memperoleh biji kopi mereka yang berharga. Sejalan dengan waktu, biji kopi serta potongan tanaman tersebar ke daerah Aden, Mesir, Suriah, serta Turki di mana kopi terkenal sebagai "anggur arab" .

Dari dunia Muslim, kopi menyebar ke Eropa, di mana minuman ini menjadi populer selama abad ke-17. Orang Belanda adalah yang pertama kali mengimpor kopi dalam skala besar ke Eropa dan pada suatu waktu menyelundupkan bijinya pada tahun 1690 karena tanaman atau biji mentahnya tidak diizinkan keluar kawasan Arab. Kemudian, berlanjut pada penanaman kopi di Jawa oleh orang Belanda.

Kopi pun dengan cepat menyebar ke Eropa. Meski masyarakat Italia sudah mengenal kopi sejak abad ke-10, namun pembukaan kedai kopi pertama, Botega Delcafe di Italia, baru terjadi pada tahun 1645. Kedai kopi itu kemudian menjadi pusat pertemuan para cerdik pandai di negeri pizza tersebut. Di Kota London, coffee house pertama dibuka di George Yard di Lombat Sreet dan di Paris, kedai kopi dibuka pada tahun 1671 di Saint Germain Fair.

Pada abad ke-18, misionaris (utusan), para pedagang serta kolonis memperkenalkan kopi pada Amerika Tengah dan Amerika Selatan. Lingkungan alamnya yang alami terbukti merupakan tempat yang tepat untuk bertanam kopi sehingga kopi dapat tumbuh menyebar dengan cepat.

Sedangkan di Amerika, kopi dijadikan minuman nasional di Amerika Serikat dan menjadi menu utama di meja-meja makan pagi. Ketika kopi mencapai kawasan koloni Amerika, pada awalnya tidak sesukses di Eropa karena dianggap kurang bisa menggantikan alkohol. Akan tetapi, selama Perang Revolusi, permintaan terhadap kopi meningkat cukup tinggi, sampai para penyalur harus membuka persediaan cadangan dan menaikkan harganya secara dramatis, sebagian hal ini didasari oleh menurunnya persediaan teh oleh para pedagang Inggris.

Minuman Terlarang

Perjalanan kopi menjadi minuman yang paling digemari penduduk bumi memang tidak mulus. Ada masa-masa di mana kopi menjadi produk yang kehadirannya "diharamkan". Pada tahun 1511, karena efek rangsangan yang ditimbulkan, dilarang penggunaannya oleh para imam konservatif dan ortodoks di majelis keagamaan di Mekah, Arab Saudi. Akan tetapi, karena popularitas minuman ini, larangan tersebut pada tahun 1524 dihilangkan atas perintah Sultan Selim I dari Kesultanan Utsmaniyah Turki. Di Kairo, Mesir, larangan yang serupa juga disahkan pada tahun 1532, di mana kedai kopi dan gudang kopi ditutup.

Seabad kemudian, tepatnya pada tahun 1656, Wazir Kerajaan Usmaniyah mengeluarkan larangan untuk membuka kedai-kedai kopi. Bukan hanya melarang kopi, melainkan menghukum orang-orang yang minum kopi dengan hukuman cambuk pada pelanggaran pertama. Tetapi, bertahun-tahun kemudian, pelarangan minum kopi di Timur Tengah lambat-laun terkikis sehingga jika seorang suami melarang istrinya minum kopi, si istri tersebut bisa memakai alasan ini untuk meminta cerai.

Di Italia, pendeta-pendeta melarang umatnya minum kopi dan menyatakan, minuman kopi itu dimasukkan sultan-sultan muslim untuk menggantikan anggur. Bukan hanya melarang, melainkan juga menghukum orang-orang yang minum kopi. Alasannya, kopi adalah "komoditas politik" kaum muslim dalam upaya menggeser popularitas anggur yang sejak lama sudah dikenal dan identik dengan kaum Katolik.

Larangan juga diberlakukan di Rusia, meski lebih bersifat "diskriminatif" dan menjaga wibawa aristokrasi kopi. Karena dianggap bergengsi sebagai minuman, Raja Frederick Agung dari Rusia pada tahun 1777 hanya memperbolehkan kalangan atas atau kelas bangsawan saja untuk menunjukkan kearistokratan kopi.

Kopi di Indonesia

Pada awalnya, kopi di Indonesia berada di bawah pemerintah Belanda. Kopi diperkenalkan di Indonesia lewat Sri Lanka. Awalnya, pemerintah Belanda menanam kopi di daerah sekitar Batavia (Jakarta), Sukabumi, dan Bogor. Kopi juga ditanam di Jawa Timur, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Barat, Sumatra, dan Sulawesi. Pada permulaan abad ke-20 perkebunan kopi di Indonesia terserang hama yang hampir memusnahkan seluruh tanaman kopi. Pada saat itu, kopi juga ditanam di Timor dan Flores. Kedua pulau ini pada saat itu berada di bawah pemerintahan bangsa Portugis. Jenis kopi yang ditanam di sana juga adalah kopi arabika. Kopi ini tidak terserang hama.

Menurut situs wikipedia, pemerintah Belanda kemudian menanam kopi liberika untuk menanggulangi hama tersebut. Varietas ini tidak begitu lama populer dan juga terserang hama. Kopi liberika masih dapat ditemui di pulau Jawa, walau jarang ditanam sebagai bahan produksi komersial. Biji kopi liberika sedikit lebih besar dari biji kopi arabika dan kopi robusta.

Bencana alam, Perang Dunia II dan perjuangan kemerdekaan, semuanya mempunyai peranan penting bagi kopi di Indonesia. Pada awal abad ke-20 perkebunan kopi berada di bawah kontrol pemerintahan Belanda. Infrastruktur dikembangkan untuk mempermudah perdagangan kopi. Sebelum Perang Dunia II di Jawa Tengah terdapat jalur rel kereta api yang digunakan untuk mengangkut kopi, gula, merica, teh, dan tembakau ke Semarang untuk kemudian diangkut dengan kapal laut. Kopi yang ditanam di Jawa Tengah umumnya adalah kopi arabika. Sedangkan, di Jawa Timur (Kayu Mas, Blewan, dan Jampit) umumnya adalah kopi robusta. Di daerah pegunungan dari Jember hingga Banyuwangi terdapat banyak perkebunan kopi arabika dan robusta. Kopi robusta tumbuh di daerah rendah, sedangkan kopi arabika tumbuh di daerah tinggi.

Saat ini, kopi merupakan minuman ke-2 yang dikonsumsi di seluruh dunia, setelah air. Finlandia merupakan negara yang konsumsi per kapitanya paling tinggi, dengan rata-rata konsumsi per orang sekitar 1400 cangkir setiap tahunnya!

Kopi merupakan komoditas nomor dua yang paling banyak diperdagangkan setelah minyak bumi. Total 6,7 juta ton kopi diproduksi dalam kurun waktu 1998-2000 saja. FAO memperkirakan, pada tahun 2010, produksi kopi dunia akan mencapai 7 juta ton per tahun. ***

Source : http://netsains.com/2008/03/kopi-minuman-lezat-yang-sempat-terlarang/

Camus Coffee

2009-06-11T22:13:00.001-07:00

Ketika Tradisi Cognac dan Kopi Bersatu...

Awalnya, Cyril Camus, generasi kelima penerus Camus Cognac hanya terfokus pada kelangsungan bisnis keluarganya sebagai salah satu penghasil brandy terkemuka di Perancis.

Ia tidak pernah berpikir untuk mengembangkan usahanya dengan produk lain, sampai suatu hari mencicipi salah satu kopi terbaik Indonesia, kopi Toraja kelas premium. Selain rasanya yang khas dan elegan, ada kesamaan lain yang membuatnya jatuh cinta, tradisi.

Kopi toraja dan cognac dikelola secara turun menurun oleh keluarga, bukan perusahaan. Sejak 1863, keluarga Camus sudah memproduksi minuman yang berasal dari anggur di area sekitar kota Cognac, Perancis.

"Keluarga Camus percaya ada nilai-nilai keluarga yang terdapat pada setiap produk Camus," katanya.

Nilai dan tradisi keluarga inilah yang juga dilihatnya pada sejarah panjang kopi asal Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, yang tumbuh dalam kebun-kebun kopi sederhana milik keluarga-keluarga Toraja. Ditambah lagi, kopi dan cognac adalah minuman yang biasa dinikmati setelah jamuan makan.

"Kopi Toraja masih milik rakyat setempat dan dikelola oleh keluarga. Cara memetik kopi juga masih satu-satu dengan menggunakan tangan. Camus cognac sendiri saat ini merupakan satu-satunya produsen cognac yang masih dikelola keluarga," terang Louisa Halim, Direktur PT JJ Multi Utama Indonesia, produsen kopi Toraja, beberapa waktu lalu di Huize van Welly, Plasa Indonesia, Jakarta.

Beberapa kesamaan itu akhirnya membuat Cyril berniat mempopulerkan Kopi Toraja ke seluruh dunia, dengan konsep yang ketika memasarkan Camus Cognac ke seluruh dunia. Karena Camus sudah mempunyai reputasi terkenal dengan kualitas cognacnya, maka brand ini tetap diusung dalam kopi. Jadilah nama Camus Coffee, dengan menggandeng dua perusahaan Indonesia, PT JJ Multiutama sebagai produsen dan PT API sebagai distributor di Indonesia.

Special Blend

Louisa menuturkan, tidak gampang menemukan kopi kualitas pertama atau pun kedua di Indonesia. Rata-rata, yang beredar di pasaran dalam negeri adalah kopi kualitas ketiga. Sementara, untuk kualitas diatasnya hanya dipasarkan di luar negeri.

"Ayah saya akhirnya mencari sendiri dan menemukan kopi Toraja kelas pertama yang memang sudah cukup dikenal di luar negeri, selain kopi Mandailing" imbuhnya.

Khusus untuk Camus Coffee, pihaknya memang meracik special blend yang sudah disesuaikan dengan rasa internasional. Orang Indonesia, cenderung menyukai kopi yang 'berat'. Camus Coffee, lanjutnya, dibuat lebih ringan tetapi full bodied (seperti membandingkan antara susu full krim dan susu skim).

Hmm...gimana yach rasanya? Saya membuktikannya dengan memesan secangkir kopi Camus yang berasal dari jenis Arabika di Huize van Welly sore itu. Ketika saya mencicipinya, terasa benar kalau kopi ini lebih ringan, tetapi tidak menghilangkan cita rasa aslinya, dengan after taste yang crisp and clean. Pas di lidah saya yang tidak coffee minded.

Karena kualitasnya yang premium, kopi ini memang dijual dengan harga diatas rata-rata. Dikemas dalam kotak kaca yang elegan dan eksklusif, satu kemasan dengan isi 250 gram dijual dengan harga 35 dollar.

"Kita memang mengedepankan after fine dining experience yang ekslusif, premium dan juga high quality. Jadi, tidak semata-mata menjual kopi dengan harga mahal," ungkapnya.

Selain Indonesia, Camus Coffee juga sudah dipasarkan di beberapa negara, yakni, Filiphina, Thailand, China, Lithuania dan Rusia.

Dna

Source : http://www.kompas.com/read/xml/2008/07/24/1756575/ketika.tradisi.cognac.dan.kopi.bersatu

Same Picture ??

2009-05-28T21:40:00.001-07:00

Saat sedang browsing image di Google mengenai "Kopi Tubruk" (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=kopi+tubruk&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=), 3 website berikut saya temukan menggunakan gambar yg sama dengan yg saya gunakan dalam blog saya.

Saya merasa senang juga, karena hasil karya jepretan saya bisa bermanfaat juga bagi orang lain. Well, biar gak tanggung-tanggung saya lampirkan link berikut agar para reader bisa juga memberi Hit bagi website-website tersebut... :)

http://rcafe99.blogspot.com/
http://inovationsclub.blogspot.com/2009/03/inguminum-kopi.html
http://kidausdagocofee.blogspot.com/2009/03/kopi-yang-paling-muantap.html

Terima kasih atas promosinya...

Salam penikmat kopi...

Tips Sehat Minum Kopi

2009-05-25T22:15:00.001-07:00

Setelah mengetahui efek negatif dibalik minum kopi, Berikut adalah 7 cara sehat menikmati Kopi yang saya dapatkan dari Deddy Andaka seorang dokter asal Bali, Indonesia.

7 Tips Sehat Minum Kopi

1. Dosis
Memang belum ada ukuran yang pasti untuk dosis kopi yang boleh dikonsumsi orang. Namun kebanyakan penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa minum 300 mg caffeine (sekitar 1 sampai 3 cangkir kopi sehari) tidak memberikan efek negative pada kebanyakan orang sehat.

2. Sinyal Bahaya
Ketika mereguk kopi memang terasa nikmat, namun sering kali diikuti dengan sejuta rasa bersalah. Kenali sinyal bahaya kopi sehingga kita tahu kapan harus berhenti minum kopi. Sinyal bahaya itu antara lain: gelisah, jantung berdebar, gangguan tidur dan gangguan mood (mis: cepat marah). Seorang peminum kopi yang menghentikan kebiasaan minum kopinya dapat mengalami "caffeine withdrawal" yang ditandai oleh sakit kepala berdenyut, namun gejala ini akan hilang setelah 24-48 jam atau mendapat caffeine dosis baru.

3. Dengarkan Respon Tubuh
Setiap orang memiliki batasan sendiri mengenai konsumsi caffeine. Kebanyakan orang dapat mengkonsumsi 2 cangkir kopi sehari tanpa masalah. Namun ada pula yang mengalami efek buruknya dengan jumlah konsumsi kopi yang sama. Ada yang bercerita setelah minum secangkir kopi menjadi tak dapat tidur sepanjang malam, sebaliknya ada yang tertidur pulas setelah minum kopi. So, cara terbaik adalah dengarkan respon tubuh sendiri!

4. Kenali Kandungan Caffeine
Setelah mengetahui dosis dan respon tubuh, ada baiknya kita mengetahui kandungan caffeine dalam produk-produk yang sering kita konsumsi. Agar jangan sampai dosis kopi yang dianjurkan sudah tercapai, namun kita masih mengkonsumsi produk-produk lain yang mengandung caffeine sehingga merasakan efek buruk kopi. Beberapa produk lain yang perlu diperhatikan kandungan caffeine seperti misalnya : softdrink, permen kopi, teh, coklat, obat sakit kepala.

Cara pengolahan (roasting dan brewing) juga berpengaruh terhadap kandungan caffeine dalam kopi. Sebagai contoh, sebuah penelitian menunjukkan, secangkir kopi di Starbucks mengandung rata-rata 259 mg caffeine dibandingkan dengan kopi dengan jenis dan ukuran cangkir yang sama di Dunkin Donuts yang hanya mengandung 149 mg caffeine.

Dari penelitian lain, kopi decaf (kopi tanpa caffeine) baik untuk mereka yang mengalami obesitas karena dapat meningkatkan HDL (kolesterol "baik") sekitar 50%. Sedangkan pada mereka yang tidak mengalami obesitas justru dapat menurunkan kolesterol HDL ini yang dapat meningkatkan resiko penyakit jantung.

5. Coffee Mix
Lima milligram kalsium hilang untuk setiap 6 ons kopi yang dikonsumsi. Namun kehilangan kalsium ini dapat diatasi dengan menambahkan 2 sendok susu atau membuat espresso latte. Sedangkan campuran kopi dengan alkohol kurang baik terutama pada orang dengan gangguan hati dan campuran kopi dengan cream juga sebaiknya dihindari untuk mengurangi kalori yang berlebih. Caffeine juga berinteraksi dengan beberapa jenis obat. Bagi yang sedang mengkonsumsi obat, sebaiknya konsultasikan ke dokter.

Banyak yang beranggapan teman terbaik kopi adalah rokok. Eits, jangan salah. Seorang peminum kopi sejati tidak merokok! Rokok dapat mengurangi nikmatnya ngopi lho...

6. Kelompok Anti-Kopi
Kelompok berikut disarankan untuk menghindari kopi: wanita hamil, anak-anak, orang tua, orang dengan penyakit jantung dan pembuluh darah (mis: hipertensi). Nah, kalau sudah termasuk kelompok ini, lupakan kopi!

7. Check Up
Lakukan pemeriksaan berkala terhadap kesehatan, dalam hal ini adalah ukuran tekanan darah. Semakin dini hipertensi diketahui, akan semakin baik untuk penatalaksanaan selanjutnya. JNC VII mengklasifikasikan hipertensi sebagai berikut :

Klasifikasi

Normal ( Sistolik (mmHg) <120>Pre Hipertensi ( Sistolik (mmHg) 120-139 Atau Diastolik (mmHg) 80-89 )

Hipertensi stage 1 ( Sistolik (mmHg) 140-159 Atau Diastolik (mmHg) 90-99 )

Hipertensi stage 2 ( Sistolik (mmHg) > 160 Atau Diastolik (mmHg) > 100 )

Demikianlah "7 Tips Sehat Minum Kopi". Bila keluhan berlanjut, hubungi dokter!

Sourece : http://www.andaka.com/7-tips-sehat-minum-kopi.php

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Di Balik Nikmatnya KOPI ... !

2009-05-25T22:08:00.001-07:00

Artikel yang menarik bagi penikmat Kopi... selama batas wajar dan diimbangi dengan olahraga dan istirahat yang cukup serta makanan yang mengandung serat, niscaya kenikmatan kopi akan tetap bermanfaat dalam mengurangi penatnya hari dan memberi energi extra bagi penikmatnya...

Salam penikmat Kopi

Di Balik Nikmatnya KOPI ... !
Oleh Intisari

Kenikmatan minum kopi memang tidak bisa dipungkiri oleh siapa saja. Sayang, selain memberi dampak positif, minum kopi ternyata membawa dampak ikutan yang bisa berbahaya.

Jadi bagaimana bisa tetap nyeruput kopi namun tetap aman ?

Selain teh, kopi merupakan minuman paling dikenal umat manusia. Tak seorang pun tak mengenal kopi. Minuman ini sudah dikenal di mana-mana sejak ratusan tahun lalu. Begitu terkenalnya kopi sampai timbul istilah coffee break atau "rehat kopi" di setiap acara resmi seperti seminar, lokakarya, rapat, dll. Saat itu para tamu atau peserta beristirahat sebentar untuk menikmati kue-kue sambil minum secangkir kopi atau teh. Sementara dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, kopi seringkali dijadikan pendamping sarapan pagi.

Sekalipun demikian mungkin jarang kita mengamati apa manfaat atau dampak negatif kopi bagi kesehatan. Paling-paling yang kita tahu setelah minum kopi badan terasa segar dan rasa kantuk hilang.

Baik bagi pecandu narkoba

Menurut analisis kedokteran, dalam kopi terdapat sejenis senyawa kimia xantin. Derivat senyawa ini meliputi kafein, teofilin, dan teobromin. Namun, kopi hanya mengandung kafein. Sedangkan teofilin terdapat dalam teh, sementara teobromin dalam coklat.

Kafein ternyata dapat menimbulkan perangsangan terhadap susunan saraf pusat (otak), sistem pernapasan, serta sistem pembuluh darah dan jantung. Sebab itu tidak heran setiap minum kopi dalam jumlah wajar (1-3 cangkir), tubuh kita terasa segar, bergairah, daya pikir lebih cepat, tidak mudah lelah atau pun mengantuk. Dampak positif ini menyebabkan orang sulit terlepas dari kebiasaan minum kopi.

Namun, sebenarnya manfaat di atas tidak berlaku bagi seseorang yang pekerjaannya memerlukan ketelitian, kerapian, serta ketepatan menghitung, seperti matematika, menggambar atau melukis. Sebaliknya, minum kopi lebih tepat bagi orang yang belajar ilmu-ilmu sosial atau menghapal. Minumlah sekitar setengah sampai satu jam sebelum aktivitas belajar atau menghapal dimulai.

Kafein acap kali juga dijadikan salah satu bahan pelengkap pada obat sakit kepala. Pasalnya, kafein memiliki kemampuan mempersempit pembuluh darah ke otak (vasokonstriksi) sehingga pelebaran pembuluh darah di daerah otak yang merupakan penyebab sakit kepala bisa ditanggulangi. Bahkan, senyawa xantin dalam dosis rendah mampu merangsang susunan saraf yang sedang depresi, misalnya akibat penyalahgunaan narkoba atau kecanduan alkohol. Sehingga muncul pendapat bahwa kafein dapat memperbaiki fungsi mental penderita yang keracunan alkohol.

Lebih jauh, kafein ternyata dapat menetralisasi asam lemak dalam darah.

Mengganggu kesuburan

Sayangnya, kebiasaan minum kopi acap kali memunculkan efek "kecanduan" baik secara psikologis maupun fisiologis.

Ciri umum ketergantungan kopi antara lain rasa letih atau lelah, tak bersemangat dan mengantuk kalau sehari saja tidak minum kopi. Yang wajar adalah mengonsumsi kopi sebanyak 85 - 200 mg atau 1 - 3 cangkir kopi. Namun, minum kopi di atas 250 mg sekaligus dapat menyebabkan gangguan kesehatan, seperti jantung berdebar, gelisah, insomnia (sulit tidur), gugup, tremor (tangan bergetar), bahkan mual sampai muntah-muntah.

Minum kopi juga berbahaya bagi penderita hipertensi (tekanan darah tinggi) karena senyawa kafein bisa menyebabkan tekanan darah meningkat tajam. Selain itu, kopi juga bisa meningkatkan aliran darah ke ginjal dengan akibat produksi urin bertambah. Jadi, jangan heran kalau tak lama sehabis mengkonsumsi kopi kandung kencing cepat penuh.

Minum kopi terlalu banyak bisa pula mengurangi kesuburan wanita, apalagi kalau dikombinasikan dengan alkohol. Bagi wanita usia menopause, minum kopi dalam jumlah banyak bisa menambah risiko kekeroposan tulang (osteoporosis).

Pada dosis sedang, kafein menaikkan produksi asam lambung yang berlangsung lama, sehingga dapat memperbesar risiko penyakit lambung, tukak lambung, atau tukak usus halus. Jadi para penderita kelemahan lambung hendaknya menghindari konsumsi kopi.

