Tag: COFFEE

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Food Lite Blogs Travel

Immerse Yourself in South India’s Coffee Blossom Season

Step into the captivating realm of South India’s coffee blossom season, where the landscape transforms into a stunning canvas adorned with delicate white flowers. Amidst the tranquil settings of Coorg and Chikmagalur, premier luxury resorts invite travellers to experience this ephemeral wonder.

The blossoming of flowers signals the transition from winter to spring—a time of renewal and rejuvenation. While this phenomenon is celebrated in various forms across different cultures, one particularly enchanting manifestation is the coffee blossom season. In regions like South India, the landscape undergoes a remarkable transformation as delicate white flowers adorn the coffee plantations.

The Ibnii Spa Resort, Coorg

Nestled amidst the tranquil landscapes of Coorg, The Ibnii Spa Resort offers guests a serene sanctuary to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the coffee blossom season. Surrounded by picturesque vistas, this luxurious retreat provides an idyllic setting for travellers seeking relaxation and adventure. From indulging in wellness activities to experiencing the enchanting spectacle of delicate coffee blossoms, guests can savour every moment while enjoying the epitome of luxury accommodation.

Evolve Back’s Chikkana Halli Estate, Coorg

Evolve Back, Coorg, nestled within a 300-acre working coffee and spice plantation, offers an ideal setting to immerse oneself in this seasonal spectacle. During the Coffee Blossom Season in Coorg, the landscape transforms into a mesmerizing sight, with delicate white flowers adorning the coffee plants. The enchanting aroma reminiscent of jasmine fills the air, creating an atmosphere of magic and tranquillity. While the blossom season typically begins towards the end of March, it might extend into April or bid adieu earlier than expected. Visitors are advised to check in with local sources about the bloom to be sure of experiencing the enchanting coffee blossom season.

Java Rain Resort, Chikmagalur

Located amidst the picturesque landscapes of Chikmagalur, Java Rain Resort provides a tranquil escape for guests seeking to witness the beauty of coffee blossoms in South India.

The Tamara Coorg

Tucked away in the lush hills of Coorg, The Tamara offers guests a luxurious retreat amidst the stunning scenery of coffee plantations, making it an ideal destination to experience the coffee blossom season.

The Serai, Chikmagalur

Set amidst the verdant hills of Chikmagalur, The Serai allows guests to witness the captivating beauty of coffee blossoms while enjoying world-class hospitality and luxurious accommodation.

As you plan your long weekend getaway, consider these five irresistible destinations and resorts that promise unforgettable experiences amidst nature’s splendour. From romantic retreats to luxurious spa getaways, there’s something for every traveller seeking relaxation, adventure, and romance.  Pack your bags and embark on a journey to rejuvenation and bliss in these captivating locales.

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Food Lite Blogs

Magical coffee time

Share a cup of coffee.(photo:IANSLIFE)

As the World Coffee Day approaches, what better way to celebrate than by using your barista skills and demonstrating, and whipping up some unique and delicious coffee. Here are a few recipes to share a cup with your confidants.

THE COLD COFFEE COOKIE CRUNCH

Category: Cold Beverage. Your favourite Thick cold coffee blend with ice cream and topped with whipped cream and crispy chocolate chip cookie

Ingredients

. Milk (120 ml)

. Vanilla ice cream (1 scoop – 100ml)

. Espresso (2 Shot-60ml)

. HCF – Chocolate syrup (20ml)

. Sugar syrup (20ml)

. Ice cubes (70 grams) ( Around 3-4 cubes)

. Whipped cream (1 shot)

. Chocolate chip cookie (2 cookies)

Method

. Blend together milk, espresso, vanilla ice cream and ice cubes in Hamilton blender for 30-45 sec. until smooth.

. Take a pilsner glass pour HCF in bottom of the glass, Pour mixture into it add 1 shot of whipped cream

. Take a cookie, break it into 2 pieces and keep top of the whipped cream

CAPPUCCINO WITH FLAVOURS

Category: Hot Beverage. Your favourite Cappuccino with flavors

Serve Ware: Regular 170 ( large 300 ml ) Cappuccino cup

Ingredients

. Milk (120 ml)

. Espresso (1 Shot – 30 ml)

. Caramel Sauce / HCF (Chocolate syrup/ Irish syrup/Hazelnut syrup/ butter rum syrup/ gingerbread syrup/ Vanilla syrup (15 ml)

Method

. Take a pre-heated cappuccino cup

. Make a fresh cappuccino add 30 ml flavours on the top of coffee

SWISS HOT CHOCOLATE

Category: Hot Beverage. Your favourite Hot chocolate

Serve Ware 300 Ml Kenyan Mug

Ingredients

. Milk (200ml)

. Chocolate powder (5gms- 2 sachet )

. HCF – Chocolate syrup (20ml)

Method

. Take a milk steamer Add 2 sachets of chocolate powder, Milk, And HCF steam all together up to 90 degrees, Pour into a Kenyan mug

Share a cup of coffee.(photo:IANSLIFE)
Share a cup of coffee.(photo:IANSLIFE)
Share a cup of coffee.(photo:IANSLIFE)

FLAVOUR FRAPPE

Category: Cold Beverage. Your favourite cold coffee blended with ice -cream.

Serve Ware: 360 Ml Pilsner glass or Linz glass Ingredients

Ingredients

. Milk (150 ml)

. Espresso (2 Shot – 60ml)

. Vanilla ice cream (2 scoops – 200 ml)

. Hazelnut OR Irish (20 ml)

. HCF – Chocolate syrup (20 ml)

. Chocolate chips to garnish

Method

Blend together milk, espresso, and vanilla ice cream in a Hamilton blender for 30-40 sec. until smooth. Take a pilsner glass, Glaze the glass with HCF to add flavour, and pour the mixture into it Garnish with Chocolate chips

(World Coffee Day is celebrated annually on October 1)

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Food Lite Blogs

Ideal coffee recipes to try at home

First of all, setting yourself up on a date is important. Second, a coffee date doesn’t take much advance preparation. Here are some homemade recipes for the ideal coffee date…writes Girish Chandra

Coffee Affogato Chocolate

Category: Hot Beverage

Your favourite ice cream with fresh shot of espresso and Chocolate syrup

Serve Ware: 210 ml Martini Glass

Ingredients

Espresso (2 Shot – 60 ml)

Vanilla ice cream (200 ml)

HCF (Chocolate syrup) (30 ml)

Garnish Chocolate cigar stick (1 stick)

Method

Take Martini glass, glaze glass with HCF and add 2 scoops of vanilla ice-cream. Pour Fresh 2 shot of espresso on the top of ice cream

Take 1 chocolate cigar stick and break it into two, stick it on corner of the glass

Irish Caramel Frappe

Category: Cold Beverage

Your favourite cold coffee with Irish and caramel flavour

Serve Ware: 360 ml Pilsner glass or Linz glass

Ingredients:

Milk (80 ml)

Espresso (1 shot – 30 ml)

Vanilla ice-cream (2 scoop – 200 ml)

Irish syrup (20 ml)

Whipped cream (1 shot – 30gms)

Ice cubes (40 gms)

Caramel Sauce (30 ml)

Method

Blend together milk, espresso, ice cubes, Irish flavour, 20ml caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream in Hamilton blender or Blend for 30-45 seconds until smooth.

Take a pilsner glass glaze glass with caramel sauce pour mixture into it add whipped cream on the top of mixture

Garnish with couple of drops of Irish syrup

Espresso Con Panna

Category: Hot Beverage

Your favourite