Cara pengolahan dan penyeduan kopi pun memberi andil terhadap dampak yang ditimbulkannya. Bentuk pengolahan dan penyeduhan kopi tubruk misalnya. Kopi tubruk pada umumnya lebih keras karena bubuk kopi dalam cangkir atau gelas langsung diseduh air mendidih. Lagipula kopi tubruk pada umumnya menggunakan kopi lebih kasar, dipadu dengan gula batu. Dengan sendirinya akan lebih banyak ampas bubuk kopi yang masuk ke tubuh kita dibandingkan dengan kopi yang diseduh dalam teko. Maka dapat dipahami bila efek sampingan kopi tubruk lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan secangkir kopi yang sudah "tersaring" ampas kopinya.

Penyakit jantung dan arteriosklerosis

Masalah dampak kopi kasar atau tidak disaring (unfiltered) ini dipelajari oleh sejumlah peneliti di Belanda. Mereka mengamati tingginya kadar homosistein dalam darah pecandu kopi. Homosistein merupakan substansi yang terbentuk dari metionin, yakni suatu asam amino esensial yang terbentuk pada saat tubuh mengeluarkan protein. Padahal peningkatan homosistein berhubungan erat dengan risiko penyakit jantung.

Meski belum jelas bagaimana persisnya asam amino esensial mengganggu jantung, sudah terbukti bahwa zat tersebut acap kali menyebabkan timbulnya luka di berbagai lapisan dalam pembuluh darah arteri dan selanjutnya menjadi tempat menumpuknya asam lemak dan kalsium. Timbunan ini bisa mengakibatkan pengerasan dinding pembuluh darah arteri (arteriosklerosis). Di sisi lain, menurut Dr. Elvina Karyadi, ahli gizi, homosistein dibutuhkan tubuh untuk berbagai reaksi biokimia, terutama dalam proses perubahan metionin menjadi sistationin dan berperan dalam membentuk propionil-koA (substansi yang beperan dalam metabolisme lemak dan karbohidrat), asalkan kadarnya tidak tinggi. Kadar normalnya, 7 - 22 ug mol/L.

Seorang peneliti Belanda menambahkan, dua minggu setelah setiap hari minum enam cangkir kopi, konsentrasi homosistein seseorang naik 10% dari angka normal. Begitu juga kadar kolesterol dan trigliserida. Namun, kenaikan ini tidak permanen. Bila kopi dihentikan dan keadaan tubuh sehat, kelebihan homosistein dapat secara alami normal kembali. Selain dengan mengurangi kafein, kenaikan kadar homosistein dapat pula dicegah dengan mengurangi konsumsi protein hewani yang banyak mengandung metionin.

Bila dalam sehari minum 1,360 g kopi kasar (sekitar 6-7 cangkir), diperkirakan risiko untuk terkena serangan jantung atau stroke naik 10%. Selain itu kadar vitamin B6 bisa berkurang sampai 21%.

Atas dasar itu alangkah baiknya tidak minum kopi, khususnya bagi mereka yang berisiko tinggi penyakit jantung. Kalau pun harus minum kopi, untuk kita sebaiknya hanya 1-3 cangkir sehari (standar untuk orang Eropa 3-5 cangkir). Itu pun tidak pada saat menjelang tidur.

Kopi bisa digantikan segelas air jeruk, sayuran hijau, disertai konsumsi vitamin B6 dan B12. Jenis-jenis makanan dan minuman ini tidak mengandung seng dan kafein tapi tinggi mineral, vitamin serta asam folat. Padahal vitamin B6, B12, dan asam folat sangat berperan dalam menurunkan kadar homosistein dalam tubuh, sehingga penyakit jantung koroner pun bisa dihindari (Intisari).

Source : http://www.depkes.go.id/index.php?option=articles&task=viewarticle&artid=47&Itemid=3

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10 Steps To Reduce Risks If You're Pregnant

2009-05-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

My sister told me that she's pregnant... and i'm very excited knowing that i'm gonna have a niece...
so here's what i found on keeping pregnancy risk-less...
though it doesn't say about the harm of drinking coffee on pregnancy, i do advice you to stop drinking them for a while. Instead you could still inhale the fragrance of Java Brewed should you crave for it badly... :)

=================
10 Steps To Reduce Risks If You're Pregnant
By Diane di Costanzo

Photo courtesy Shutterstock Images

The womb acts as a wonderfully protective cushion between the fetus and the jolts and bumps of the outside world. On the inside, though, the placenta simply cannot shield the womb from all of the man-made chemicals that have, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, collected in our bodies. You can, however, take simple steps to reduce the risk to your offspring by paying special attention to what you eat, drink and breathe.

You probably already know to avoid alcohol, cigarette smoke, caffeine and kitty litter. Unfortunately, prenatal exposures to other common contaminants can affect the fetus during critical windows when vital systems are developing, says pediatrician Philip Landrigan, M.D., director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment (CCHE) at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Below are 10 kinds of toxins capable of crossing the placenta and how to avoid them.

1. Trim consumption of animal fats
When you're pregnant, it's more important than ever to choose lean cuts of meat, trim away fat and opt for fat-free dairy products. Here's why: Some toxins linked to prenatal nervous system and hormonal damage are stored in fatty tissue. These include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which pose risks of reduced intelligence to the developing fetus; brominated fire retardants; dioxins and other pollutants that persist in our air and water.

2. Put a stop to insecticides in your home and office
Organophosphates are a family of insecticides that attack the nervous system. In two New York City studies conducted last year, babies of women who had been most exposed to two organophosphates, chlorpyrifos (Dursban and Lorsban) and diazinon (Spectracide), had significantly lower birth weights. Fortunately, these insecticides were phased out of residential and school use by the EPA in 2001-03. However, other organophosphates are still in circulation, as are similar compounds called pyrethroids. Pesticides also release inhalable volatile organic compounds (see below).

What to do instead? Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) recommend that pregnant women switch to sticky traps and other bait stations, "which are safer, last longer and are more effective," while keeping surfaces clean of food residue, removing trash and treating cracks with boric acid, classified by the EPA as of low toxicity, then sealing with caulk. (Keep boric acid and baits out of the reach of children and pets.)

3. Select foods to minimize pesticide residues
Chlorpyrifos and diazinon (see above), along with many related toxic pesticides, are still used widely on food crops. Prioritize your grocery list to allow for the purchase of the following organic fruits and vegetables that, when conventionally grown, tend to harbor the most pesticide residue: apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach, strawberries and peppers.

4. Pass on high-mercury fish
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can harm a developing fetus. Say "no" to high-mercury fish such as fresh tuna, canned albacore, wild bass, swordfish and tilefish. (One meal of moderate-mercury fish, such as canned light tuna, can be eaten once a month.) Eat up: low-mercury "yes" fish such as sardines, wild salmon and farmed striped bass.

5. Let Old Paint Lie
Since lead has been banned from gasoline (in 1996) and paint (in 1978), most exposures now come from old lead-based paint. This heavy metal, which can also contaminate water and soil, can interfere with nearly every aspect of fetal development, causing brain and kidney damage, according to the CCHE. If your old house has lead paint in good condition, cover it with fresh paint rather than removing it, which releases lead dust into the air. To test paint for lead, see www.epa.gov/lead or call the EPA's lead hot line at 800-426-4791.

6. Make sure your water is safe to drink
Your local utility must by law provide you with an annual "Right to Know" report listing the EPA-recognized pollutants that exist in your water at potentially unsafe levels. Trihalomethanes, for instance, can increase the risk of miscarriage. See Green Guide #101 for contaminants to avoid and best filters. If you suspect there's lead in your pipes, allow the tap to run for 30 seconds to clear them before using water. Find lead-testing services at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/labs/index.html.

7. Avoid the VOCs that offgas from paints, glues, air fresheners
Toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can evaporate from many conventional building, decorating and other household products, including air freshener sprays. Exposure to air fresheners during pregnancy and within the first six months of life was associated with diarrhea and earache in infants and headaches and depression in mothers, according to a study published in the October 2003 Archives of Environmental Health.

If exposed to fumes at work, speak up: Thirty-two children exposed in utero to organic solvents had lower scores on language and other developmental tests, according to a study published in the October 2004 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. In the workplace, their mothers had come into contact with such solvents as toluene, xylene, mineral spirits, isopropyl alcohol and trichloroethylene.

8. Steer clear of vehicular and smokestack emissions
Research conducted by Columbia University links "combustion-related" chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with shorter gestation periods for pregnant women, resulting in smaller babies. PAHs are in car or bus exhaust and emissions from residential heating and power generation. Before exercising outdoors, check the EPA's Air Quality Index at epa.gov/airnow. Keep windows closed during peak traffic hours.

9. Stay away from phthalates in vinyl, personal-care and cleaning products
Chemicals called phthalates, known hormone-system disruptors that have caused birth defects in lab animals, are widely used as plasticizers in nail polishes and vinyl and as solvents in synthetic fragrances. Avoid soft vinyl products and cosmetics containing "Fragrance."

10. Get rid of those crumbling foam cushions, already!
The latest chemicals found to be approaching possibly unsafe levels in American women's breast milk, as well as umbilical-cord blood, are fire retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. Furniture foam tends to release PBDEs into house dust when it breaks down.

Source : http://www.thegreenguide.com/kids/pregnancy/reduce-pregnancy-risks?source=email_gg_20090429&email=gg

Kopi-Cakwe dari Tak Kie, Kit Cong Kie, sampai Kaus Kaki

2009-05-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

KOMPAS.com - "Ngopi, yuk!" Ajakan seperti ini berseliweran setiap hari. Biasanya, ajakan ini bermakna kongko-kongko. Tempatnya? Lagi-lagi seperti biasa, kawanan penyeruput kopi ini memilih tempat berpendingin udara. Kedai kopi franchise jentrek-jentrek tak terhitung di kawasan Jakarta dan sekitarnya. Mereka menyebar baik di mal, plasa, ataupun di kawasan perkantoran.

Waralaba warung kopi makin sesak di Jakarta karena pasar yang menggiurkan. Tengok saja ke beberapa kedai asal Pakde Sam itu, meski harga segelas kopi dengan berbagai cita rasa itu minimal hampir sama dengan sekitar 4-5 gelas kopi/kopi susu panas, es kopi/kopi susu di kedai-kedai tradisional, pembeli seperti tak peduli. Barangkali gengsi juga terbeli di sana. Padahal, Indonesia penghasil kopi arabika dan robusta terbesar keempat di dunia.

Untunglah penggemar kopi Indonesia yang masih percaya, kongko-kongko sambil minum kopi di warung kopi tradisional jauh lebih nikmat, tak perlu gusar. Pasalnya, warung kopi turun temurun di kawasan Pancoran, Jakarta Barat, masih bertahan di antara gempuran mal, plasa, beserta kedai kopi ala bule tadi.

Sayangnya, warung-warung kopi di sini tak lagi buka di atas pukul 17.00. Alasan klasik, setelah kerusuhan 1998, kawasan ini makin sepi khususnya di malam hari. Padahal, potensi kawasan ini sebagai kawasan wisata kuliner sungguh luar biasa.

Kembali ke soal ngopi, di Gang Gloria, Pancoran, siapa tak kenal Warung Kopi Tak Kie. Warung ini ada di antara tumpukan pedagang lain di sisi kiri dan kanan gang tersebut. Dengan hanya Rp 7.000, segelas es kopi bisa Anda nikmati. Es kopi ini bisa jadi teman ngobrol yang tak kalah segarnya dengan "kopi bule". Kedai kopi ini beserta es kopi-nya sudah turun temurun menyemarakkan kawasan tersebut. Kopi Lampung jadi bahan utama segelas kopi tradisional itu.

Mencari kopi tak hanya di Tak Kie. Melangkahlah lebih ke dalam. Jika Anda melihat tanda Cakwe Hokian, nah, di situ pula warung kopi tradisional lainnya berada. Tak seperti Tak Kie, di warung ini tak terlihat nama. Anton Sinarto, si pemilik warung, menyebut warungnya Sederhana meski orang di kawasan itu mengenal warung itu sebagai Kit Cong Kie.

Sebagai warung kopi tradisional, Anton pun sudah siap melayani pembeli atau siapa pun yang ingin sekadar kongko-kongko sambil makan pagi di kawasan ini sejak pukul 05.00 pagi. Anda bisa pilih es kopi, kopi panas, atau kopi susu. Rasanya pas. Di sini pula Anton memberi tahu Warta Kota untuk menikmati kopi susu dengan sentuhan cakwe. Hah?! Ya, cakwe.

"Dicelup aja, terus dimakan. Coba deh. Enak," begitu Anton membujuk. Dan, memang, sensasi baru minum kopi dan makan cakwe pun terjadi di dalam mulut. Cakwe milik Ibu Lily ini pun sudah beredar di kawasan ini lebih dari 27 tahun lalu.

Menurut Anton, minum kopi atau kopi susu sambil makan cakwe sudah jadi kebiasaan di kawasan itu. "Seperti teman minum kopi, gitu. Murah meriah, pula," tambah Anton yang didampingi sang istri, Cendrawati Goutama.

Bapak dua putra ini melanjutkan usaha kedai kopi ini sejak 1980-an. "Tapi warung ini sudah ada sejak Belanda masih ada," lanjutnya, sekitar 1928 pun warung ini diperkirakan sudah ada dan masih menggunakan kopi Lampung hingga kini.

Kedai kopi tak berhenti sampai di sini sebab masuk lebih ke dalam lagi, ke arah dekat Toko Kawi, Anda bisa temui kopi kaus kaki. Tenang dulu, ini bukan sembarang kaus kaki. Kopi di sini disaring dengan penyaring yang mirip kaos kaki. Jadi, begitu disajikan, kopi ini sudah tanpa ampas. "Kelebihan lain, kopi di sini disajikan di cangkir keramik yang bikin panasnya awet," ujar Akiong, si pemilik kedai. Cangkir tadi harus dibeli di Singapura. Tapi tak usah khawatir, harga kopi di sini masih sangat rasional. Meski cangkir dari Singapura, tapi harga tetap warung kopi Indonesia.

Perihal cakwe sebagai teman kopi, Akiong membenarkan hal itu sebagai kebiasaan warga keturunan Tionghoa di kawasan itu. "Dari dulu orang di sini emang kalau minum kopi pakai cakwe."

WARTA KOTA Pradaningrum Mijarto

Source : http://www.kompas.com/readkotatua/xml/2009/04/25/14134711/Kopi-Cakwe.dari.Tak.Kie..Kit.Cong.Kie..Sampai.Kaus.Kaki

Coffee Facts

2009-04-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

Here's what i found on Live Science website (http://www.livescience.com) about Coffee.

10 Things You Need to Know About Coffee
By LiveScience Staff

1. Caffeine Can Kill You
But you'd have to drink 80 to 100 cups in a hurry, health experts say. We advise not trying.

2. Coffee Can Be Good For You
A study shows that Americans get most of their antioxidants from their daily fix of java. One to two cups a day appear to be beneficial. Or, if you don't like coffee, try black tea, the second most consumed antioxidant source. Bananas, dry beans, and corn wrap up the top five.

3. Caffeine Might Boost Female Sex Drive
It worked on rats anyway. But researchers say in humans, coffee might enhance the sexual experience only among people who are not habitual users.

4. Caffeine Might Cut Pain
Moderate doses of caffeine - the equivalent of two cups of coffee- can cut post-gym muscle pain, a small study found. But the research was done on people who were not regular coffee drinkers.

5. Caffeine Can Indeed Keep You Up at Night
Health experts advise avoiding it for 6 hours before bedtime.

6. Decaf Coffee Has Caffeine!
If you drink five to 10 cups of decaffeinated coffee, you could get as much caffeine as from one or two cups of caffeinated coffee, a study found.

7. Decaffeination Uses Chemicals
Beans are steamed, so that dissolved caffeine rises to the surface, where it is washed off using an organic solvent called methylene chloride.

8. Caffeine Is Not The Bitter Culprit
Caffeine is not the main bitter compound in coffee. Rather, the pungent perpetrators are antioxidants.

9. Great Coffee Depends on Roasting and Brewing
When it comes to great flavor, coffee chemistry boils down to roasting and brewing. During roasting, oil locked inside the beans begins to emerge at around 400 degrees. The more oil, the stronger the flavor. Caffeine content goes up as the water spends more time in contact with the grounds, so regular coffee often has more of it than espresso or cappuccino. Darker roasts also yield more caffeine.

10. Coffee Was Discovered by Goats
A millennium ago on a mountainside in Africa, a herd of goats kept a shepherd up at night after feasting on red coffee berries. The shepherd took his animals' discovery to some monks, and very long prayer sessions ensued. It's a good story, anyway.

Source : http://www.livescience.com/health/080519-coffee-facts.html

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Kepribadian Pria dan Jenis Kopinya

2009-04-06T04:48:00.001-07:00

Dari jenis kopi yang disukai seseorang terletak pula ciri kepribadiannya. Apa dan bagaimana kopi menceritakan karakter peminumnya?

1. Kopi instan
Di mana-mana banyak dijual kopi instan. Yang dibutuhkan hanyalah air panas untuk menyeduhnya, aduk, langsung minum. Ada yang sudah dicampur susu, ada pula kopi murni. Penggemar jenis kopi ini biasanya ingin segala sesuatu cepat dan segera, tanpa perlu bersusah payah. Kadang mengorbankan kualitas demi mengejar waktu. Bisa jadi, perempuan pertama yang disukainya langsung "ditembak" untuk jadi pacar meski baru kenal seminggu.

2. Kopi non-kafein
Semua orang tahu, kopi mengandung kafein yang bisa membahayakan kesehatan, tetapi sering kali disangkal oleh para kopi mania. Bagi yang suka aroma kopi tapi takut akan kafeinnya, ada sejenis minuman yang disebut kopi non-kafein (decaf). Penggemar minuman ini sangat peduli pada masalah kesehatan. Sangat selektif memilih makanan atau minuman yang menyehatkan saja. Ia juga takut mengambil risiko yang bisa membahayakan dirinya.

3. Kopi giling
Ada yang suka minum kopi langsung dari biji kopi segar yang digiling. Di supermarket dan toko dijual jenis kopi segar ini. Namun, bila si dia punya alat giling kopi di rumahnya, berarti dia suka menggiling sendiri biji kopinya. Artinya, dia selalu ingin mengerjakan segala sesuatu sendiri, sangat mandiri, dan tidak tergantung pada siapa pun. Bisa pula diartikan, dia tidak mudah percaya pada orang lain.

4. Espresso
Jenis kopi ini sangat kuat dan sangat hitam karena dibuat langsung dari biji kopi dengan kadar air yang sangat sedikit. Disebut espresso karena cafe dan restoran menghidangkannya dalam waktu singkat di gelas kecil. Ini berkat teknologi mesin espresso dari Italia. Penggemar jenis kopi ini menyenangi pengalaman yang hebat, keras, dan penuh tantangan. Meski suka pada hal-hal berbahaya seperti mengendarai mobil dengan kecepatan tinggi. Mereka juga biasanya sangat kreatif. Di sisi lain, mereka sangat penuntut, baik pada diri sendiri, maupun orang di sekitarnya.

5. Cappuccino
Cappuccino adalah espresso ditambah campuran susu, dihidangkan di gelas besar. Perpaduan kopi espresso dan susu menghasilkan warna coklat mirip pakaian para biarawan Capuchin, maka dinamakan cappucino. Penyuka jenis ini termasuk orang yang santai dalam menghadapi apa pun. Tidak mau diburu-buru, meski pada akhirnya segala sesuatu dapat dibereskannya. Hidup baginya seperti menikmati cappucino, ringan namun tetap nikmat.

6. Kopi campuran
Sekarang ini banyak kopi yang dicampur berbagai bahan sehingga menghasilkan aneka rasa. Ada kopi yang dicampur sirup karamel, ditambah bubuk kayu manis, atau ditambah moka. Penyuka jenis kopi ini tidak suka pada hal-hal yang dianggap wajar oleh banyak orang. Inginnya tampil dan berpikiran beda. Bersamanya, orang tidak pernah bosan, karena ia selalu menemukan hal-hal baru untuk dilakukan.

7. Kopi Irlandia
Ada satu jenis kopi yang sangat keras, yaitu kopi Irlandia (Irish coffee). Keras karena dicampur alkohol. Kopi dan alkohol punya efek bertentangan. Kopi membuat orang melek dan mengaktifkan kesadaran, sementara alkohol membuat pikiran tidak sadar. Penggemar minuman ini punya ide, pikiran, dan sifat yang kadang berseberangan. Dalam satu waktu, ia bisa terlihat gembira, dan sejenak kemudian murung.

8. Kopi tubruk
Bubuk kopi diseduh bersama ampasnya, kadang tanpa gula, dan diminum selagi ampasnya masih mengambang. Penggemar kopi ini suka segala sesuatu yang alamiah, dan tidak toleran pada kebohongan. Betapa pun pahitnya sebuah kebenaran, ia akan menerima.

Erika Paula

Sumber : http://perempuan.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/04/06/13260323/kepribadian.dan.kopi.favoritnya

A Winning Cup of Coffee

2009-03-27T04:34:00.001-07:00

Caffeine is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion. It takes less than an hour for caffeine to begin affecting the body and a mild dose wears off in three to four hours. Consumption of caffeine does not eliminate the need for sleep: it only temporarily reduces the sensation of being tired.

It increases the capacity for mental or physical labor. A study conducted in 1979 showed a 7% increase in distance cycled over a period of two hours in subjects who consumed caffeine compared to control subjects. Other studies attained much more dramatic results; one particular study of trained runners showed a 44% increase in "race-pace" endurance, as well as a 51% increase in cycling endurance, after a dosage of 9 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight.

A runner, Weldon Johnson, used caffein as a performance enhancer in 1998. He was not a coffee drinker but had heard that caffeine could make him run faster. So he went to a convenience store before a race and drank a cup of coffee. For the first time in his life, he ran 10 kilometers in less than 30 minutes.

Now he used to drink coffee one hour before the race as a part of his routine. And It turns out that Caffeine is legal, one of the few performance enhancers that is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

While relatively safe for humans, caffeine is considerably more toxic to some other animals such as dogs, horses and parrots due to a much poorer ability to metabolize this compound. Caffeine has a much more significant effect on spiders, for example, than most other drugs do.

So, still need a good reason to drink coffee ?? This is one for sure.
Enjoy your cup of Coffee...

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Care for a Cup of Coffee ??

2009-03-25T04:14:00.001-07:00

Facebook applications come in varying degrees of usefulness. But the Coffee Facebook application is by far, I think, one of my simplest and most useful.

Instead of asking me in a note or on my wall whether I want to go get coffee, now you can do it through this application and even set a date, time, and place for the occasion! Great!

Unfortunately they don't have Kopi Tubruk in the line...

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2009 Modern Lifestyles Addiction

2009-03-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Interesting finding they had in Britain that Facebook Addiction is a part of Modern Lifestyles. What an astounding results, I thought that Alcohol and Cigarettes would follow Coffee. Instead they are Chocolate and Facebook.

It is interesteing how social life of coffee lounge has been replaced with facebook-ing. Instead asking "what you've been up to ?", people could just log in to their facebook and find out what are their friends doing by just reading their status.

How about you ? Have you find yourself addicted to Facebook ?

===========================

Coffee, chocolate, Facebook 'most common' Brit addictions

London: It's not sex, drugs or fags, but coffee, chocolate and the social networking site Facebook that are the most common addictions in Britain, according to a new study into modern lifestyles.

Researchers have based their findings on a survey that examined the lifestyles of 3,000 people in Britain, aged less than 30 years.

In the poll, the respondents were asked on substances and habits which they spent the most money on, those they had previously attempted to cut down on or give up and the modern impulses ruling lives in 2009.

Coffee topped the list of the ten most common modern addictions, followed by chocolate consumption with Facebook in third place. What's surprising is that the much railed against vices of alcohol and drugs didn't figure in the top ten.

Vanity came in the fourth place as a more traditional popular vice with beauty products while the practice of often checking bank accounts came fifth, thanks to the global credit crunch, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

Men and women showed differing rates of addiction with 17 per cent of males not being able to go a full day without sex, compared to a figure of just eight per cent for females.

The latest study coincides with the launch of Rehab, a programme examining rehabilitation and addiction on the Living channel.

Some 86 per cent of those asked said they would never check themselves into rehab, with 46 per cent polled admitting they had little understanding of what actually went on in many rehabilitation centres.

Britney Spears was acknowledged as the celebrity whose rehab treatment was believed to be most successful. But 45 per cent believed Amy Winehouse was the most likely celebrity who may relapse over the next year.

Source : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/coffee-chocolate-facebook-most-common-brit-addictions/422104/

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And here's what i've found about a mother struggle over Facebook addiction... check out this link...

http://stressisthenewblack.blogspot.com/2009/01/hello-i-am-lori-and-i-am-addicted-to.html

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Hot Cinnamon Coffee

2009-03-02T03:33:00.001-08:00

By: Anu

Perfect for a wintery morning, this recipe makes two small cups of coffee, reminiscent of the coffee you get in roadside stalls on highways here! You can add sugar if you want; I like it as it is.

SERVES 2 , 2 small coffee cups

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee powder (I use Nescafe Classic)
3/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Mix the milk and water together in a pot and heat on a low flame.
As the mixture just starts to boil, add the coffee powder and stir.
Bring to a boil and switch off burner.
Add cinnamon, stir, and pour into two small cups to serve.

Source : http://www.recipezaar.com/Hot-Cinnamon-Coffee-18792

Cinnamon Spiced Coffee & Citrus Clove Spiced Coffee

2009-03-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

By: littleturtle

2 variations on spiced coffee: one flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice and the other with orange, lemon, and cloves. You may also want to experiment with your own amounts and combination of spices.

SERVES 2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brewed coffee (prepared)
1 cinnamon stick (about 3-inches) (optional)
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice (optional)
2 slices orange rind (optional)
2 slices lemon peel (optional)
2-10 whole cloves
white sugar or brown sugar, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
ground cinnamon, to garnish

Directions

For Cinnamon Spiced Coffee: In a saucepan, over low heat, simmer cinnamon, allspice, and 2 cloves in coffee for 5-7 minutes.
Or for Citrus Clove Spiced Coffee: In a saucepan, over low heat, simmer orange peel, lemon peel, and 10 cloves in coffee for 5-7 minutes.
Strain into cups and sweeten each to taste.
Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Source : http://www.recipezaar.com/Cinnamon-Spiced-Coffee-Citrus-Clove-Spiced-Coffee-148327

Wake up and smell the coffee biodiesel

2009-02-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

What a fascinating articles....
I just can't believe it that those Engineer could come up with such ideas for fuel....
whenever this project is completed... we could probably have a fluctuate price of Morning Coffee... :)
==========================================

Diesel-powered vehicles could emit the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, thanks to the research being conducted at the University of Nevada-Reno.By Susanne Retka Schill

The cup of java that fuels many people in the morning could soon fuel trucks too, in the form of coffee biodiesel.

The project at the University of Nevada-Reno came about rather serendipitously, when engineering professor Mano Misra, who is known as a prodigious coffee drinker, picked up a cup of forgotten coffee. Noticing the sheen from the oil floating on top of the cold coffee, it occurred to him that coffee oil could be a biodiesel feedstock. “Coffee is the most used beverage in the world,” he says. “Last year the world drank 15 billion pounds of coffee.” In mid-2007, he set a couple of students to work on the project. Jason Strull and Narasimharao Kondamudi began conducting experiments to find out how much oil coffee grounds hold and whether that oil could be used to make a high-quality biodiesel. The research became part of an award winning business plan and was the topic of a paper published in November by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It didn’t take long for details about the research to hit the newspapers and the blogosphere.

The New York Times’ treatment of the story is one of Strull’s favorites. The headline read “Diesel, Made Simply From Coffee Grounds (Ah, the Exhaust Aroma).” The article started out saying the new research touches on two of American’s great obsessions—coffee and cars. Other writers had fun with the recycling theme writing: “The next time you drink your morning coffee, think of the money you could make by recycling. Car fumes that smell like coffee, breathing coffee biodiesel.” And, “Why make your car smell like french fries when it could loft the sweet aroma of coffee?” Another favorite: “Move the focus of energy from the Persian Gulf to the back alleys of your neighborhood coffee shop.”

More on : http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=3238

Do you have what it takes to be a part of Starbucks ?

2009-02-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

The success key of Starbucks is depends on its employee success. Starbucks ability to accomplish what was being set out to do is based primarily on the people hired - in Starbucks, we call each other "partners." Starbucks always focused on its people. Starbucks would very pleased to provide opportunities to develop its employees skills, further in career, and achieving employees' goals.

At Starbucks, partners are encourage to have a commitment to excellence among one another; an emphasis on respect in how Starbucks treat customers and each other; and a dedication to social responsibility.

Starbucks look for people who are adaptable, self-motivated, passionate, creative team players. If that sounds like you, why not bring your talents and skills to Starbucks? Starbucks are growing in dynamic new ways and we recognize that the right people, offering their ideas and expertise, will enable us to continue our success.

Starbucks Coffee Company is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or marital status.

Do you have what it takes to be a part of Starbucks ?

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

2009-01-30T04:16:00.000-08:00

I love to drink Vietnamese Milk Coffee from Bengawan Solo Coffee and so excited when i found this in the net...

Tried this yesterday and decided to rather getting it to the pro... :)

Vietnamese Milk Coffee Nutrition Info
Per Serving
Calories: 128 kcal
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Fat: 3 g
Protein: 3 g
Sugars: 20 g
About: Nutrition Info
Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1/2 cup dark roast ground coffee beans
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
16 ice cubes

Cooking Directions:
Brew coffee with water using your preferred method to make brewed coffee. Spoon 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into each of 4 coffee cups. Pour 1 cup of fresh hot coffee into each cup, and stir to dissolve the milk.

Serve guests cups of coffee, and give each one a tall glass with 4 ice cubes, and a long handled spoon. Guests pour hot coffee over the ice cubes and stir briskly with the long handled spoon, making an agreeable clatter with the ice cubes to chill the coffee.

Yield: 4 servings

Still Hungry?
Strong coffee with sweetened condensed milk and chilled on ice makes an unbeatable Southeast Asian treat. Even those who only take their coffee black will like this. Serve it on hot summer days or as an evening treat. We learned this in Vietnam, and now drink almost all our espresso this way.

Source : http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/allrecipes/77768/vietnamese-iced-coffee
More About Bengawan Solo Coffee on : http://cikopi.wordpress.com/2008/09/21/bengawan-solo-coffee

10 Ways to Judge Good and Bad Coffee

2009-01-30T03:51:00.000-08:00

What kind of coffee drinker are you? Is Folgers fine or do you shudder to think of a day without your Italian roast? Can there be a universal right or wrong when it comes to determining personal taste? Aficionados who make tasting brews their business would like to think there is. Want to know how your cup of coffee measures up? Check out coffee expert Michaele Weissman's tips to see how to judge your java.

Michaele Weissman's 10 Ways to Judge a Cup of Coffee:
1. The Scent
Our sense of smell is much more sensitive than our sense of taste. Anyone who has been captivated by the smell of coffee won't be surprised to learn that coffee releases more aromatic compounds than any other food. These should be pleasing aromas, but bad coffee may include onion-y and vegetable-y elements in its scent.

2. The First Sip
Try tasting each new coffee black. Nothing is wrong with milk and sugar, but they alter the taste and texture of the coffee. So, when learning about coffee, it's a good idea to take a few pure sips. Also, let it cool slightly to make the range of flavors in the cup more accessible.

3. Sweetness and Saltiness
Look for an underlying natural sweetness. That taste comes from the ripeness of the coffee cherry. Professional tasters rank sweetness as the most important taste characteristic of high-grade coffee. Coffee should never taste salty. Saltiness is caused by processing defects.

4. Acidity
Taste for a bright, light acidity that is pleasing. This is not to be confused with the stomach-churning acidity that you get, say, from coffee that has been sitting on an office hotplate for four hours.

5. Texture
A nice texture for coffee has a little thickness. It's not thin and watery. The last taste you experience with good coffee should be smooth, and there should be a pleasing, sweet aftertaste.

6. Fruits and Vegetables
Finding words to describe the interplay of what our taste buds detect (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory) isn't easy. Many of the world's most prized coffees, such as those from Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia, abound in flavors that are described as bright, lemony, orangey, berry-like, and floral. When the fruity flavors go bad, however, they can degenerate into vegetable tastes. Not so good. Who wants sautéed onions or steamed cauliflower in their coffee cup?

7. Spices
Exotic flavors that are spicy (think cinnamon and cloves), smoky, and woodsy can be desirable. Such tastes often appear in Indonesian coffees. In excess, they can be unpleasant.

8. Natural Sugar
Chocolaty, caramel-like, nutty, and toasty flavors come from the sugar browning that occurs during roasting. Latin American coffees at their best have lots of these yummy, warm, sweet notes. In lower quality coffees from Latin America (like some of the national brands you buy at the supermarket), this sugar browning can produce the sense of swallowing a mouthful of dry, bitter grain.

9. The Roast
Roasting can be light, medium, dark, or very dark. If you detect a burnt quality in a coffee, it may be a bad roast. In the U.S. there are regional differences in roasting. Companies from the Pacific Northwest tend toward darker roasts.

10. Espresso Notes
Espresso is made from a blend of coffees brewed under great pressure, using a large amount of coffee and a small amount of water. Espresso is dense and intense and can stand up to other flavorings. High quality espresso has just as complex a flavor range as brewed coffee. If you order an espresso in a café, the layer of reddish brown foam on the top, called the crema, should be thick and creamy, and you should be able to push it away from you with the back of a spoon. If you order a cappuccino, the milk foam should be thick, creamy, and sweet.

Tip: Knowing where your coffee comes from can help you pick one that will taste great to you. Latin American coffees tend to be chocolaty and mild. Coffees from east Africa tend to have a wake-up-your-mouth kind of perkiness that coffee pros call brightness. Coffees from Indonesia tend to be earthy, dark, and more intense.

Source : http://food.yahoo.com/blog/yahoofreshpicks/2418/10-ways-to-judge-good-and-bad-coffee

Kopi Tubruk Pantai Barat

2009-01-19T22:57:00.000-08:00

Ini ada artikel menarik ketika saya googling tentang kopi Aceh..

Indonesia memang kaya akan budaya.. termasuk budaya meminum kopi..

Source nya ada di bawah... selamat menikmati...

Terima kasih buat mas Isack Farady yg udah sharing...

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Kopi Tubruk Pantai Barat
Posted on October 25, 2007 by isackfarady

Srruurrrpppp…….. hmmm nikmat…

Sedikit cerita nih pas mudik kemarin, secara gw orang Meulaboh. Ada salah satu hal yang gw rasa menarik buat gw ceritain di diblog gw ini. Ini bisa gw bilang menarik kenapa, karena gw disini mau ngomong tentang minum kopi. Kalo orang Jepang boleh bangga dengan adat minum teh mereka nah orang Aceh boleh juga dong bangga dengan minum kopinya mereka hehehe…
Kalo yang kita tahu selama inikan minum kopi itukan ya kaya biasa, kopi diseduh lalu diminum secara biasa dan disajikan secara biasa seperti layaknya minum air putih ato minum susu pada biasanya. Nah kali ini gw mau kenalin yang namanya kopi tubruk, khas Aceh Barat. Kopi yang rasa, aroma yang dahsyat! dan yang lebih istimewanya lagi adalah cara penyajiannya. Gw saranin lo gak usah nyoba bikin deh soalnya bakal ribet kalo gak ngerti cara penyajiannya, aneh sih kalo gw bilang. hehehe…

Gw juga gak ngerti kenapa namanya kopi tubruk, yang jelas seahu gw tubruk itu bukan bahasa Aceh deh. Tapi whateverlah yang penting disini gw mau promosiin kopi kebanggan orang Aceh Barat hwahaha…

Kopi ini disajikan secara terbalik, lha kok bisa? ya bisa. lo liat aja gambar yang gw ambil pake poto hape gw tuh. Cara penyajiannya kopi dibalik ato gelasnya di telungkupkan ke piring. Nah sekatang posisi mulut gelas itu ada dibagian bawah gelas, bingung?

Jelasnya gw gak ngerti cara penyajiannya bisa jadi kaya gitu yang jelas konon kata orang sono kalo kopi itu akan lebih berasa nikmatnya biji kopi harus matang sempurna dan harus dengan air matang yangmendidih di 100derajat celcius lho, percaya ato gak yang jelas emang sih kopi bakal kerasa kopi kalo dalam cara penyeduhannya menggunakan air yang mendidih dari pada menggunakan air yang dari dispenser yang kayanya gak mendidih di titik didihnya air.

Bisa jadi juga dengan keadaan kaya gini, kopi di telungkupkan dan dibiarkan kebalik yang otomatis gak ada udara yang terlepas secara tuh kopi kan dalam keadaan tertutup ato tanpa udara sama kaya kopi yang gelasnya dikasi penutup gelas.

Dan kerennya lagi bubuk kopi yang digunakan itu adalah bubuk kopi khas aceh yang masih kasar, bayangin biji kopinya bisa segede biji jagung. Wah pokonya sedep banget dah nah cara minumnya juga khas, kopi diminum dengan cara meniupkan udara melalui sedotan kearah dalam gelas tapi ini harus hati-hati banget dalam meniupnya :p karena kalo salah-salah bisa tumpah tuh kopi kalo niupnya kekencengan, kacau kan?

Lebih baek lo kalo mau nyoba mending belajar dulu cara minumnya deh…

Wah kalo lo mau nyoba silahkan dateng aja ke Aceh pasti lo bisa temuin nih kopi, khususnya kalo lo dateng ke daerah pesisir pantai barat Aceh yang paling banyakmenyajikan kopi jenis ini. Gw aja ketagihan minum kopi ini, padahal gw gak doyan kopi lho. Tapi kalo udah kena kopi Aceh semua lewat dah… yang pantangan aja gw jabanin. hehehe…. dasar.

Source : http://isackfarady.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/kopi-tubruk-pantai-barat/#comment-215

Some Salt with Your Coffee? Taiwan's Hot Drink

2009-01-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

By Natalie Tso / Taipei

Chinese people like to eat foods that Westerners consider unusual, things like pig-blood cake and chicken-butt kebab, to name just a few popular snacks. So the introduction of salty coffee shouldn't be such a shocker. What difference, after all, can a few sprinkles of salt make to your morning cup of joe? The chefs at Taiwan's top coffeehouse, 85C Bakery Cafe, pondered that question for six months before they started serving sea-salt coffee, which became their best-selling drink following its December debut.

That's no small feat considering that 85°C (which is named for the ideal temperature at which to brew coffee) has surpassed Starbucks to become the biggest coffee chain in Taiwan. Founded five years ago by tea-shop owner Wu Cheng-hsueh, 85°C now has 325 stores in Taiwan and is expanding into China, Australia and the U.S. Wu first built the business by finding good beans: in 2004, he went to the source of Starbucks' most popular beans and persuaded the Guatemalan supplier to sell him virtually all its arabicas (sorry, megachain). Then he hired five-star hotel chefs to concoct fancy drinks and desserts that sell for about half the price of Starbucks'. (See the top 10 food trends of 2008.)

What inspired those chefs to come up with sea-salt coffee? According to spokeswoman Kathy Chung, it was the Taiwanese habit of sprinkling salt on fruits like pineapple and watermelon to bring out their sweetness. Salty coffee also makes sense in a place where shaved-ice desserts are topped with corn kernels and breads get slathered with sugary frosting and bits of pork. "Taiwanese are greedy," explains graphic designer Xena Wang, one of six friends who recently tried the drink for the first time. "We like to get all the tastes we can in one bite."

A striking palette of tastes and textures has long been a hallmark of Chinese cuisine (think sweet-and-sour soup), and this affinity for taste-bud workouts has carried over to trendy drinks. The countless drink stands that line Taiwanese streets flood the thirsty soul with endless variations of bubble teas, a.k.a. hot or cold teas with chewy tapioca balls and tropical juice blends. One popular combo, green tea with passion fruit, tapioca pearls and chewy coconut cubes, helps explain why 85°C's next coffee innovations will use panna cotta and fresh fruit.

Salty coffee may sound strange, but it isn't so much an acquired taste as it is sequential tasting. You're supposed to lick the salty foam to arouse your senses, then savor the sweet, creamy coffee. "Through the contrast of textures, you experience the saltiness and coffee at different times," says architect Jeff Lu of his first encounter with the drink. "It's a multisensual experience that works."
After sea-salt coffee spent two weeks as the best-selling drink at 85°C outlets in Taiwan, the company is sending the flavor combo to its China branches. If it's a hit there, Chung says, this cup of Taiwanese sophistication may be exported to the West too. Could salty Frappuccinos be far behind?

Source: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1871635,00.html?imw=Y

Kopi Tubruk – Mud Coffee

2009-01-13T00:18:00.000-08:00

Kopi tubruk literally means “collision coffee”. The concoction can be found in many parts of Indonesia, particularly in Java and Bali. Sources say kopi tubruk stems from a similar recipe brought over by traders from the Middle East, where it is known as “mud coffee.” Kopi tubruk is the simplest recipe for preparing coffee. To make a cup, one needs to add two teaspoons of ground coffee and sugar according to one’s taste.

Next, pour in boiling water, and let it “cook” the coffee for a while until most of the grounds have settled to the bottom according to Evi Mariani.

Some say kopi tubruk needs finely ground coffee, while others prefer coarsely ground. Most Indonesians, however, buy the common coffee brands from any given warung (locale store).
Devotees say the key to proper kopi tubruk is in the water. Hot water from water dispensers is often not hot enough to cook the coffee grounds. Uncooked grounds will remain floating on the surface.

Variants of kopi tubruk include kopi susu (milk coffee), in which one adds sweetened condensed milk. A less common variant involves mixing the coffee with avocado juice.

Many Indonesians enjoy the drink with sweet snacks, including pisang goreng (fried banana).
People advise against swallowing the remaining grounds at the bottom. Although there have been no reports of health related issues, many find the intensely bitter taste unpleasant.

Another tip, don’t reuse the grounds to make a second cup.Traditionally in villages, the drink is considered a male privilege. Nevertheless, over time, more and more women have come to enjoy it too.

It is recommended to sip kopi tubruk, and munch an accompanying snack, while enjoying the comfort of your front porch in the company of friends and family as the afternoon rain comes down.

Source: http://www.indonesialogue.com/destinations/kopi-tubruk-â-mud-coffee.html

Are You Addicted to Coffee?

2009-01-07T05:03:00.000-08:00

Tips for Coffee Drinkers
By renee

That might sound like a very strange statement, since most people do not think of coffee as an addiction. But it really is possible to get addicted to coffee. More than likely you are addicted to the caffeine. Most people are usually exhausted and just do not get the proper amount of sleep each night. Because of this they tend to drink enormous amounts of coffee throughout the day. If you try to tell someone that they may be drinking to much coffee, they will usually respond the same way that any addict would. How can you tell if someone is addicted to coffee?

Well one of the first things is that they will get very irritable if they do not have their coffee at a specific time each day. Even if they already had a cup a few hours ago they will begin to display some of the following symptoms. Their hands make begin to shake, they can fell very exhausted, they may also start to get very bad migraine headaches. According to many doctors a lot of migraine headaches are caused by drinking to much caffeine.

If you find that you are drinking more than two cups of coffee per day, and that you get very cranky if you do not have your coffee, then you have a serious problem. Many people feel that it is just a little caffeine and it is not drugs so what is the problem. The problem is that you are slowly cutting your life short.

You may not currently have any type of health problems, but if you continue to drink large amounts of coffee you will find that you are getting more and more health problems. Some doctors feel that drinking too much coffee is very similar to smoking cigarettes. The only difference is that you are not killing or harming anyone else by drinking coffee. Unless you are pregnant then you are harming someone else. To try and find out if you are addicted to coffee if you are not sure, you could try a test.

First get rid of all the coffee in your house. Then try to not drink coffee for just one day, and make a note of any symptoms that you may display. You will be surprised at how miserable you feel just because you did not have your daily cup of coffee.

Weaning yourself off of coffee is a lot harder than most people think. Once you are addicted to the caffeine it can take months to be able to stop drinking it so often, or even to stop drinking it at all. There is certainly nothing wrong with having one cup a day, but this really should be your limit. I have several friends and associates who are coffee addicts, and still find it impossible to stop drinking coffee. Also if you have been drinking large amounts of coffee for more than a year, than you will will want to visit your doctors office as soon as possible. Your health may not be as good as you think it is.

How to Get a Job at Starbucks

2008-11-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

Tips for the Starbucks Application and Interview Process
By Elizabeth Burrus

So, you want to work at Starbucks but just don't know how to land that job? It's a lot easier than some people think. Stick to these rules, and you'll be a shoo-in.

First of all, you want to make a good impression with the manager. Call ahead of time and find out when they will be in the store, and go in to ask for an application. Even if you know where the stack of applications are, act like you don't so that you have to ask for one directly. Smile a lot and make sure you order a drink. Don't worry if you lose this application- you can print as many as you want off of the Starbucks website. You are only picking one up at the store for show.

Make sure that you attach a resume to the application. It will separate you from all of the other people trying to get in who don't have one, and will almost always assure you that first interview.

Don't think that just because you have never worked before, you can't have a resume. All you need to do is play up your qualifications and achievements (whether they were in school or extracurricular ones). You can find many guides online on how to do this. Make sure that you include plenty of bullet points on how loyal and motivated you are, how you love to make someone's day, and that you are a skilled memorizer and multitasker. Also note that you like to learn and are a patient and fair leader. If you are none of these things, then you probably won't like the job much. Always include references, even if it's just a teacher or friend who knows your work ethic. You don't necessarily need to apply to multiple Starbucks to maximize your opportunities of working there since managers often share applications between stores. Keep in mind that open availability is a huge plus on an application, and may just be the thing to make or break your chances of working there.

Some people recommend turning the application in directly to the manager. I didn't personally do this because it made me feel cheesy and like I was stalking them. I think that you should choose to either pick up the application from them or drop it off to them, but not both. It's your call though. The goal is to show an interest in the job and a flash of your upbeat and determined personality directly to big guns upstairs without making him/her think you're a creep.

It may take up to a month for them to respond. Starbucks managers and assistant managers are very busy, and they can sometimes misplace your application. If they don't call you within a month, apply to a different Starbucks or find other work. They do not call you if you don't get an interview.

If you are contacted to set up your first interview, always say yes to whatever time they ask you to come in. Even if you have a family reunion or other important event, cancel it. If they ask what time you would like to come in, say, "whatever is best for you- my schedule is very open".

If you turn down their time, they will think that you will do this when they will actually need you at the job. Even if they set up an interview with you after you have already turned down a time, it will remain in the back of their minds and possibly destroy your chances of working there.

Arrive 12 minutes early for the interview. Make sure that you are not over or under dressed. Business attire, no matter what anyone tells you, is NOT appropriate for a Starbucks interview.

Some people will claim that you should wear the Starbucks uniform (pants and a collared shirt), but this is absolutely considered underdressed attire for most managers, especially if you are female. If you re a girl, wear either a casual dress or a skirt with a nice blouse. Hair can be up or down. Most suggest wearing it up, but do what you are most comfortable with (I wore mine down). If you are a guy, try to avoid jeans, and don't wear a shirt with writing on it. When you get to the interview location, go up to the counter and kindly say, " Hi, I'm here for a (enter time) interview". They will probably ask your name and make you a free drink (which you should accept) before they alert the manager of your arrival. Have a seat and relax. Make sure that you are nice to everyone who works there, not just the shift manager, because they might put in a bad word for you if you are rude.

When the manager comes out, stand up, shake their hand, and smile. Be very polite and say that it's nice to meet them/ask how their day is. If you are nervous, say that you are. They probably are a little bit too! The interview will probably be at a table, and they are usually scheduled at a time when very few people are in the shop.

The interview questions will probably follow a "tell me about a time when such and such happened and how you handled it" format. If a question catches you off guard, say, "Hm, I'll have to think about that" or, "that's a good question.. hmm" if you are unsure of the answer.

Make sure you come up with something, and try to avoid saying, "I don't know/I've never experienced that". If you have an experience similar to one they are asking you about, try to link a question over to that, but only use this as a second-to-last resort if you really have nothing.
Example:

Question: What was a time when you upset a customer, and how did you handle it? Answer: Well, I never exactly upset someone as far as I could tell, but I once gave someone another person's order. I just offered to let them keep it for free, apologized for the inconvenience, and corrected the order in half the time.

This is very important: The manager will probably ask you how you view friendships between coworkers. Keep in mind that managers are usually young and in their twenties, so they don't want someone to work for them who is a robot. They want to hear that you can stay focused on work and make friendships in the workplace at the same time. They don't want someone who is boring. Try not to have lengthy answers. They have work to get back to.

At the end they will ask if you have any questions for them. This is what I asked: 1) Do I need to wear my hair above my shoulders? 2) How many hours might I expect to work per week if I get the job?, and 3) What is your favorite thing about working for Starbucks?

When the interview is over, thank the interviewer for their time, continue being kind to the staff, and leave. If you are told that you will be contacted within x amount of time (usually 1 week), then wait. It is common for the manager to be busy and forget to call you. If they haven't contacted you by when they said they would, call them the next day. Just because you are not called does not mean that you did not get the job! They are just extremely busy people, and they will like that you took the initiative and contacted them.

There is usually a second interview, but no more than two. If the first interviewer has no room at their store but liked you, they will talk to managers at other stores and try to get you a second interview there. Make sure that you are open to working at any location within 8 miles of your home for this very reason. The second interview will be much like the first, and usually means that you will get the job, even if it's at a different location. Just relax and be friendly- never forget to smile. You may also want to send a thank you note to your interviewers for taking the time out to see you.

Ultimately, you must be really friendly and have open availability. You should say that you can work holidays and that you don't mind picking up someone else's shift. If you can handle it, you might be able to get a lot of work hours in. Don't trust people who say you can only work 15 hours/week at Starbucks. Most people in that position have school or other obligations, so have to abide by their shift and their shift only. If a Starbucks is really that packed with employees, you can always find a more needy location. If you need to pick up more hours, try http://www.havemyshift.com/ .

Are you currently working on any Cafe or Coffee House ?? If yes, kindly post a comment on why are you interested in looking for a job on Starbucks ?(opinion poll)

Drinking lots of Coffee reduces risk of Cancer in Womb

2008-09-16T20:59:00.001-07:00

Women who drink a lot of coffee have less chance of contracting cancer of the womb, according to the Japanese Health Ministry which conducted a study on 45 thousand women between the ages of 40 and 69. The research lasted 15 years and 117 women died from cancer of the womb. The researchers of the Japanese National Cancer Centre divided the woman into four groups on the basis of their caffeine intake and discovered that those who drank more than three cups of coffee a day had a 60% less chance of developing tumours in the uterus compared to those who drank coffee less than two times a week.

Coffee can reduce insulin levels and reduce the risk of cancer?, explained the researchers. The tem of doctors also examined the effects of green tea on health but found that it had no bearing on the chances of developing cancer in the womb, the fourth most common cancer among women.

There's an art to making Greek coffee

2008-09-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

By JOYCE SÁENZ HARRIS / The Dallas Morning News
jharris@dallasnews.com

Making Greek coffee isn't a matter of switching on a coffee machine.

To indulge in this centuries-old social tradition, you first need a briki, a small, deep, long-handled pot with a lip, made of brass, copper or (more commonly nowadays) stainless steel. In Greek families, vintage brikis often are cherished heirlooms. New pots are inexpensive – usually $15 or less for a 5-cup stainless-steel briki, but many are smaller and make two or four demitasse cups.
You'll need special Greek coffee, which is so finely ground that it's called pulverized or stone-ground. Aroma, Loumidis, Bravo and Venizelos are popular brands.

Balance coffee and sugar to your taste. Then cook the coffee three times without letting it come to a boil. Technique is involved, and there's no shortcut.

You may as well spend two bucks for a 4-ounce cup of Greek coffee at whichever festival you attend. You can be sure the person making it is not an amateur.

SOURCES: Tom Fox, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church; Mike Molhoek and George Bogordos, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, Euless.

Source : http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/taste/howtos/stories/DN-nf_greekcoffee_0917liv.ART.State.Edition1.4c1798a.html

Coffee may lower risk of uterus cancer: Japan study

2008-09-09T03:49:00.000-07:00

TOKYO (AFP) — Women who drink a lot of coffee may have less risk of developing cancer of the uterus, a Japanese study said Monday.

The study led by Japan's health ministry monitored some 54,000 women aged 40 to 69 over about 15 years, during which time 117 women developed cancer in the womb, according to the medical team.

The researchers at Japan's National Cancer Center divided the women into four groups by the amount of coffee they drank.

They found the group of women who drank more than three cups of coffee every day were more than 60 percent less likely to develop uterine cancer than those who had coffee fewer than two times a week, the study said.

"Coffee may have effects in lowering insulin levels, possibly curbing the risks of developing womb cancer," the study said.

The medical team also studied the effects of drinking green tea, but did not find any link to uterine cancer.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, uterine cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women.

Source : http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hw0UZWGop29LLIS70woKWtASN0qw

Does coffee go right through you? (plus 4 more caffeine facts)

2008-09-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

By LESLIE GARCIA
The Dallas Morning News

Mmmm. Can’t get enough of that caffeine! We like our caffeine, specifically in coffee, so much surely it’s gotta be bad for us.

Well, yes and no. Here are some of coffee’s contradictions.

1 The diuretic dilemma. Does coffee make you tinkle more? Not necessarily. Studies reviewed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that people who consumed beverages with 550 caffeine grams or less produced no more urine than when they drank the same amount of noncaffeinated beverages.

2 The heart-disease head-scratcher. Is caffeine’s stimulant effect a danger for heart patients, especially those who also have high blood pressure?
A couple of studies show otherwise, including the Iowa Women’s Healthy Study. Among 27,000 women followed for 15 years, those who drank one to three cups of coffee daily reduced their risk of heart disease by 24 percent.

3 The cancer conundrum. An international review of 66 studies last year showed coffee had little if any effect on developing kidney or pancreatic cancer. Plus a study of 59,000 women in Sweden found no connection between caffeine consumption and breast cancer.

4 The high blood pressure brouhaha. Yes, caffeine produces a slight temporary rise in blood pressure. But when 155,000 nurses were studied, those who didn’t drink coffee were no more likely than those who did to develop hypertension.

5 The weight-loss letdown. The good news: Caffeine speeds up metabolism; 100 milligrams help burn an extra 75 to 100 calories a day. The bad? In a 12-year study of 58,000 health-care professionals, those who increased caffeine consumption, alas, gained weight.

Source: The New York Times

Japanese study: Smell the coffee and wake up

2008-08-26T02:45:00.000-07:00

New Scientist Magazine
August 12, 2008

Drinking a cup of coffee can wake you up, but perhaps a whiff of java is enough to reverse the effects of sleep deprivation on the brain.

A team led by Yoshinori Masuo at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan, deprived rats of sleep for a day. When they examined their brains, they found reduced levels of mRNA - messenger molecules that indicate when a gene is being expressed - for 11 genes important to brain function. When the rats were exposed to the aroma of coffee, the mRNA for nine of the genes was restored to near normal levels, and pushed to above normal levels for two.

We don't know if the same genes are suppressed in sleep-deprived humans, but many of these genes do have human equivalents. So the team says gene suppression may help explain why people feel bad when they haven't had enough sleep - and that gene reactivation could explain why people love the smell of coffee.

The team hopes to identify molecules in the coffee aroma that affect gene expression. They suggest pumping them into factories to help revive tired workers who can't sip coffee while operating machinery.

Coffee Break

2008-08-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

A coffee break is a daily social gathering for a snack and short downtime practiced by employees in business and industry. The term was popularized in America and invented by the Pan American Coffee Bureau in 1952, but has become universal in the modern world and is employed whether or not participants are actually drinking coffee. It corresponds with the Commonwealth terms elevenses, morning tea, tea break, or even just tea. However the term coffee break is increasingly used even in those countries. An afternoon coffee break, or afternoon tea, is sometimes had as well.

The coffee break is said to have originated in the late 1800s in Stoughton, Wisconsin by the wives of Norwegian immigrants. The city celebrates this every year with the Stoughton Coffee Break Festival. However, the term was popularized by a Pan-American Coffee Bureau ad campaign which urged consumers, "Give yourself a Coffee-Break — and Get What Coffee Gives to You."

Coffee breaks usually last 10–20 minutes and frequently occur at the end of the first third of the work shift. In some companies and some civil service, the coffee break may be observed formally at a set hour; in some places a "cart" with hot and cold beverages and cakes, breads and pastries arrives at the same time morning and afternoon, or an employer may contract with an outside caterer for daily service.

The break is often held away from the actual work area in a designated cafeteria, tea room or outdoor area. As well as a chance for sustenance, it is a time for gossip and small talk, or a time to smoke a cigarette (thus the alternate term "smoke break"). It is a chance to wind down slightly and "regroup" for the remaining day's work. In Australia and New Zealand this break from work, particularly manual work, is also called smoko.

More generally, "coffee break" is used to denote any break from work in any arena; housewives are often portrayed in popular culture as taking a coffee break in their kitchens.

In some companies a mock carpet rule is used in order to remind colleagues not to discuss work in the tea room.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_break

Old Man Kopitiam

2008-08-08T05:29:00.001-07:00

I think the Old Man is genius... using the image-like of famous Coffee Shop...

The like also found in Indonesia with such...

====================================

Old Man Kopitiam Posted on 06 August 2008 by claudia

So I was hanging out in that Ampang Jaya Petronas station opposite ISKL last night. Well, not around the curb beside some motorbikes per se, I was in Craven Cafe okay. Anyway, as I normally do, I was zoning out quite a fair bit when my eyes stumbled upon a familiarly foreign logo.

Old Man Kopitiam. How strange I thought - that sign looks just like the Starbucks layout. That called for a secret private investigation! So up the stairs I ran to search for the random, peculiar rip off.

And there it was, looking exactly like a Starbucks outlet (minus the lone baby chair on standby in the front). So I grabbed a seat, and asked for a menu. Strangely enough, it embodied the layout and options that of Old Town's, white coffee, roti bakar, nasi lemak special and all. It did have the minor additions of sirap limau ais and several mamak staples though.

And that got me thinking. First came the invasion of the Starbucks nation, only to be penetrated by Old Town White Coffee outlets. Is Old Man Kopitiam the no man's land? The merge in between that will link all kopi lovers together? Or is it just a joke?

Coffee Roast

2008-07-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

Everyday alchemy, coffee roasting coaxes golden flavor from a bland bean. Unroasted beans boast all of coffee’s acids, protein, and caffeine—but none of its taste. It takes heat to spark the chemical reactions that turn carbohydrates and fats into aromatic oils, burn off moisture and carbon dioxide, and alternately break down and build up acids, unlocking the characteristic coffee flavor.

A note on flavor: Describing the tastes of different roasts is as subjective as putting a wine into words. In both cases there’s no substitute for your own personal taste, so sample away! (Many descriptions below are based on Kevin Knox and Julie Sheldon Huffaker’s Coffee Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide.)

LIGHT

Aliases: Cinnamon roast, half city, New England
Roaster Watch: After about seven minutes the beans “pop” and double in size, and light roasting is achieved. American mass-market roasters typically stop here.
Surface: Dry
Flavor: Light-bodied and somewhat sour, grassy, and snappy

MEDIUM

Aliases: Full city, American, regular, breakfast, brown
Roaster Watch: At nine to eleven minutes the beans reach this roast, which U.S. specialty sellers tend to prefer.
Surface: Dry
Flavor: A bit sweeter than light roast; full body balanced by acid snap, aroma, and complexity

DARK

Aliases: High, Viennese, French, Continental
Roaster Watch: After 12 to 13 minutes the beans begin hissing and popping again, and oils rise to the surface. Roasters from the U.S. Northwest generally remove the beans at this point.
Surface: Slightly shiny
Flavor: Somewhat spicy; complexity is traded for rich chocolaty body, aroma is exchanged for sweetness

DARKEST

Aliases: Italian, espresso
Roaster Watch: After 14 minutes or so the beans grow quiet and begin to smoke. Having carmelized, the bean sugars begin to carbonize.
Surface: Very oily
Flavor: Smokey; tastes primarily of roasting, not of the inherent flavor of the bean

How do you take yours??

2008-07-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

“Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.” That’s the recipe for coffee, according to the utterly French statesman Talleyrand (1754-1838).

Across the Channel the British took a more, well, British approach to coffee cookery: Seventeenth-century diarist Samuel Pepys wrote of Londoners larding their coffee with butter, mustard, oatmeal, and ale.

Today’s choices, though arguably more appetizing, are no less confounding: Automatic drip or French press? Ground or whole bean? Fiery or frosty? Regular or unleaded? Americano, cappuccino, espresso, macchiato, mocha, or latte?

How do you take yours? An average joe just doesn’t cut it anymore, so share what it takes to make the perfect cup.

Indonesia to deploy inline skating police officers to overcome notorious Jakarta traffic jams

2008-07-09T04:31:00.000-07:00

I found this news interesting... after a "Busway Phenomenon"... we now have "In-Line Skating Phenomenon"... though i haven't seen it YET until today... i'm quiet expecting it though...

Jeff

=======================

Indonesia to deploy inline skating police officers to overcome notorious Jakarta traffic jams
The Associated Press
Published: June 20, 2008

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Indonesia is rolling out a new weapon in its battle against gridlock: traffic police on inline skates.

The idea is that officers will be able to reach traffic jams in the capital Jakarta quicker than by car or motorbike, the Koran Tempo daily reported. Once there, they will be able to direct vehicles to get the city's traffic flow moving again.

The city's top traffic cop Dua Sutirto said the force had hired a professional inline skater to teach the team of 20 officers before it is deployed on July 1.

"Most of the men are young and fast," Sutirto was quoted as saying.

Jakarta suffers from some of the worst traffic jams in Asia and it remains to be seen what effect — if any — the inline skating police team will have on the problem.

Jakarta is slowly rolling out a network of dedicated bus lanes, but it is still desperately short of buses, while attempts to enforce carpooling have been ineffective.

Traffic police in Jakarta have a reputation for laziness and often demand bribes from motorists to ignore minor or imaginary violations. The city's 12 million residents generally hold them in low regard.

World's Priciest Coffee

2008-07-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

I just can't believe it that they manage to breed "Luwak" outside Indonesia... or at least there are other foreign country which producing Kopi Luwak...

i just thought that Luwak is only exist in Indonesia.. and that makes us Unique among any Coffee Exporter Country...

Jeff

========================================

From the Belly of a Beast: Marsupials Get First Taste of World's Priciest Coffee
By Aline Sullivan
Published: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1999

IS THERE A COFFEE snob on your shopping list? Someone who spurns local lattes? Who would rather abstain than imbibe an instant brew? Test their dedication with a gift of Kopi Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee at dollars 75 per quarter pound (500 grams) unroasted, and, probably, the only one that is consumed twice.

Kopi Luwak is made from beans found in the feces of the ultimate coffee snobs: small Indonesian marsupials known as paradoxurines.

Their ability to select some of the choicest coffee beans from Java, Sulawesi and Sumatra inspires local collectors to retrieve the beans after they have been, well, processed. Once roasted, ground and brewed, the result is a rich, dark coffee with a caramel flavor that some aficionados swear is slightly hallucinogenic, thanks to the addition of enzymes in the stomach of the paradoxurines.

Not surprisingly, Kopi Luwak is difficult to find. For the squeamish, it also may be difficult to swallow. Shoppers looking for something a bit fresher but almost equally exotic should consider beans from another remote corner of the world.

The island of St. Helena (yes, that St. Helena) in the South Atlantic produces about four tons of coffee a year. It costs dollars 16 to dollars 18 per pound green, or unroasted, and dollars 28 to dollars 30 per pound roasted.

The St. Helena plantation is run by an Englishman, David Henry, who, along with his backers at East India Co. (yes, that East India Co.), hope to boost sales as much as tenfold in the next five years and restore the coffee's reputation to that it enjoyed in the days of the island's most famous resident, the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte.

General Henri Gatien Bertrand's account of Napoleon's death in 1821 was quite a testimonial to the brew: "Tears came to my eyes at the sight of this man, who had inspired such awe, who had given orders so proudly and positively, pleading now for a little spoonful of coffee, begging permission like a child."

In comparison, the fabled Blue Mountain coffee of Jamaica looks mundane. But at about dollars 18 per pound roasted, it is pricier than such other premium beans as Hawaiian Kona at dollars 12 per pound, Puerto Rico Yauco Selecto at dollars 6 per pound, Costa Rica's best at dollars 4 and ordinary Colombian at dollars 2.50 per pound.

Blue Mountain is, say hundreds of enthusiasts, well worth the cost. Its classic, rich flavor and full body make it the most sought-after, if not the most exotic, coffee in the world.

For information about buying coffees:
KOPI LUWAK. Baarnhouwer & Co. Telephone: 31 7 56 31 02 02.
In North America, contact M.P. Mountanos (green coffee only). Telephone: 1 800 229 1611. Web site: http://www.mpmountanos.com/
ST. HELENA. Blaser & Wolthers Speciality Coffee Co. Telephone: 1 305 374 7111. Fax: 1 305 374 4020 e-mail: bwcoffee@worldnet.att.net Web site: http://www.bendzcoffee.com/
BLUE MOUNTAIN. Caribbean Place. Telephone: 1 305 380 0826, or, toll-free in North America, 1 800 692-8742. Web site: www.caribplace.com/foods/wallen.htm e-mail: colland@caribplace.com.
JAMAICA BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE. e-mail: info@bluemountaincoffee.com Web site: www.bluemountaincoffee.com/

Source : http://www.iht.com/articles/1999/12/18/mcafe.2.t.php

Women's Secret of Long Living

2008-06-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

Coffee Drinkers Might Live Longer. For women, especially, the brew could boost heart health, study finds

Posted June 16, 2008

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) - Good news for coffee lovers: Drinking up to six cups a day of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee daily won't shorten your life span, a new study shows.

In fact, coffee might even help the heart, especially for women, the researchers found.

"Our results suggest that long-term, regular coffee consumption does not increase the risk of death and probably has several beneficial effects on health," said lead researcher Dr. Esther Lopez-Garcia, assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Autonoma University in Madrid, Spain.

Her team published its findings in the June 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Lopez-Garcia stressed that the findings may only hold true only for healthy folk. "People with any disease or condition should ask their doctor about their risk, because caffeine still has an acute effect on short-term increase of blood pressure," she said.

In the study, the Spanish team looked at the relationships between coffee drinking and the risks of dying from heart disease, cancer, or any cause in almost 42,000 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and more than 84,000 women who had participated in the Nurses' Health Study. At the study start, all participants were free of heart disease and cancer.

The participants completed questionnaires every two to four years, including information about their coffee drinking, other dietary habits, smoking and health conditions. The research team looked at the frequency of death from any cause, death due to heart disease, and death due to cancer among people with different coffee-drinking habits, comparing them to those who didn't drink the brew. They also controlled for other risk factors, including diet, smoking and body size.

The researchers found that women who drank two or three cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 25 percent lower risk of death from heart disease during the follow-up (from 1980 to 2004) than non-drinkers. Women also had an 18 percent lower death risk from a cause other than cancer or heart disease compared with non-coffee drinkers.

For men, drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily was a "wash" -- not associated with either an increased or a decreased risk of death during the follow up, from 1986 to 2004.

The lower death rate was mainly due to a lower risk for heart disease deaths, the researchers found, while no link was discovered for coffee drinking and cancer deaths. The relationship did not seem to be directly related to caffeine, according to the researchers, since those who drank decaf also had a lower death rate than those who didn't drink either kind of coffee.

In the past, studies have come up with mixed results on the health effects of coffee, with some finding coffee increased the risk of death and others not.

More recently, research has found coffee drinking linked with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers, and preventing the development of cardiovascular disease, Lopez-Garcia said.

The strength of her current study, she said, includes the large number of participants and long follow-up period.

While the study is interesting, it does have its shortcomings, said Dr. Peter Galier, an internal medicine specialist, former chief of staff at Santa Monica UCLA and Orthopedic Hospital and associate professor of medicine at the University of California Los Angeles' David Geffen School of Medicine.

Self-reporting is one shortcoming, he said, because people may have under- or over-reported their coffee consumption, for instance.

"I think what this study tells us is not so much that coffee is the answer to everything," he said. But, rather, that some compounds, such as the antioxidants found in coffee, may be healthy.

Galier's advice for consumers: "I would tell them to weigh the subjective risk of their coffee consumption," he said. For instance, "if they love coffee, but it makes them jittery, and they can't sleep, the need to adjust it," he said. "Look at your symptoms," he tells patients. "If decaf is no problem, I wouldn't put a limit on that."

The research was funded by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Source : http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/06/16/coffee-drinkers-might-live-longer.html

Coffee Drinkers Might Live Longer

2008-06-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

June 17, 2008 02:22 PM ET | Deborah Kotz

I'm sure the folks at Starbucks are rejoicing at yesterday's headlines announcing that "coffee drinkers might live longer." Women who drank more than six cups of coffee a day were found to have a 17 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses over 24 years of follow-up compared with those who drank less than one cup a month. My editor had a big smile on her face when she heard this news and happily told me that she downs eight cups of freshly brewed coffee every morning before she comes to work. Though I hate to burst her bubble, I have to point out that women who drank four to five cups per day actually had better protection: a 26 percent lower risk of dying.

Being a two-cup-a-day person myself, I think the findings of this study are more reassuring than life altering. The researchers carefully phrased their conclusion that "regular coffee consumption was not associated with an increased mortality rate" and that evidence of modest benefits needs to be studied further. Certainly, women shouldn't add coffee to their list of nutritious foods that they have to get more of. After all, male coffee drinkers in the study didn't enjoy a lower death rate, and too much caffeine can cause temporary increases in blood pressure—not good for those with hypertension or heart disease.

JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital, agrees. "The evidence isn't up to the level where people should be encouraged to take up coffee drinking for the purpose of improving their health." She's one of the researchers on the Nurses' Health Study, which provided the data for the current study, and notes that it simply observed the lifestyle habits of people rather than randomly giving coffee to some and not to others. "It's quite possible that people who drink coffee regularly drink less of other beverages like sugar-sweetened sodas, so it's really open to question as to whether these are direct benefits from the coffee itself."

Pregnant women also need to be wary of how much coffee they drink. Studies have flip-flopped over whether caffeine can cause miscarriages, but one compelling finding that my colleague Ben Harder blogged about in January suggests that drinking as little as 200 milligrams of caffeine a day—equivalent to about two cups of brewed coffee—doubles the rate of miscarriages. Many experts advise pregnant women to abstain from coffee if they can or at least to limit consumption to about one cup a day.

But coffee certainly never earned its "sinful food" reputation either. A growing body of research has shown that, like tea, coffee packs a wallop of antioxidants that can protect against diseases like diabetes, Parkinson's, gallstones, and some cancers, as U.S. News previously reported. And an April study found that small amounts of caffeine could help counteract the increased Alzheimer's disease risk found in those with high cholesterol levels. Though caffeine has been linked to bone loss in elderly women, additional findings show that this poses a problem only for those who don't get enough calcium.

"I think the bottom line is that coffee is not deleterious to health and may even have some health benefits," Manson says. "For those who are regular coffee drinkers, that's good to know."

Source : http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2008/6/17/coffee-drinkers-might-live-longer.html

The Coffee Song - Frank Sinatra

2008-06-17T00:57:00.000-07:00

(Bob Hilliard, Dick Milles)

[Recorded December 20, 1960, Los Angeles]

Way down among Brazilians
Coffee beans grow by the billions
So they've got to find those extra cups to fill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil

You can't get cherry soda
'cause they've got to fill that quota
And the way things are I'll bet they never will
They've got a zillion tons of coffee in Brazil

No tea or tomato juice
You'll see no potato juice
'cause the planters down in Santos all say "No, no, no"

The politician's daughter
Was accused of drinkin' water
And was fined a great big fifty dollar bill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil

[instrumental break]

You date a girl and find out later
She smells just like a percolator
Her perfume was made right on the grill
Why, they could percolate the ocean in Brazil

And when their ham and eggs need savor
Coffee ketchup gives 'em flavor
Coffee pickles way outsell the dill
Why, they put coffee in the coffee in Brazil

No tea, no tomato juice
You'll see no potato juice
The planters down in Santos all say "No, no, no"

So you'll add to the local color
Serving coffee with a cruller
Dunkin' doesn't take a lot of skill
They've got an awful lot of coffee
An awful lot of coffee
Man, they got a gang of coffee in Brazil!!

Singapore Kopitiam Coffee and Tea

2008-06-15T01:55:00.000-07:00

These are names of beverages you might found on Singapore Kopitiam...
hhmmm... miss those days...

Coffee

Kopi, coffee
Kopi-gau, coffee (strong brew)
Kopi-C, coffee with evaporated milk
Kopi-C-kosong, coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar
Kopi-O, coffee with sugar only
Kopi-O-kosong, coffee without sugar or milk
Kopi-O-kosong-gau, a strong brew of coffee without sugar or milk
Kopi-bing or Kopi-ice, coffee with milk, sugar and ice
Kopi-xiu-dai, coffee with less sugar
Kopi-gah-dai, coffee with extra sweetened milk

Tea

Teh, tea with milk and sugar
Teh-C, tea with evaporated milk
Teh-C-kosong, tea with evaporated milk and no sugar
Teh-O, tea with sugar only
Teh-O-kosong, plain tea without milk or sugar

Teh-Tarik, the Malay tea described above
Teh-halia, tea with ginger water
Teh-bing, tea with ice, also known as Teh-ice
Teh-xiu-dai, tea with less sugar
Teh-gah-dai, tea with extra sweetened milk

The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-bing" suffix to form other variations such as Teh-C-bing (tea with evaporated milk with ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather.

These names are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore as they are formed by words from different languages, and have become part of the lexicon of Singlish. For example, teh is the Malay word for tea which itself originated from Hokkien, bing is the Hokkien word for ice, kosong is the Malay word for zero to indicate no sugar, and C refers to Carnation, a brand of evaporated milk.

Kopi Luwak, Rp 1 Juta Secangkir

2008-05-30T03:52:00.000-07:00

Getty Images

Musang (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) memanjat pohon.

Kompas
Kamis, 10 April 2008 17:14 WIB

LONDON, KAMIS - Bertanyalah kepada orang Inggris, kopi apa paling mahal di dunia, maka bangsa peminum teh itu akan menjawab kopi yang diambil dari kotoran musang. Anggapan ini mungkin sama dengan masyarakat tradisional Indonesia.

Mengapa termahal? Di Inggris kopi yang bekas dimakan musang (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) dan keluar lagi bersama kotorannya itu dijual dengan harga 50 poundsterling atau hampir Rp 1 juta. Demikian dilaporkan Daily Mail dalam situs internetnya, Kamis (10/4).

Mungkin ketika mendengar asal kopi itu, penikmatnya akan gemetar. Namun bagi kafe Peter Jones, itulah yang membuat kopi itu juara. Kafe di Sloane Square itu menjual espresso, Americano dan latte dengan biji kopi itu mulai April.

Mau tahu dari mana Jones mendapatkan bahan baku yang akan membuat kafenya terkenal itu? Ia membeli 60 paket eksklusif campuran Jamaica Blue Mountain dan Kopi Luwak dari Indonesia. Biji kopi ini termasuk langka, karena dipanen kurang dari 200 kg per tahun.

Diyakini, luwak (musang dalam bahasa Jawa) itu bisa memilih biji kopi terbaik berdasarkan nalurinya. Mereka memilih biji yang lembut dan memakannya, tetapi hanya bagian luarnya yang bisa dicerna, sedangkan sisanya dibuang bersama kotoran. Cairan kotoran itulah yang diyakini memperkaya cita rasa kopi luwak itu.

Sekarang, para pelanggan Jones bisa merasakan sendiri sensasi kopi luwak itu. Sedangkan semua keuntungan dari penjualannya akan disumbangkan untuk penderita kanker.

Salah satu pelanggan Jones, Hannah Silver (23) mengatakan, "Saya sebenarnya agak khawatir sebelum mencoba, tetapi ternyata saya sangat suka. Agak berasa tanah dan sangat lembut."

SAS

Source : http://www.kompas.com/index.php/read/xml/2008/04/10/1714493/kopi.luwak.rp.1.juta.secangkir

Kopi, Bukan Hanya untuk Begadang

2008-05-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

Kompas

Minggu, 27 April 2008 | 01:40 WIB

Arbain Rambey

Sore itu di sebuah kafe yang khusus menjual kopi mutu tinggi di bilangan Kemang Utara, Jakarta Selatan, sembilan pria dan wanita melakukan kegiatan yang mungkin terlihat aneh di mata awam.

Secara kasatmata mereka memang minum kopi, artinya di depan orang-orang itu tersedia kopi yang siap minum. Tetapi, mereka tidak meminum langsung cairan dalam gelas yang mereka pegang. Ada kegiatan yang mendahului acara minum kopi itu: mencium-cium bubuk kopi dalam kantong kertas, lalu menulis sesuatu pada formulir yang disediakan.

Di atas meja bukan cuma seduhan kopi yang tersedia, tetapi juga aneka biji dan bubuk kopi, juga beberapa gelas seduhan kopi sekaligus untuk satu peminum

Kemudian, tidak selazimnya orang minum, mereka hanya mengecap sedikit, mengecap-kecapkan lidah, lalu menggoyang-goyangkan lidah, dan kemudian mencatat lagi di kertas yang disediakan.

"Kami melakukan cupping. Kami membanding-bandingkan beberapa kopi yang ada. Ini mirip kegiatan yang dilakukan para penggemar anggur, hanya detailnya berbeda," kata Tuti Mochtar, pengelola Café Caswell, tempat acara itu berlangsung.

Cupping dilakukan setiap Senin, Rabu, dan Jumat di sana. Yang hadir tidak selalu sama. Di samping anggota staf Caswell sendiri, beberapa penggemar kopi yang mayoritas pria silih berganti mengisi kursi-kursi cupper.

"Penggemar kopi yang datang silih berganti. Kami tidak membentuk organisasi formal, tetapi sudah terjalin jejaring para penggemar kopi di Jakarta," tambah Tuti.

Demikianlah, kopi punya penggemar fanatik yang cukup banyak. Minuman dari seduhan biji tanaman yang dipanggang ini kini mempunyai aneka peringkat, dari kopi yang sangat murahan dengan campuran jagung gosong di warung-warung kaki lima sampai kopi yang harga seteguknya mencapai puluhan ribu rupiah.

Ternyata minum kopi bukanlah sekadar membasahi tenggorokan saja. Itu sebabnya, banyak kafe yang hanya menjual kopi pun bisa hidup dan bertambah besar.

Pemanfaatan kopi pun sudah melintasi aneka batas. Dari sekadar sebagai minuman alternatif teh, membantu membuka mata saat begadang, hingga jadi simbol status. Sebagai simbol status, kopi yang dulu sempat disebut anggur dari Arab (Arabian Wine) itu ada beberapa tempat di Jakarta, di mana hanya orang berduit yang mampu memesannya.

"Saya minum kopi bersama rekanan bisnis. Bisnis biasanya lancar di kalangan orang yang punya kegemaran sama. Minum kopi bagi saya adalah sarana sosialisasi, di samping saya memang sangat gemar kopi," kata Peter Lydian, anggota staf perusahaan komputer besar.

Sore itu Peter ikut dalam cupping bersama beberapa penggemar kopi lain. Walau baru pertama kali saling bertemu, para cupper itu berbincang seolah sudah lama saling mengenal.

"Penggemar kopi berat umumya juga orang sibuk. Tidak heran setiap kali cupping saya selalu bertemu orang yang berbeda," tambah Ferry Indrawang, penggemar kopi lain. Ferry, seperti juga Peter, menganggap minum kopi adalah hobi utamanya.

Secara berkala pula, Caswell menyebarkan informasi bahwa ada kopi baru yang mereka datangkan. Di gudang Caswell terlihat puluhan karung biji kopi dari berbagai negara. Mereka juga punya daftar puluhan penggemar berat kopi. Biasanya, bila kebetulan sedang berada di Jakarta, mereka pasti mau hadir untuk cupping. Hasil penilaian cupping tersebut bisa diperoleh orang lain yang memerlukan.

Pertanyaan yang kemudian layak mengemuka adalah apa gunanya membanding-bandingkan rasa kopi dengan cara cupping itu?

"Peminum kopi terbagi dalam banyak tingkatan. Dari yang sekadar senang meminumnya sampai yang mengoleksi aneka rasa kopi dalam benaknya. Saya memang belum sefanatik itu, tetapi ada rasa puas kalau bisa tahu bahwa kopi yang saya nikmati lebih enak dari kopi yang saya nikmati sebelumnya," kata Arsi Aryanto, juga penikmat kopi.

Peter, Ferry, dan Arsi hanya sebagian kecil dari orang-orang gila kopi yang secara berkala menikmati kopi lalu berdiskusi tentang itu. Bagi mereka, kopi adalah segala-gala yang mereka pikirkan. Saat mengunjungi negara lain pun, hal pertama yang mereka lakukan adalah menikmati kopi setempat.

Pertanyaan yang juga layak dilontarkan kemudian, apa bedanya minum kopi di gerai-gerai waralaba kopi terkenal dengan minum kopi di gerai yang sangat khusus menjual kopi?

"Sangat berbeda. Minum di gerai terkenal itu kita minum kopi yang standarnya sudah terpaku. Standar yang khas yang dijaga baik-baik oleh gerai-gerai itu. Tetapi, minum kopi di kafe khusus kopi adalah menikmati sebuah keterbukaan. Kita bisa memilih jenis kopi yang kita mau, asal negaranya, jenis pemanggangannya, sampai dengan jenis pencampurannya. Kadang bisa dikatakan custom made," papar Peter.

Bagi para penggemar kopi, mencoba satu kopi lalu ke kopi yang lain layaknya wisata kuliner oleh orang-orang penggemar makanan, atau seperti menjelajahi negara demi negara di kalangan penggemar perjalanan.

"Indra lidah dan hidung adalah andalan penggemar kopi selayaknya indra mata andalan penggemar lukisan," sambung Peter Slack, anggota staf di Caswell, "Ya, saya tidak salah. Menikmati kopi itu tidak cuma lidah, tetapi juga hidung."

Menurut Slack, rasa kopi yang baik dimulai dari fragrance, yaitu bau kopi sebelum diseduh. Kopi yang baik juga harus harum dan menyenangkan hidung penikmat sebelum diseduh.

"Kalau baunya tidak menarik, umumnya orang pun tak tertarik untuk meminum. Cara memanggang kopi pun bisa membedakan fragrance kopi yang satu dengan lain," tambah Slack.

Indra hidung masih berperan setelah kopi itu diseduh. "Bau setelah diseduh adalah aroma kopi. Fragrance dan aroma bisa berbeda, maka dari itu pengolahan kopi dalam segala tahapnya sangat penting. Setelah itu baru kita bicara rasanya," kata Slack.

"Cupping", Menikmati Kopi Sedalamnya

2008-05-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

Kompas

Minggu, 27 April 2008 | 01:37 WIB

Kegiatan cupping atau mencoba beberapa rasa dan aroma kopi sekaligus lalu membandingkannya selalu dilakukan kafe khusus kopi di mana pun di dunia ini.

Peter Slack, anggota staf Caswell, yaitu kafe yang khusus menjual kopi, menuturkan, cupping dilakukan untuk terus memantau mutu kopi yang mereka miliki, juga memantau mutu pemanggangan biji kopi (roasting) yang mereka lakukan.

Cupping dilakukan dalam beberapa tahap yang relatif sudah baku. Penilaian yang diberikan cupper (orang yang melakukan cupping) pun relatif sudah dibakukan. Ada tabel Rasa-Aroma yang membantu dalam memberikan penilaian saat cupping.

Penilaian dalam proses cupping memang sangat relatif tergantung dari latar belakang orang yang melakukan, tetapi secara umum cupping yang dilakukan di mana pun memberi hasil yang tidak terlalu berbeda.

Menurut Peter Slack, proses cupping diawali dengan menilai fragrance—bau kopi sebelum diseduh—yaitu dengan mencium bubuk kopi kering. Tahap berikutnya, menilai aroma kopi, yaitu mencium bau kopi yang sudah diseduh.

”Fragrance dan aroma bisa berbeda,” kata Slack.

Pemanggangan menentukan mutu fragrance, sementara penyeduhan menentukan aroma. Secangkir kopi yang kita nikmati sebetulnya ditentukan dalam banyak tahap pembuatan, yaitu sejak pemilihan bibit, penanaman, cara panen, cara penyimpanan biji, cara memanggang biji, cara menyeduh, bahkan sampai cara menghidangkan.

Meminjam istilah Peter Lydian, penggemar berat kopi, dari satu pohon kopi bisa didapat ratusan rasa dan mutu kopi karena bisa terjadi ratusan kombinasi pemanfaatannya.

Tahap cupping berikutnya adalah mengecap kopi. Kecapan ini untuk mencari keasaman, keasinan, kemanisan, dan kepahitan sebuah produk kopi.

Yang tidak kalah penting adalah masalah after taste, apakah rasa masih mengendap di lidah setelah semua kopi ditelan. Mutu rasa yang mengendap juga menentukan mutu sebuah produk kopi.

Di kalangan penggemar berat kopi, ada rasa kepuasan kalau bisa menentukan keunggulan sebuah produk kopi terhadap produk lainnya walau beda itu sangatlah tipis.

”Tidak pernah ada dua macam produk kopi yang mutunya sama persis. Menemukan perbedaan yang sangat sedikit itu adalah kepuasan utama penggemar kopi,” kata Peter Lydian. (arb)

Idea for Coffee

2008-05-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

In the past 15 years, some of the world's finest coffees have been introduced into the United States. These excellent coffees invite you to explore a new world - the world of coffee desserts.
Because coffee customarily accompanies good food, it can easily become an ingredient in a dessert that will make your next meal memorable. whether you serve a simple casserole or a complicated Beef Wellington, a coffee dessert is the perfect complement and a fitting grand finale.

Many fine restaurants have added coffee desserts to their menu, and by trying the following recipes you'll also discover the versatility of coffee. A little imagination and flair is all you need to transform your favorite coffee into a tasty dessert.

In preparing desserts, you'll find a world of variety, from the choice of coffee (country of origin, decaffeinated, or flavored) to the addition of liqueurs and fancy toppings. Your coffee desserts can be served hot or cold and sipped slowly from a straw or spooned out of parfait glasses. Create an atmosphere with and for your dessert - coffee desserts are always appropriate for small, intimate gatherings around the fireplace, as well as for bigger, special celebrations.

Whatever the dessert or occasion, make it festive by celebrating with coffee.

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Coffee Frost
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
Dissolve all sugar in the coffee and cool. Four into a metal tray or bowl and freeze until almost hard. Beat well, and freeze again to sherbet consistency. Turn into sherbet glasses, and top with whipped cream. Serves 4.

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Frosty Miss
1cup freshly brewed coffee
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Dissolve regular and brown sugar in the coffee while still hot. Let cool. Add almond extract. and pour mixture into metal tray or bowl. Freeze until almost hard. Beat well, and freeze again to sherbet consistency. Turn into sherbet glasses; top with whipped cream and a cherry. Serves 4.

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Cafe Speciale
4 teaspoons chocolate syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cups extra-strength hot coffee
Put 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup into each of 4 small cups. Combine cream. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nut meg and sugar. whip. Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into hot coffee. Pour coffee into cups. Stir to blend with syrup. Top with whipped cream. Serves 4.

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Ice Cream Parlor Mocha Sodas
1/2 cup hot water coffee
8 teaspoons finely ground
2 cups milk
4 scoops chocolate ice cream
1 quart club soda
Sweetened whipped cream or prepared whipped topping
Place hot water in a medium-sized pitcher. Stir in coffee. finely ground into a powder texture, until dissolved. Stir in milk. Place 1 scoop or ice cream in each of 4 ice cream soda glasses. Pour coffee/milk mixture equally into each glass. Fill glasses almost to brim with club soda. Top with sweetened whipping cream or prepared whipped topping. Serves 4.

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Mit Schlag
(With Whipped Cream)
Brew a rich, strong cup of coffee. Top with a generous potion of whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings or cinnamon sticks. Serves 1.

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Coffee Glace
1/2 cup extra-strength cold coffee
1 cup light cream
3 egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons whipped cream
Combine egg yolks and granulated sugar; beat until frothy. Combine coffee and light cream. and whip the mixture until smooth. Add coffee mixture to the sugar mixture, and pour into ice cube fray. Chill until thickened to sherbet consistency. Serve in metal goblets. and garnish with whipped cream. Serves 4.

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Mocha Frosteds
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
6 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup prepared cold coffee
Place hot coffee and chocolate syrup in blender container. Blend until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Pour into a medium howl. Add softened ice cream and cold coffee. With rotary beater, beat until smooth. Spoon into tall glasses, and serve immediately. Serves 4.

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Almond Coffee Cream
2 teaspoons finely ground coffee
1/4 cup skim milk
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
Low-calorie sugar substitute
(equal to 1/4 cup sugar)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
4 ounces non dairy whipped topping, thawed
Dissolve finely ground coffee in milk. Beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar substitute until mixture forms stiff. shiny peaks. Blend in coffee/milk mixture, almond extract and chopped almonds. Fold in dietetic whipped topping. Spoon into individual parfait glasses; garnish with additional chopped almonds if desired. freeze until firm. Serves 6.

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Spirited Delights
Nonalcoholic flavorings can be substituted for alcoholic ingredients.
Mocha Mint
1 cup cold coffee
1 pint chocolate ice cream
1/4 cup creme de menthe
Very thin chocolate-mint wafers
Combine coffee, ice cream, and creme de menthe in blender container. Blend on low speed. Spoon into sherbet or wine glasses, and garnish each serving with a chocolate mint wafer. Serves 4.

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Sassy Sodas
1 pint coffee ice cream
2 tablespoons finely ground coffee
1/2 cup light rum
4 to 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instant coffee powder
Spoon coffee ice cream into blender container. Add rum and coffee that has been finely ground to a powdery texture. Blend on high speed until creamy smooth. Pour into tall glasses, adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each glass. Sprinkle lightly with instant coffee powder. Serve with long-handled spoons and soda straws. Serves 4-6.

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Coffee Frappe
1/2 cup extra-strength cold coffee
1 cup light rum
3 egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons whipped cream
Combine egg yolks and granulated sugar. Beat until frothy. Combine coffee and rum and add to sugar mixture, blending well, Pour into ice cube tray and allow to set. Serve in metal goblets, and garnish with whipped cream. Serves 4.

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Coffee ala Choccolata
To one cup freshly brewed coffee add 1 ounce Chocolate Mint Liqueur. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Serves 1.

COFFEE TASTING GLOSSARY

2008-02-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

I Just couldn't believe it that somebody manage to write all these and master them all... well eniwei.. i'm proud on seeing Indonesia's Coffee is Admitted and Acknowledged Worldwide..

I Love Coffee and I Love Indonesia....

'J' -- "On Sipping and Enjoying the Arome of Toraja Coffee"

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COFFEE TASTING GLOSSARY

Roasting Terms

Air Roaster: A coffee roaster where the heat and bean agitation are both created by a strong upflow of hot air
Drum Roaster: A coffee roaster where the beans are agitated inside a vaned metal drum, and the heat is provided by the hot metal of the drum, and optionally by a flow of hot air through it.
Roast Profile: A graph of bean temperature during the roast plotted against time.
First Crack: The loud popping in a roast when the beans reach 385F to 400F, as the trapped steam cracks them open and vents
Second Crack: The crackling noises in a roast when the beans reach 440F to 450F, as the cellulose matrix of the beans begins to break down.
Cinnamon/New England Roast: A very light roast, used mostly for cupping, with a stop temperature around 420F
City Roast: The lightest commercial roast, with a stop temperature around 430F to 435F.
Full City Roast: A medium commercial roast, with a stop temperature around 440F to 445F. Sometimes called "North Italian" when for espresso blends.
Vienna Roast/Italian Roast: A dark commercial roast, with a stop temperature around 450F to 455F. Sometimes called "South Italian" when for espresso blends
French Roast: A very dark roast, with a stop temperature around 460F to 465F
Agtron Rating: An alternative way of characterizing the degree of roast. Agtron is a company with technology that measures the beans' or ground coffee's luminance. Agtron 100 is white; agtron 0 is black; roasted coffee ranges from 65 to 20.

Cupping Terms

Breaking the Crust: Breaking apart the cap of coarse grounds on the top of a cup, after the coffee has brewed, to begin the tasting.
Cupping Spoon: a spoon, about the size of a soup spoon, but perfectly round, used to sample coffee during a cupping session.
Slurp and Spit: The colloquial term for slurping the coffee from the spoon, tasting it, and then spitting it out. This is done when too many coffees are cupped to drink them all.
Triangle Cupping: Used when one wants to make certain that two coffee samples are different. One tastes three cups of each; but with one cup from one group mixed with two from the other. The tasters have to pick out the odd samples.

Coffee Scoring Terms

Dry Aroma: The aroma of the ground coffee.
Wet Aroma: The aroma of the brewed coffee.
Body: the feel of the coffee as it coats the tongue; it's heft, and whether it feels oily, watery, or grainy.
Acidity: The tangyness of a coffee on the tongue, along with its tart fruit flavors. Sourness and acerbity, as opposed to tart or tart/sweet tastes are penalized.
Flavor: The basic tastes (sweet, sour, bitter and salty) of the coffee, along with its aromatic impression as it is tasted.
Finish: The flavors in the aftertaste
Cuppers Corrections: Points awarded if a low acid coffee is fruity, or a low body coffee is buttery. Points deducted if a high acid coffee is sour, or a high body coffee is dry and grainy.
Transparency/Cleanliness: a criterion for judging aroma, taste, and finish. The degree to which the flavors are clear, well defined, and not masked by dull bitterness.
Balance/Sweetness: another criterion for judging aroma, taste, and finish. The degree to which the bitter and sour flavorings in the coffee are balanced by sweetness.
Complexity: the final criterion for judging aroma, taste, and finish. The multiplicity of flavors.

Flavor Descriptors

Classic Cup: A coffee that taste like coffee, without unusual flavor components. Classic cups with great transparency and balance are highly prized but almost impossible to describe in a way that does them justice.
Taste Wheels: A systematic terminology devised by Ted Lingle of the SCAA in his cupping manual for describing the faults, basic tastes, and unusual flavors in coffees. It has become a de facto standard for English speaking cuppers.

Processing Terms

General: The coffee fruit is similar to a cherry, with a skin, pulp, and a (double) pit. The skin and pulp have to be removed, and the seeds dried, so they can be shipped and roasted
Wet Processed or Washed: The skin and pulp are removed by fermenting them quickly, and washing them off. This creates brighter, cleaner, and lighter bodied coffees.
Dry Processed or Natural: The skin and pulp are allowed to dry over a week or so, they are then easily peeled off. This creates a heavier bodied, sweeter, more subdued coffee that can be tainted by ferment flavors.
Pulped Dry Process or Semi-washed: The skin is washed off, but the pulp is allowed to dry on the bean over 24 to 48 hours. This creates an intermediate between dry and wet process coffee.
Patio or Sun Drying: After being depulped, the beans are dried on patios or platforms by the sun. This is considered preferable to kiln drying. Kiln drying is used when an overly humid climate can rot beans left to dry in the sun.

Coffee Species and Cultivars

Robusta: a lowland coffee species originating in West Africa that has higher yields and greater pest resistance than traditional coffee. Mostly used in very inferior coffees due to its medicinal taste. Very carefully grown and processed Robustas are found in small proportions in some premium espresso blends to improve crema and body.
Arabica: The traditional high grown coffee originating in Ethiopia. There are many varietals.

Heirloom: The coffee trees of Yemen and Ethiopia. More variable and genetically closer to wild coffee than other cultivars.
Typica: The standard cultivar used throughout the world, descended from the first coffee trees planted in Indonesia and the Americas by Europeans.
Bourbon: An American mutation of Typica used throughout Central and South America. Generally produces a more mellow cup than Typica
Caturra, Catuai, Icatu, Mondo Novo: High quality modern varietals derived from Bourbon, used in the Americas. Produce lighter bodied and more acidic coffees than Bourbons
Kent: A variant spread by British planters in Africa and India; derived from old stock Indian varieties planted during the Moghul Empire.
SL28 and SL34: Hardy modern variants of Kent used in Kenya. Makes outstanding coffees.
Sumatra Typica: A Typica variant used throughout Indonesia.
Maragogype: A Peruvian varietal that produces huge beans. The cup is light and nutty. Grown in Central Americas as well.
Pacamara: A recent Maragogype/Caturra cross that produces a still nutty, but brighter cup, than straight Maragogypes.
Inferior Cultivars: Crosses between robusta and arabica created to increase yield. Catimor (Central America), Variedad Colombia (Colombia), and Ruiri 11 (Kenya) are infamous for their low quality.

Peaberry: Not a varietal, but a condition where the two coffee seed halves fuse, forming one small spherical bean, rather than two flat faced ones. Some consider peaberries as more flavorful than regular beans. When forming a small but significant proportion in an otherwise regular lot of beans, they are a flaw; since they roast at higher speed, and may char. 100% peaberry selections can be of very high quality.

Typical Taste Characteristics By Coffee Region

Central America:

Mexico: Oaxaca Pluma and Alta Pluma are light bodied with milk chocolate flavors, and an exceptional ability to carry the flavors into darker roasts. Some Chiapas coffees can also be very good.
Guatemala

Antigua: Spicy, smoky cups that can take darker roasts. Heavier bodied than most centrals
Huehuetenango: delicate, delightfully floral, and buttery
Other: Other regions in Guatemala produce some outstanding classic cup coffees.

Costa Rica:

Terrazu: Powerful and sweet citrus and nut flavors, heavier bodied than most centrals
Other: Some excellent classic cups come from other regions.

Panama: Panama coffees have an awesome reputation among professionals and are virtually unknown by the wider public. The quintessential classic cup coffee.
Nicaragua: Milder in acidity than most centrals. Nicaraguan Bourbons can have a variety of middle flavors like pear or vanilla; and roast flavors reminiscent of pie crust or chocolate.
El Salvador: Similar to Nicaragua. El Salvador is producing some pulped natural coffees that are suitable for espresso

South America

Colombia: Medium bodied, medium acid coffees, some of very high quality. Mostly classic cup, but with occasional surprises.
Brasil: Creamy bodied, low acid coffees. Much Brazilian coffee is of poor quality, but some, used in premium espresso, are very fine. These are mild tasting, mostly with milk chocolate, cherry, and sassafras notes
Peru: Very high grown coffees. Poor samples are thin and sour; good ones are also acidic, but have the sweetness, body, and rich caramel roast tastes to balance. Bolivia: A new area. Medium bodied coffees like Colombia, some very fine.

Islands

Jamaica, Blue Mountain: When good, a quintessential classic cup, mellow and sweet.
Hawaii, Kona: Classic cup with fruit and vanilla flavors, sweet.
Puerto Rico, Haiti, Cuba, and Santa Domingo: The good coffees are smoky sweet with peat and molasses flavors. Highly prized by italian blenders for espresso.
St Helena and Galapagos: Floral coffees from heirloom varieties reminiscent of Ethiopian Yrgacheffe and washed Sidamos
Australia: Rejoining the coffee growing world after a long absence. Too early to tell how the quality will turn out.

East Africa/Arabia

Kenya: A famous quip in the trade is that Kenyas come in three varieties: Citrus, Blackcurrant, and Horsehair. Great Kenyas will show the citrus and blackcurrant in a single cup, along with spice, sweetness, and some wineyness. We pass on the horsehair.
Ethiopia

Harar: Famous for its blueberry notes. Also expect apricot, chocolate, leather, wineyness, and even gamey notes. These are dry process, complex cups, prized for espresso blends
Yrgacheffe: Famous for its potent floral aroma. Delicate citrus and green tea notes accompany the flowers. Great Yrgs also have balancing sweetness and middle fruit flavors.
Other: Other regions produce cups intermediate between the Harar and Yrgacheffe extremes. Quality can be very uneven; but well prepped lots can be spectacular.

Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe: Similar to Kenyas, but more understated in acidity and fruit. Frequently have ceder flavors.
Yemen: Dry process, similar to Harar. The best ones are dizzyingly complex, and have an effect similar to well aged wine or brandy.
Burundi and Uganda: Lower acid, heavier bodied coffees with vanilla and chocolate roast tastes. In good years, they can taste like spectacular "super-javas;" but sadly, their quality is very uneven.

Indonesia

Java: The first coffee growing area under European control; so the name has become synonymous with coffee. Good quality Java is a very low acid, very heavy bodied classic cup. Aged (old brown) Java has intense woody roast tastes, extremely heavy body, and almost no acidity.
Sumatra

Mandheling: A dry process, heavy bodied, low acid, sweet coffee with earthy, mushroomy flavors. The great ones have dark roast flavors somewhere between chocolate and molasses.
Other: Wet and semi-wet process coffees from Gayoland and Aceh have somewhat more acidity and fewer deep flavors. Good lots are sweet and plummy; poor lots somewhat dry and acerbic

Sulawesi Toraja (formerly Celebes Kalossi): A semi-wet processed coffee, classic cup like Java, but with more exotic spice and dark fruit flavors. Roast flavors tend towards chocolate.
Papua New Guinea: Fruitier and lighter bodied than Sulawesis. Poor ones can taste like beef broth; good ones like pleasantly exotic classic cups.
Bali: Prized by the Japanese for its flawless processing and translucent emerald beans, hence expensive. Similar in its virtues and faults to Papua New Guinea

India: The first region outside Arabia to cultivate coffee. Indian coffees are very well processed. The highest grades are spicy and have hints of tropical fruit. Monsooned varieties (a form of aging) are very heavy bodied, have intense loamy and woody flavors, and are very low acid. Italian blenders use Indian coffees in preference to Indonesian ones as bases for espresso blends. Their use in the US is just beginning.

Source : http://www.coffeecuppers.com/CoffeeTastingGlossary.htm

Coffee in Words

2008-01-07T00:00:00.002-08:00

In The Praise of Coffee
by Sheik Ansari Djezeri Hanball Abd-al-Kadir, 1857

Oh coffee, you dispel the worries of the great, you point the way to those who have wandered from the path of knowledge. Coffee is the drink of the friends of God, and of His servants who seek wisdom.

As coffee steeps in the cup it gives off a musky aroma and turns the color of ink. No one can understand the truth until he drinks of its frothy goodness. Those who condemn coffee as causing man harm are fools in the eyes of God.

Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold it brings to every man the feeling of luxury and nobility. Coffee differs from pure, gentle milk only in its taste and color. Take time in your preparation of coffee and God will be with you and bless you and your table. Where coffee is served there is grace and splendor and friendship and happiness.

All cares vanish as the coffee cup is raised to the lips. Coffee flows through your body as freely as your life's blood, refreshing all that it touches; look you at the youth and vigour of those who drink it.

Whoever tastes coffee will forever forswear the liquor of the grape. Oh drink of God's glory, your purity brings to man only well being and nobility.

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Italian Coffee at Sea
by D. H. Lawrence, Sea and Sardinia.

"Another head - and a black alpaca jacket and a serviette this time - to tell us coffee is ready. Not before it is time, too. We go down into the subterranean state-room and sit on the screw-pin chairs, while the ship does the slide-and-slope trot under us, and we drink a couple of cups of coffee and milk, and eat a piece of bread and butter.

At least one of the innumerable members of the crew gives me one cup, then casts me off. It is most obviously his intention that I shall get no more; because of course the innumerable members of the crew could all just do with another coffee and milk. However, though the ship heaves and the alpaca coats cluster menacingly in the doorway, I balance my way to the tin buffet and seize the coffee pot and the milk pot..."

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Coffee at Gunpoint
by Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye

"The coffee-maker was almost ready to bubble. I turned the flame low and watched the water rise. It hung a little at the bottom of the glass tube. I turned the flame up just enough to get it over the hump and then turned it low again quickly. I stirred the coffee and covered it. I set my timer for three minutes. Very methodical guy, Marlowe. Nothing must intefere with his coffee technique. Not even a gun in the hand of a desperate character."

Ngopi bareng Max Havelaar

2008-01-07T00:00:00.001-08:00

Ngopi bareng Max Havelaar
Oleh T. CHRISTOMY

"PAK Saini KM menyeduh kopinya dengan 20 kocekan ke kanan dan 20 kocekan ke kiri," kata Cecep Syamsul Hari, penyair dan salah satu editor Horison, ketika saya menyeduh kopi tubruk.

"Walaupun orang Jepang suka kopi toraja, saya sendiri lebih suka kopi papua," sergah Seichi Okawa ketika berjumpa di Seoul. Seichi kini bekerja pada salah satu stasiun tv swasta Indonesia. Sapardi Djoko Damono, yang juga datang ke Seoul beberapa waktu lalu, mengaku suka ke Bandung hanya untuk beli kopi di Jalan Banceuy, dan, kawan saya, si Sergei dari St. Petersburg Rusia selalu berkata "Please good coffee! No american coffee," katanya bak humor perang dingin Rusia. Sementara itu, Prof. Dr. Ida Sundari Husen, Dekan FIBUI, masih di Seoul, baru-baru ini sempat membuat pelayan terbelalak gara-gara beliau pesan espresso short. Si pelayan agak ragu, apa betul si ibu "berani" meneguk kopi pahit superkental itu tanpa krim.

Bagaimanapun, kopi menyisakan cerita yang perlu "diseduh".

**

ALKISAH, segerombolan kafilah unta membuka kemahnya di padang pasir Yaman. Malam hari, mereka membuat api unggun. Salah seorang di antaranya melempar ranting-ranting kecil ke dalam bara. Mereka tersentak mencium aroma menyengat yang berasal dari beberapa butir buah kecil kemerahan yang menempel di ranting.

Itulah kopi (kahwa) yang beraroma dahsyat ketika terpanggang api. Dari kemah kafilah Yaman itulah kopi menyeruak dunia.

Setelah kekaisaran Ottoman hilang pengaruhnya di Eropa, pintu ke arah harumnya kopi lebih terbuka. Kendati demikian, tidaklah mudah untuk mendapatkan bibit kopi arabika pilihan. Orang Arab pun sekuat tenaga melindungi bibit kopinya agar tidak ditanam di luar Jazirah Arab sebagaimana orang Cina memproteksi upaya pelarian bibit teh hijau ke luar negeri pada masa awal kejayaan teh hijau. Dapat dipahami mengapa pada abad ke-17/18 orang Eropa pun cuma diperkenankan memborong kopi dari pelabuhan al-Mukha, yang kemudian dikenal dengan mocha coffee.

Masyarakat Inggris sempat dihebohkan "minuman" Turki ini. Mereka mencatat, seperti yang dikutip Cowan (2005), "Rasanya dahsyat."

Sebagian menyeruput, lainnya malah menuduh kopi berbahaya secara politis. "Bukankah kopi milik orang Turki?" Pada masa itu, mereka khawatir, seperti yang dituturkan Brian Cowan (2005) penulis buku The Social Life of Coffee: The Emergence of the British Coffeehouse, kopi ditengarai dapat mengubah cara pandang mereka terhadap orang Turki. Sejarah membuktikan, mereka tak kuasa menahan serbuan aroma kopi bahkan mereka kelak menjadi salah satu pengusung tradisi minum kopi Eropa: siapa tak kenal irish coffee. Bahkan pada 1702 di Inggris ada kedai kopi yang bernama "Turk's Head".

**

TENTU saja, di antara orang Eropa, Belandalah yang paling nekat dan kenekatannya itu membuat peta perkopian dunia berubah. Dari segi perdagangan, komoditas kopi setara dengan gula dan rempah-rempah lainnya bagi Kerajaan Belanda. Bibit kopi arabika unggulan kemudian diselundupkan ke Asia Tenggara melalui "jalur" haji. Sejak saat itulah, Jawa dan Sumatra mewarisi biji kopi terbaik dunia. Sukses di Jawa, Belanda menanam kopinya di Suriname, disusul Prancis dan Inggris di tanah para leluhur Indian.

Yang menarik, orang Belanda ternyata lebih suka duit kopi daripada seni ngopi. Mereka cenderung menjadi pemasok biji kopi saja, sementara negara-negara lain yang tidak seberuntung Belanda, dalam hal kepemilikan tanah jajahan yang luas membentang di garis khatulistiwa yang pada umumnya cocok untuk menamam kopi, berusaha mengembangkan produk-produk after market dan aksesori yang terkait.

Oleh karenanya, dalam jagat minum kopi, siapa yang tak kenal espresso dari Italia atau french coffee atau irish coffee? "Raja Kami, Tsar the Great, mendapat kopinya dari Belanda tapi kami belajar meracik kopi dari Prancis," kata kamerad Sergei, ahli media dari Rusia.

**

LEZATNYA kopi, selain ditentukan oleh ketinggian dan keasaman tanah, juga dipengaruhi oleh berbagai hal yang mengiringi pasca-pemetikannya: memetik, mengeringkan, memilih, menyangray, menggiling, dan menyimpan. Kopi dari Jawa pada zaman Belanda menjadi sangat mahal di Eropa karena beraroma khas akibat selain matang juga disimpan cukup lama sebelum dilelang.

Dalam istilah pencinta kopi, rasanya full body taste alias lezat, mantap, dan agak berminyak kalau diseduh. Belanda pun tumbuh sebagai pemasok arabika terpenting.

Cafe-cafe terkenal pun merasa harus mengabadikan java coffee dalam menunya. Di balik nama itu terpahatlah kegetiran cultuurstelsel, sistem bercocok tanam paksa yang terkait dengan kebutuhan ekonomi kolonial yang hampir bangkrut gara-gara korupsi di Hindia Belanda dan utang Kerajaan Belanda yang membengkak serta kekalutan ekonomi Negeri Kincir Angin akibat Belgia memisahkan diri dari Belanda.

Amsterdam disaput wangi kopi asal Sumatra dan Jawa. "Anda tahu?" kata kawan saya ketika kami menyusuri sebuah gang dari awal abad ke-18 di Amsterdam, "Gedung-gedung tua itu, sebagian besar, selain dibuat dari rempah-rempah, juga dibuat dari kopi pilihan yang ditanam di Jawa dan Sumatera bercampur dengan bau keringat dan anyir darah kuli kontrak."

Yang pasti, 34% pendapatan Negeri Kincir Angin didapat dari tenaga dan darah kuli kontrak dan para petani kita.

Di Pulau Jawa, kopi banyak di tanam di Priangan, Banten, dan Kedu. Dalam sistem tanam paksa ini, beberapa menak tertarik untuk menjadi broker antara sang majikan, Belanda, dan petani. Menak yang broker kopi ini, menurut Ricklefs (1993), bekerja sama dengan pegawai Belanda untuk memenuhi target ekspor kopi. Akibatnya, tak jarang terjadi kekerasan dan pemaksaan.

Semula, culturstelsel dianggap sebagai pengganti pajak tanah belaka yang besarnya 40%. Namun di lapangan, kebijakan itu betul-betul menjadi pengerahan tenaga kerja gratis dan pemanfaatan lahan percuma pula. "... kalau ada orang bertanya apakah si petani sendiri mendapat upah sebanding dengan hasilnya, maka saya harus mengatakan tidak," kata Max Havelaar (Multatuli, 1985: 63). "Untuk menggerakkan orang-orang yang sederhana itu, cukuplah mempunyai pengetahuan politik sedikit," tambahnya.

Lebih dari itu, tanam paksa pun mendorong gaya hidup jor-joran di kalangan makelar seperti yang dituturkan Havelaar.

"Havelaar menerima sepucuk surat dari bupati Cianjur yang memberitahukan bahwa ia hendak mengunjungi pamannya, adipati Lebak. Berita itu sangat tidak menyenangkan baginya. Ia tahu betapa kepala-kepala negeri di kabupaten-kabupaten Priangan biasanya memamerkan kemewahannya dan betapa temenggung Cianjur melakukan perjalanan demikian dengan iringan beratus-ratus orang yang harus disediakan tempat dan makannya bersama kuda-kudanya. Ia ingin mencegah kunjungan itu, tapi sia-sia ia memikirkan bagaimana cara menghindarkannya, tanpa melukai hati Bupati Rangkas Betung.... Dan jika kunjungan itu tidak dapat dihindarkan, maka pasti akan memberatkan beban yang ditanggung oleh penduduk" (Max Havelaar, karya Multatuli terjemahan HB Jassin cetakan keenam, 1985: 253).

Multatuli, melalui tokoh Max Havelaar, dengan jitu menggambarkan gaya hidup para priyayi ketika itu. Perbudakan tidak hanya dilakukan penjajah asing dan broker kopi yang melulu mencari untung seperti Batavus Droogstoppel tetapi juga didukung sebagian kelas menengah pribumi yang tidak mau kehilangan gaya hidupnya. Kepahitan aroma perbudakan pada saat tanam paksa terhirup.

Kendati demikian, masih ada cendekia Belanda yang menggerutu bahwa Max Havelaar justru menghalangi emansipasi politis bangsa Indonesia akibat sikapnya yang terlalu sinis, tidak mau kompromi, tidak tahu kebudayaan lokal, dan keras (Fasseur, 1992). Mungkin dia benar bahwa Max Havelaar tidak paham urusan kawula dan gusti dalam konteks menak-menak di tatar Sunda sehingga kritiknya terlalu "barat". Selain itu, Max Havelaar pun tidak menyampaikan pikiran politisnya lewat parpol: ia orang merdeka. Oleh karena itu, alih-alih diterima pikirannya, ia dipecat dan dieliminasi dari pekerjaannya.

Tapi cendekia itu pun harus berani bertanya, "Seandainya bukan Max Havelaar siapa kiranya yang berani menelanjangi Belanda pada masa itu." Tentu bukan Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje atau Abendanon, bahkan Van Deventer yang semata menjadi skrup kolonial kendati pernah mengusulkan konsep seperti srigala berbulu domba. Eduard Douwes Dekker, melalui makelar dagang kopinya, mengucek-ngucek sikap eksploitatif Belanda. Meminjam kata-kata Pramoedya (1999), Max Havelaar sedang "membunuh kolonialisme".

Karakter Max Havelaar akhirnya memberi inspirasi banyak pihak tentang kejamnya kolonialisme. Bahkan sebuah organisasi pendukung fair trade di Swiss berupaya untuk menjadi mediator kopi yang adil. Maksudnya, ketika kita minum kopi di warung kopi waralaba yang mahal, fair trade organization berusaha meningkatkan harkat para penanam kopinya atau membantu masyarakat yang berhasil menanam kopi dengan baik, tapi selalu tidak bisa menjualnya dengan harga yang wajar akibat permainan calo kopi yang teramat serakah bak tokoh Droogstoppel dalam Max Havelaar itu.

**

KALAU Belanda bisa kaya karena kopi Indonesia, mengapa kita tidak bisa meningkatkan harkat petani kopi, pedagang kopi, peminum kopi, dan siapa pun yang terlibat dengan kopi dengan cara yang lebih baik.

Sebagian besar penjaja kopi di kota-kota besar Indonesia itu datang dari negeri "antah berantah" dan sebagian besar di antaranya hanya "konsumen" saja. Kopi tubruk pun belum menjadi racikan pilihan. Kendati wilayah Priangan pernah menjadi lahan penanaman kopi, belum ada istilah "priangan blend" atau "sangkuriang blend". Lebih menyedihkan lagi, sebagian konsumen kelas menengah atau mereka yang kebelet dengan gaya hidup tertentu merasa belum ngopi kalau belum menghirup kopi seduhan warung kopi waralaba yang harganya bisa di atas 1-2 dolar AS per gelas.

Sebetulnya, ribuan mulut menyambangi Bandung setiap akhir pekan. Hal ini merupakan kesempatan yang baik untuk penanam kopi, penyangray, dan siapa pun yang suka kopi untuk mempromosikan wisata ngopi ala Bandung.

Saya bermimpi, tokoh semacam Widyapratama (50), misalnya, dari Kopi Banceuy itu, atau NHI, atau Dinas Pariwisata Jawa Barat, atau mahasiswa tataboga dari UPI dan asosiasi pengusaha kopi Indonesia bisa menjadi motor kegiatan semacam ini dan mengedukasi publik tentang pernak-pernik ngopi sambil mempromosikan "Bandung Coffee Tubruk Festival" atau bikin kenduri "Ngopi Euy".

Max Havelaar dan makelar kopi Batavus Droogstoppel pun mungkin tersenyum dan akur karenanya.***
Penulis, penikmat kopi arabika tanpa gula. E-mail: tsx60@yahoo.com.

Source : http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/cetak/2006/082006/05/khazanah/lainnya02.htm

Kopi Luwak

2008-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kopi Luwak (pronounced [ˈkopi ˈluwak]) or Civet coffee is coffee made from coffee berries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). The civets eat the berries but the beans inside pass through their system undigested. This process takes place on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago, and in the Philippines (where the product is called Kape Alamid). Vietnam has a similar type of coffee, called weasel coffee which are coffee berries which have been defecated by local weasels. In actuality the "weasel" is just the local version of the Asian Palm Civet.

Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound, and is sold mainly in Japan and United States, but it is increasingly becoming available elsewhere, though supplies are limited only 1,000 pounds (450 kg) at most make it into the world market each year (Pg 23, The Gospel According to Starbucks; Sweet). One small cafe, the Heritage Tea Rooms, in the hills outside Townsville in Queensland, Australia has Kopi Luwak coffee on the menu at A$50.00 per cup. The locals line up for it, and it has gained nationwide press.

A 2004 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) scare led to thousands of these civets in China being exterminated, but the demand for the coffee was not affected.

Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee, and luwak is a local name of the Asian Palm Civet. The raw, red coffee berries are part of its normal diet, along with insects, small mammals, small reptiles, eggs and nestlings of birds, and other fruit. The inner bean of the berry is not digested, but it is believed that enzymes in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee's flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. The beans are excreted still covered in some inner layers of the berry. The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process.

Some sources erroneously claim that the beans are regurgitated instead of defecated. In early days, the beans would be collected in the wild from a 'latrine', or a specific place where the civet would defecate as a means to mark its territory, and these latrines would be a predictable place for local gatherers to find the beans. More commonly today, captured civets are fed raw berries, the feces produced are then processed and the coffee beans offered for sale. A newly-developed synthetic process intended to simulate the civet's digestive system may decrease the demand for farmed beans.

A theory to justify this coffee's reputation proposes that the beans are of superior quality before they are even ingested; though this is not to say that the digestive enzymes play no role. At any given point during a harvest, some coffee berries are not quite- or over-ripe, while others are just right. The palm civet evolved as an omnivore that naturally eats fruit and passes undigested material as a natural link to disperse seeds in a forest ecosystem. Where coffee plants have been introduced into their habitat, civets forage on the most ripe berries, digest fleshy outer layer, and later excrete the seeds eventually used for human consumption. Thus, when the fruit is at its peak, the seeds (or beans) within are equally so, with the expectation that this will come through in the taste of a freshly-brewed cup. As this may be true for the beans derived from wild-collected civet feces, farm raised civets are likely fed beans of varying quality and ripeness, so one would expect the taste of farm-raised beans to be less.

Kopi Muncak (also Kopi Muntjak) is a similar type of coffee produced from the feces of several species of barking deer, or Muntjac, that are found throughout Southeast Asia. Unlike civet or "weasel" coffee, this type is usually not produced from captive deer and most commonly collected in the wild, especially in Malaysia and in the Indonesian Archipelago.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

Coffee Quote

2008-01-06T00:00:00.001-08:00

"behind every successful woman, there's a substantial amount of coffee"
Lisa

"I believe humans get a lot done, not because we're smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee."
Flash Rosenberg

"I like my coffee like I like my women- Black and Strong."
Paul Howell (2005)

"Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love."
Turkish proverbs

"No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness."
Sheik Abd al-Qadir

"Sleep is just a symptom of caffeine lack"
Herman Friele

Kopi Lampung Ala Didi Kempot

2008-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Gue penasaran juga untuk nyobain wedang kopi,
soalnya belum pernah nyobain yang namanya wedang kopi.
Orang bilang rasanya mirip kopi jahe, tapi lebih wangi dan tidak pedas tapi hangat.
Lagi-lagi, Rasa dan Aroma Kopi bisa dibagi dan diceritakan.
Tapi Rasa Hati ketika menikmati kopi itulah yang sifatnya personal.

================================================================

Kopi Lampung iku lagune Didi Kempot.
Lagu ini nyaritakake wong ngombe kopi Lampung.

Secangkir wedang kopi,
kopi Lampung, niku kopi asli,
gula batu napa gula tebu,
srupat sruput ing wanci telu.

Wancine udan grimis,
saya wangi ya saya ngriwis,
grimis kok ya ora uwis-uwis,
banjur kelingan kowe wong manis.

Ref:
Merak-Bakahuni,
numpak kapal, kapale feri.
Adoh-adoh kowe tak-parani,
muga-muga kowe 'ra lali.

Merak-Bakahuni
numpak kapal, kapale feri.
Aku cinta setengah mati,
kelingan yen ngudhak kopi.

Koor:
Ngombe wedang, wedange kopi,
Nggelar klasa ing wayah wengi.
Aku cinta setengah mati,
kelingan yen ngudhak kopi.

Secangkir wedang kopi,
kopi Lampung, niku kopi asli,
gula batu napa gula tebu,
srupat sruput ing wanci telu.

Wancine udan grimis,
saya wangi ya saya ngriwis,
grimis kok ya ora uwis-uwis,
terus kelingan kowe wong manis.

Ref
Koor
Koor->

The Coffee Cup As a Management Tool

2007-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is a very interesting articles, i do agree with it... many ideas and inspiration poped out in my head as i sipped my coffee... may you have some inspirational thoughts as well...

The Coffee Cup As a Management Tool
From F. John Reh,Your Guide to Management.

One of your best management tools may be a coffee cup. The simple act of taking someone to coffee gives you an opportunity to sit with them, listen, and learn. That kind of a conversation can be powerful employee motivation. It can head off conflict and violence. Just sharing a cup of coffee gives you a great chance to learn important information about yourself, your employees, your company, and even your competitors.

Coffee with Your Employees

Do you have regular meetings with each of your key employees, your direct reports? Are these weekly meeting frequently interrupted because both of you are so busy and someone always has a "crisis" that needs one or the other of you to deal with it? Do you ever feel you could get more done if you just had a half hour without interruptions? Get out of your office and take the other person out for a cup of coffee.

One place I worked had a coffee shop in the ground floor of the building and another across the street.

There was also a breakfast restaurant half a block away where you could get coffee. One supervisor I know, however, would just sneak off to the employee lunch room. He would "buy" a cup of coffee for the person he was meeting with and they would sit at one of the tables and talk. No phones, no cell phones, and they ignored the pagers.

Coffee Isn't Always Coffee

"Grabbing a cup off coffee together" doesn't have to only mean coffee. If you or the person with whom you are meeting doesn't care for coffee, or just wants a break from it, there are plenty of alternatives. Tea and cocoa are a couple of other alternatives that come to mind. In fact, in many countries, tea may be the preferred alternative. However, it doesn't have to stop there. The whole point is to get away from the distractions for a little while, so the beverage really doesn't matter. Bottled water may suit. Sports drinks, fruit juices, and sodas are all acceptable. It only needs to be something relatively inexpensive that is readily available, can be served quickly, and that you can linger over while you talk.

Coffee Has No Alcohol

The one thing you want to avoid is anything alcoholic. Regardless of the time of day, going out for a "beer" or "having a glass of wine" makes it more of a social event than a business meeting. Besides, you don't want either of you to be impaired, and alcohol can do that. Certainly, there can be the temptation to get the other person to relax a little so they will be more open with you, but using alcohol to do so is unethical and underhanded. Being open and honest with them will produce the same results without the potential embarrassment.

Listen. Really Listen.
Remember the reason you are having this chat in the coffee shop instead of your office is to learn something from the other person. It might be that you want them to get all the way through the trouble report without an interruption. It could be that you want to hear their ideas for the new product or how to fix the old one. It can be just as important to check their temperature as to check the coffee's and to find out if they are overstressed and why. The key element in all of these is you need to keep your mouth shut and your ears open.

Listening, of course, is more than just letting the other person speak. You have to focus your undivided attention on what they are saying. Remember you left the office to get away from the distractions there, so don't distract yourself here by letting your mind wander. Actively listening also means occasionally repeating a statement of theirs back to them to show you are listening and to encourage them to keep talking. The Japanese even have a word for this, aizuchi.

Manage This Issue

A coffee break gives you a chance to get away from the distractions and interruptions.
Coffee, tea, soda, or water. The beverage doesn't matter.
Pick a beverage that is inexpensive and quick, but that you can linger over.
Cell phone and pagers should be turned off or at least ignored.
Alcohol is out.
Actively listen to the other person. That's the purpose for this getaway.

Kopi Indonesia

2007-11-18T23:32:00.000-08:00

Jangan ngaku pecinta kopi jika belum mebaca yang ini...

Sumber: http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi
Dari Wikipedia Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas berbahasa Indonesia.

Kopi

Kopi adalah sejenis minuman, biasanya dihidangkan panas, dan dipersiapkan dari biji dari tanaman kopi yang dipanggang. Saat ini kopi merupakan komoditas nomor dua yang paling banyak diperdagangkan setelah minyak bumi. Total 6,7 juta ton kopi diproduksi dalam kurun waktu 1998-2000 saja. Diperkirakan pada tahun 2010, produksi kopi dunia akan mencapai 7 juta ton per tahun ( dari FAO ). Kopi merupakan sumber utama kafein.

Sejarah

Sejarah kopi dapat ditelusuri jejaknya dari sekitar abad ke-9, di dataran tinggi Ethiopia. Dari sana lalu menyebar ke Mesir dan Yaman, dan kemudian pada abad limabelas menjangkau lebih luas ke Persia, Mesir, Turki dan Afrika utara.

Pada awalnya kopi kurang begitu diterima oleh sebagian orang. Pada tahun 1511, karena efek rangsangan yang ditimbulkan, dilarang penggunaannya oleh para imam konservatif dan othodoks di majelis keagamaan di Makkah. Akan tetapi karena popularitas minuman ini, maka larangan tersebut pada tahun 1524 dihilangkan atas perintah Sultan Selim I dari Kesultanan Utsmaniyah Turki. Di Kairo, Mesir, larangan yang serupa juga disahkan pada tahun 1532, di mana kedai kopi dan gudang kopi ditutup.

Dari dunia Muslim, kopi menyebar ke Eropa, di mana minuman ini menjadi populer selama abad ke-17. Orang Belanda adalah yang pertama kali mengimpor kopi dalam skala besar ke Eropa, dan pada suatu waktu menyelundupkan bijinya pada tahun 1690, karena tanaman atau biji mentahnya tidak diijinkan keluar kawasan Arab. Ini kemudian berlanjut pada penanaman kopi di Jawa oleh orang Belanda.

Ketika kopi mencapai kawasan koloni Amerika, pada awalnya tidak sesukses di Eropa, karena dianggap kurang bisa menggantikan alkohol. Akan tetapi, selama Perang Revolusi, permintaan terhadap kopi meningkat cukup tinggi, sampai para penyalur harus membuka persediaan cadangan dan menaikkan harganya secara dramatis; sebagian hal ini karena didasari oleh menurunnya pesediaan teh oleh para pedagang Inggris. Minat orang Amerika terhadap kopi bertumbuh pada awal abad ke-19, menyusul terjadinya perang pada tahun 1812, di mana akses impor teh terputus sementara, dan juga karena meningkatnya teknologi pembuatan minuman, maka posisi kopi sebagai komoditas sehari-hari di Amerika menguat.

Jenis biji kopi

Ada dua spesies dari tanaman kopi; Arabika adalah kopi tradisional, dan dianggap paling enak rasanya, Robusta memiliki kafein yang lebih tinggi dapat dikembangakan dalam lingkungan di mana Arabika tidak akan tumbuh, dan membuatnya menjadi pengganti Arabika yang murah. Robusta biasanya tidak dinikmati sendiri, dikarenakan rasanya yang pahit dan asam. Robusta kwalitas tinggi biasanya digunakan dalam beberapa campuran espresso.

Kopi Arabika biasanya dinamakan oleh dermaga di mana mereka diekspor, dua yang tertua adalah Mocha dan Jawa. Perdagangan kopi modern lebih spesifik tentang dari mana asal mereka, melabelkan kopi atas dasar negara, wilayah, dan kadangkala ladang pembuatnya.
Satu jenis kopi yang tidak biasa dan sangat mahal harganya adalah sejenis robusta di Indonesia yang dinamakan kopi luwak. Kopi ini dikumpulkan dari kotoran luwak, yang proses pencernaanya memberikan rasa yang unik.

D'Cinnamon

2007-11-18T00:00:00.001-08:00

Sumber: http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayu_manis

Kayu Manis

Kayu manis (Cinnamomum verum, synonym C. zeylanicum) ialah sejenis pohon. Termasuk ke dalam jenis rempah-rempah yang amat beraroma, manis, dan pedas. Orang biasa menggunakan rempah-rempah ke dalam makanan yang dibakar manis, anggur panas, atau MiRas.

Kayu manis adalah salah satu bumbu makanan tertua yang digunakan manusia. Bumbu ini digunakan di Mesir Kuno sekitar 5000 tahun yang lalu, dan disebutkan beberapa kali di dalam kitab-kitab Perjanjian Lama.

Klasifikasi ilmiah

Kerajaan: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Kelas: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Laurales
Familia: Lauraceae
Genus: Cinnamomum
Spesies: C. verum
Nama binomial : Cinnamomum verum

Penguji Kopi

2007-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Pak Pandim,

Kalau bapak ada kebetulan membaca blog ini, saya ingin belajar cara menikmati kopi...

Terima kasih sebelumnya...

Salam,
PenikmatKopi_Wannabe

=================================================

Padamu Negeri Kamis, 08 November 2007 - 23:54 wib
Haji Pandim, Penguji Kopi Pagar Alam

Haji Pandim

Kompas/Wisnu Aji Dewabrata

Gudang kopi di Jalan Kombes H Umar, Kota Pagar Alam, Sumatera Selatan, itu amat terkenal bagi warga kota kecil di lereng Gunung Dempo. Gudang kopi tersebut milik Haji Pandim yang memiliki keahlian sebagai tester (penguji) kualitas kopi yang dibawa para petani.

Setelah melalui pengujian oleh Mang Pandim-panggilannya-dari gudang itulah kopi pagar alam jenis robusta dibawa ke Provinsi Lampung. Kemudian dari Lampung, kopi pagar alam beredar ke seluruh Indonesia, bahkan dunia.

Laki-laki berusia 57 tahun ini memiliki kemampuan menjaga kualitas kopi pagar alam yang akan dipasarkan ke luar daerah, agar harganya tidak jatuh. Sebagai benteng pemasaran, dia tak segan-segan menyuruh petani membawa pulang hasil kebunnya jika kualitas kopi yang dibawa buruk.

Ketika ditemui Kompas pada pertengahan Agustus lalu, Mang Pandim, yang nama aslinya Haji Ahmad Dimyati Rais, sedang duduk di depan timbangan di gudang kopi miliknya. Di balik timbangan, antrean petani kopi terus bertambah. Para petani itu membawa hasil panen kopi dari kebun masing-masing untuk dijual kepada Mang Pandim.

Para petani satu per satu meletakkan contoh biji kopi di atas nampan plastik. Mang Pandim kemudian meremas-remas biji kopi dalam nampan itu. Dalam waktu sekejap, dia langsung menyebut harga untuk biji kopi yang dibawa.

"Ini Rp 12.500 per kilogram, yang ini Rp 12.000. Ini cuma Rp 9.000, coba jemur dua hari lagi, lalu bawa ke sini," katanya kepada petani pemilik kopi setiap kali selesai meremas contoh biji kopi.

Setelah si petani setuju dengan harga yang ditawarkan Mang Pandim, mereka mendapat kertas kecil bertuliskan berat kopi dan harganya. Petanitinggal menukarkan kertas kecil itu ke kasir. Maka, biji kopi itu langsung dibayar.

"Pokoknya cash and carry," ujar Mang Pandim. Setiap hari Mang Pandim menampung 20 ton-30 ton biji kopi. Jadi, bisa dibayangkan berapa omzetnya setiap hari.

Tangan Mang Pandim adalah penguji kopi yang sangat akurat. Hanya dengan meremas biji kopi selama beberapa detik, dia dapat menaksir kadar air dalam biji kopi yang diremasnya. Kalau orang lain mencoba meremas beberapa contoh biji kopi, bisa-bisa sama sekali tidak terasa ada perbedaan. Semua biji kopi terasa kering.

"Dengan meremas biji kopi, saya bisa merasakan kadar airnya banyak atau sedikit. Sedangkan kualitas biji bisa dilihat dari bentuknya, apakah mulus atau tidak," ujarnya.

Ilmu meremas biji kopi itu dipelajari Mang Pandim selama 10 tahun sampai benar-benar akurat. Ia pun mengakui pernah salah menaksir kadar kekeringan kopi. Jika Anda ingin menjadi penguji kopi, setidaknya perlu waktu 10 tahun untuk belajar "meremas" biji kopi.

"Biji kopi yang saya pegang tidak ada yang sama rasanya dalam genggaman, pasti berbeda. Saya pernah berdebat dengan petani yang mengatakan kopinya kering, tapi saya tahu sebenarnya masih basah," katanya.

Mobil bekas
Sebelum menggeluti bisnis kopi, Mang Pandim berbisnis mobil bekas pada 1977-1979. Seingatnya sudah 100 mobil bekas yang dibawanya dari Jawa kePagar Alam. "Saya hafal seluk beluk kampung-kampung di Jakarta karena dulu sering masuk-keluar kampung mencari mobil bekas," tuturnya.

Semakin lama bisnis mobil bekas semakin tidak menguntungkan baginya karena muncul pesaing. Akhirnya, Mang Pandim memutuskan untuk meninggalkan bisnis mobil bekas dan mulai berbisnis kopi pada tahun 1983. Ia melanjutkan bisnis kopi orangtua.

Saat mulai berbisnis, karyawan Mang Pandim hanya empat orang. Kini jumlah karyawannya menjadi 10orang dengan jumlah truk pengangkut kopi sebanyak 12 buah. Perkembangan harga kopi dunia diikutinya dari dua telepon genggam di saku.

"Kunci kesuksesan berbisnis kopi adalah kepercayaan. Kepercayaan dari eksportir ataupun petani. Jangan sampai kepercayaan terhadap kualitas kopi pagar alam hilang. Susah mengembalikan kepercayaan yang sudah hilang," ujar Mang Pandim yang punya beberapa rumah di Jakarta dari hasil berbisnis kopi.

Karena kepercayaan itulah, sampai sekarang eksportir kopi di Lampung tak pernah memeriksa ulang karung kopi dari Mang Pandim. Meski, katanya, saat ini harga kopi sedang mahal sehingga bisa saja ada pedagang nakal yang mencampur kopi pagar alam dengan kopi biasa.

Ratu Belanda
Menurut Mang Pandim, perkebunan kopi di Pagar Alam pertama kali dibuka tahun 1920. Setelah Belanda hengkang, semua perkebunan kopi menjadi milik rakyat. Kopi pagar alam istimewa karena aromanya. Bahkan, pada zaman kolonial Belanda kopi pagar alam disajikan untuk Ratu Belanda.

Tak cuma penguji biji kopi, Mang Pandim juga telah mencicipi berbagai jenis kopi. Namun, dari berbagai jenis kopi yang dia minum, menurut selera lidahnya, tak ada yang senikmat kopi pagar alam.

"Aroma kopi pagar alam sangat wangi, bahkan sebelum diseduh. Di tenggorokan juga tidak terasa lengket. Kadar kafein kopi pagar alam tinggi. Jadi untuk konsumsi di Jawa sering dicampur dengan kopi jenis lain," tuturnya.

Kelebihan aroma kopi pagar alam telah "diakui" industri kopi. Ia lalu menyebut salah satu merek kopi populer yang menggunakan kopi pagar alam sebagai campuran untuk mendapatkan aromanya.

Bahkan, kopi lampung pun kebanyakan berasal dari kopi pagar alam. Sekitar 60 persen hingga 70 persen kopi lampung berasal dari tanaman kopi di Pagar Alam.

Mendidik petani
Untuk mendorong petani agar menjemur kopi lebih lama, ia menetapkan selisih harga yang jauh antara kopi kering kualitas satu dan kopi yang masih basah. Harga kopi kering Rp 12.500 sampai Rp 13.000 per kilogram, sedangkan kopi basah dihargai sekitar Rp 9.000 per kilogram.

Sayang, sebagian petani tak mau repot menjemur kopi sampai kering betul. Petani lebih suka menjual kopi yang masih basah agar lebih berat pada timbangan.

Menurut dia, pada zaman Belanda ada peraturan, kopi harus dijemur di atas tikar sampai kering. Buah kopi yang boleh dipetik hanya yang sudah merah. Peraturan itu masih dipatuhi sampai tahun 1980-an. Namun, sekarang petani tak lagi peduli.

Harga kopi yang menggiurkan menimbulkan efek samping negatif, yaitu semakin meningkatnya kerusakan hutan di lereng Gunung Dempo.

"Perkebunan kopi semakin luas, bukit-bukit dijadikan kebun kopi. Akibatnya, Kota Pagar Alam jadi panas. Sekarang banyak rumah memakai AC, bukan mau sok tetapi memang cuaca makin panas sejak empat tahun terakhir," ujar dia prihatin.

Mang Pandim juga dikenal sebagai tokoh masyarakat Kota Pagar Alam karena mampu merangkul semua golongan masyarakat di kota itu. Beberapa piagam penghargaan yang didapatnya sebagai tokoh masyarakat terpampang di dinding gudang kopi. Salah satu piagam itu berasal dari Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dan Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla.

"Saya tak mau jadi pejabat, bisa stres. Ada beberapa tawaran yang mengajak saya maju dalam Pilkada Kota Pagar Alam, tapi saya tolak. Saya lebih suka begini," katanya sambil tertawa.

Sumber: Kompas
Penulis: Wisnu Aji Dewabrata

10 Tipe Pria yang Dihindari Wanita

2007-11-15T00:00:00.001-08:00

Menurut gue, meskipun ini tips untuk menggaet wanita, bisa juga di apply pada cara kita berinteraksi/bersahabat dengan orang lai...

semoga bermanfaat...

==============================

Senin, 12/11/2007 15:18 WIB
10 Tipe Pria yang Dihindari Wanita
Puteri Fatia - detikHot

Jakarta, Tidak juga punya pacar atau selalu dijauhi wanita? Mungkin Anda mempunyai salah satu ciri-ciri pria yang dihindari wanita. Apa saja itu? Yuk kita simak satu per satu.
Apa rasanya berhasil mengajak kencan wanita impian, tapi setelah kencan pertama si idaman hati terkesan seperti menghindar. Di telepon susah, SMS tidak dibalas, diajak pergi lagi selalu menolak.. hmm ada apa ini? Jangan-jangan ada yang salah di kencan pertama, jangan-jangan Anda masuk dalam kategori pria yang dihindarinya.

1. Si Sombong
Pria semacam ini hobinya menyombongkan kelebihannya. Boleh sih promosi diri, tapi nggak perlu dong baru kencan pertama sudah menyombongkan soal deretan mobil di garasi, tempat-tempat yang pernah didatangi di luar negeri, atau berapa cewek yang sudah dikencani minggu ini. Apalagi kalau sambil membandingkan dengan orang lain, kemungkinan besar pasangan Anda sudah menguap sebelum kencan berakhir.

2. Si Jorok
Kencan pertama tak ada salahnya berusaha lebih keras untuk membuat kesan yang baik. Tampil lebih rapih, sisir rambut dulu, dan jangan lupa sikat gigi. Kencan pertama adalah saat yang menentukan, jika Anda sudah terlihat tidak peduli dengan tampil seadanya, baju lecek, rambut berantakan, bau matahari, ya jangan heran kalau di dia akan mengindar ketika diajak kencan lagi.

3. Si Kasar
Ketika makan di resto atau mengunjungi tempat umum, pastikan Anda bersikap ramah kepada petugas parkir atau pelayan di restoran. Jika Anda terlihat kasar bahkan emosional pada orang lain, si dia akan berpikir seribu kali pada Anda. Dia pasti berpikir, pada orang lain saja Anda bisa kasar, tak tertutup kemungkinan di masa depan Anda juga bisa berbuat yang sama kepadanya.

4. Si Pelit
Nggak ada salahnya mentraktir gebetan di kencan pertama. Wanita pun kadang tak keberatan membagi dua tagihan makan dengan Anda. Tapi kalau dari awal sudah terlihat perhitungan, poin Anda bisa jatuh di matanya. Wanita tidak bisa membayangkan menghabiskan hidupnya bersama pria yang menguntit tiap rupiah uangnya. Apalagi, kalau kencan pasti akan selalu diajak ke tempat-tempat yang ramah di kantong.

5. Si Agresif
Jangan buru-buru menggandeng tangannya kalau belum ada sinyal positif. Lihat dulu tanda-tanda positif darinya baru bertindak. Main gandeng sembarangan sebelum ada sinyal mengizinkan bisa bikin dia ill-feel karena merasa Anda pria yang agresif dan kurang menghormati wanita.

6. Si Penilai
Baru satu jam berkencan Anda lalu berkata, "oh aku tahu, kamu tipe wanita yang ....". Hmm, sebaiknya tunda dulu penilaian Anda setelah kencan kedua atau ketiga. Jika penilaian Anda salah, bisa jadi ia tersinggung lho!

7. Si Ribet
Kencan pertama adalah saatnya saling mengenal. Tapi apa jadinya kalau Anda sibuk menelepon dan SMS. Jika memang Anda tak bisa memusatkan perhatian Anda padanya, mungkin saja Anda sebenarnya tak tertarik padanya. Jika memang serius, tinggalkan telepon Anda untuk sebentar saja ketika sedang bersamanya.

8. Si Bussinesman
Baru kenal sudah ngomonginnya bisnis terus. Mulai dari MLM sampai bisnis pulsa elektrik motor semua dijajaki. Kencan yang romantis berubah menjadi ajang bisnis. Tak ada salahnya bersemangat dalam mengembangkan bisnis, tapi pilih waktu yang tepat untuk menceritakan semua itu. Yang jelas, waktunya bukan di kencan pertama. Kenali dia lebih dulu sebelum menawarkan bisnis apa yang cocok untuknya.

9. Si Gugup
Nggak mau menatap teman kencannya, kalau bicara terbata-bata, nggak fokus ketika diajak bicara, ini dia tanda-tanda si gugup. Wanita senang pada pria yang percaya diri. Yakinkan pada diri sendiri kalau semuanya akan baik-baik saja.

10. Si Tukang Keluh
Sedikit-sedikit mengeluh. Pusing lah, pilek, bos marah, semuanya serba susah. Lama-lama, pasangan Anda juga akan bosan jika obrolan selalu diisi dengan keluhan-keluhan melulu.

Benarkah Anda masuk dalam daftar tipe pria di atas? (fta/yla)

A True Essence of Soul

2007-11-14T00:00:00.001-08:00

Ketika gue sedang mencoba mendalami perasaan para penikmat kopi ketika menyeruput kopi racikannya.. gue menemukan beberapa komentar berikut:

"Memang minum kopi di kafe itu enak, tapi cobalah minum kopi tubruk yang airnya direbus di pawonan tradisonal pakai kayu bakar, disuguhkan di cangkir kecil yang pegangannya udah patah, lokasi warungnya di tepi sawah. Enak."

"kopiii...+jahe+bubuk kayu manis...sedikit gula +garam...uennak.. tapi kopi pahit tubruk lebih maaaaaaaaknyuuuus minumnya di gubuk bilik pinggir sawah,angin sepoi2.... "

kalau yang ini moment yg pas buat gue...

"kopi tubruk pake kayu manis...

merumput menatap hijaunya lembah...

aroma kayu manis membaur kumpulan...

teduh... tenang... mengayun mengikuti semilir...

kesat di rongga, manis di lidah, harum di bibir... "

Baristas Notes

2007-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Capucino Mousse

---------------

Disajikan Untuk : 4 Orang

Bahan-Bahan :100 gr

gula pasir125 cc

susu cair125 cc

kopi instan yang telah dilarutkan

150 gr milk cooking chocolate, lelehkan

200 cc whipping cream

40 gr gelatin putih, larutkan dengan air panas

60 cc air panas, untuk melarutkan gelatin

3 butir telur yang dipisah putih dan kuningnya

Cara Mengolah :

1. Kocok kuning telur dan gula dalam mangkuk hingga lembut.Tambahkan susu cair

2. Pindahkan ke panci kecil dan masak di atas api sedang hinggamendidih

3. Matikan api, diamkan sebentar hingga uap panasnya hilang.

4. Kemudian tambahkan kopi instan, cokelat masak, gelatin yang telahdilarutkan dengan air panas dan whipping cream, aduk hingga tercampurrata.

5. Kocok putih telur hingga kaku, kemudian masukkan ke dalamcampuran susu, kopi dan cokelat, aduk perlahan hingga semuatercampur rata.

6. Tuangkan ke mangkuk atau gelas, dingingkan hingga kaku dan siapuntuk dihidangkan.

7. Hias dengan cokelat serut

Espresso Chill

--------------

Disajikan Untuk : 2 Orang

Bahan-Bahan :

3/4 gelas air dingin

2 sendok teh kopi instan

1 gelas es batu

2 sendok makan gula

Cara Mengolah :

1. Masukkan air dingin dan kopi ke dalam blender, tutup.

2. Blender sampai kopi larut.

3. Tambahkan es dan gula.

4. Blender lagi, sampai halus.

5. Sajikan segera.

Es Capucino

-----------

BAHAN :

100 gram kopi

250 ml airgula pasir secukupnya

200 ml krim kental

krim hias semprot secukupnya

es batu

CARA MEMBUAT :

1.Didihkan air, buat kopi tubruk yang pekat dan saring.

2.Siapkan blender, isi dengan kopi krim kental, gula dan es batu dan blender hingga berbuih, tuangkan kedalam gelas, hias dengan krim hias semprot.

3.Sajikan dingin.

Es Kopi Moka

------------

BAHAN:

500 ml air panas

1 sdm kopi instan

1/2 kaleng susu kental manis cokelat

whipping cream secukupnya

50 gram cokelat masak, lelehkan

Taburan: kayu manis bubuk

CARA MEMBUAT:

1.Siapkan gelas tuangi dengan es batu secukupnya.

2.Seduh kopi dengan air panas, aduk rata, tambahkan susu kental manis cokelat, aduk rata.

3.Tuangkan ke dalam gelas, hias dengan whipping cream dan cokelat masak leleh, taburi kayu manis bubuk.

4.Sajikan dingin

6 hal sifat wanita

2007-11-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Ini dikirimin ama temen gue lewat e-mail, singkatnya mengenai kompleksitas wanita. Kalau saya tidak salah dikutip dari serial atau novel JOMBLO... atau mungkin dari novel lain (???)

jika ada yg tau... harap kasih tau gue ya... gue mau beli nih buku...

So... saya ingin mengucapkan mohon maaf lahir bathin kepada penulis aslinya...karena telah mengutip karyanya... sekaligus berterima kasih ama tips nya mengenai kompleksitas wanita.

Saya jadi lebih mengerti kenapa saya sering berantem ma pacar. Ternyata wanita itu kompleks...

"Karena Wanita ingin dimengerti" -- Ada Band

"Karena Pria ingin diberi dukungan" -- JT

========================================================

Budi dan Ani adalah tipikal pasangan pacar orang Sunda di mana sang pria memiliki panggilan 'Aa' dengan wanitanya 'Neng'. Satu bulan pertama, bagi Budi dan Ani, adalah surga. Mendekati 9 bulan pacaran, drama dimulai.

1. Cemburu

Ani menatap Budi dengan tajam. Kedua tangannya melipat defensif,menunjukkan sikap penuh permusuhan.Budi sedang mengonsumsi dosis harian menerima semprotan Ani. Satu isu kecil dapat berubah menjadi letusan gunung.

"Kenapa semalem Neng nelepon gak Aa' bales?"

"Geulis (cantik)?, soalnya Aa' semalem baru pulang jam 2."

"Ngapain aja?"

Mata Ani semakin tajam , membuat Budi merasa seperti imigran gelap yang sedang diinterogasi petugas imigrasi.

"Aa'?Aa' semalem kan siaran."

" Kan sampe jam dua belas."

"Abis itu, mengantarkan pulang Risa."

Kesalahan terbesar kebanyakan pria adalah kejujuran."Enak amat yah jadi Risa. Dianter kamu pulang malem-malem. Padahal kan dia bukan pacar kamu." Matanya semakin hostile. Budi menggaruk-garuk kepalanya.

Dia mulai mengerti maksud omongan Ani. Sudah saatnya wanita bersikap mandiri dan mampu pulang sendiri ke rumahnya di tengah malam melewati gang-gang penuh preman, maling pemerkosa. Belum lagi resiko dicabik-cabik anjing liar gila.

Di tahap ini, pembantu Ani yang berprofesi ganda sebagai pengamat sinetron Indonesia secara transparan berpura-pura tidak menguping pertengkaran.

"Daerah rumah dia kan Cikaso. Gak aman."

"Suruh dia pindah rumah dong. Biar kamu gak perlu anter-anter,"

ujarAni sambil mengabaikan beberapa faktor kecil seperti:

a. Bahwa mencari rumah baru sulit

b. Harga rumah mahal"Neng kenapa sih mesti cemburu?"

"Cemburu? Neng gak cemburu. Siapa yang cemburu? Apakah Neng terdengar seperti orang yang cemburu? Menurut kamu ini cemburu? Menurut kamu Neng cemburuan? Nggak!"

dengan desibel yang meningkat dari 8 kali level normal dengan dahi berkerut.

2. Dominasi

Ini adalah agenda keseharian Budi.

Pagi - Antar Ani ke kampusnya.

Siang - Mendatangi Ani di kampusnya, makan siang bersama.

Sore - Menjemput Ani dari kampus.

Malam - Menelpon Ani.

Budi mulai jengah dengan aktivitas yang menuntut mobilisasi tinggi ini. Dia mengusulkan agar Ani juga pro-aktif untuk pergi ke kampus Budi sesekali dan mengurangi frekuensi pertemuan.

"Neng, kalo kayak gini terus, Aa' bisa cacat permanen dan jatuh miskin."

"Katanya sayang?"

"Gak mesti tiap hari kan ketemuan?"

" Kan kangen A'."

"Kalo Neng kangen, ya Neng juga dong sekali-kali pergi ke kampus Aa'."

"Nggak. Aa' aja yang ke kampus Neng."

"Ntar Aa' kecapekan."

"Kalo sebaliknya, Neng dong yang kecapekan."

"AAAARRRGGGHHHHHHH"

3. Sensitifitas

"Neng keliatan gendut gak sih Aa'?"

"Nggak."

"Liat dong ke Neng kalo bicara."

"Oke."

"Gendut ah."

"Nggak kok sayang."

"Gendut."

"Ya mungkin sedikit perlu fitness kali ya?"

"JADI MENURUT AA', NENG GENDUT? TEGA!"

"Loh?"

"Apa liat-liat?"

"Tadi katanya disuruh liat."

"Liatin saya gendut?"

"Aa' minta obat tidur...4 butir...please."

"Buat?"

"Bunuh diri."

"Kenapa mau bunuh diri? Malu yah punya pacar gendut?"

"ARRRGGGHHHHH! !!"

4. Drama-drama-drama

"Halo?"

"Halo? Aa' ya?"

"Iya sayang, Neng, Aa' gak bisa ke rumah malem ini gak apa-apa ya?"

"Kenapa?"

"Aa' mau pergi sama temen-temen. Bimo ulang tahun dan mau nraktir makan."

"Nggak. Aa' ke sini sekarang juga."

"Tapi Neng, semua anak-anak pada ikutan."

"Jadi Aa' lebih seneng bergaul sama temen-temen Aa' daripada sama Neng?"

"Bukan gitu, ketemu kamu kan udah tiap hari. Bimo ulang tahun kan cuman sekali setahun."

"Bilang aja lebih sayang Bimo ketimbang sama Neng."

"Nggak kok, kamuh gak nangkep nih esensinya."

"Saya cuman sapi gila yang kamu gandeng kemana-mana. . ya, kan ?"

"Sapi sih nggak ya.."

"Hu hu hu.. udah gak ada yang sayang lagi sama Neng di dunia ini.."

"Ehm...cup cup sayang...duh, bageur..."

"Neng mending mati aja sekalian... giles aja Neng sekalian sama truk ayam, A'."

"Aduh Neng, ini bukan masalah yang besar kok, cuman semalem aja."

"Kalo bukan masalah yang besar berarti Aa' bisa ke sini, kan ?""....."

5. Teman

"Saya gak suka sama sahabat-sahabat kamu. Yang satu bau. Yang satu logat Sumateranya nyeremin dan yang paling Neng gak suka, yang paling deket sama kamu itu... tukang maenin cewek!"

6. Makna ganda

Budi mulai menyadari perkataan Doni di UNJAT dulu bahwa terkadang wanita bisa menjadi makhluk yang kompleks. Mereka berjalan-jalan di shopping mall. Minggu depan adalah ulang tahun Ani.

"Ih, bagus ya Budi yah sepatu ini," ujar Ani menatap sepasang sepatu.

"Kamu mau Aa' beliin ini untuk ulang tahun kamu?"

"Nggak lah nggak usah."

"...Oke..." Budi melanjutkan jalan-jalannya, meninggalkan Ani yang masih berdiri di depan etalase sepatu.

"Kok segitu aja?"

"??"

"Paksa dong bujuk Neng supaya mau."

"Kamu tadi baru bilang bahwa kamu nggak mau."

"Iya, tapi bukan berarti saya gak mau, kan ?"

"Jadi kalo kamu bilang gak mau, itu artinya kamu mau?"

"Belum tentu juga."

"Kalo kamu bilang mau, itu artinya kamu gak mau?"

"Belum tentu juga." Budi garuk-garuk.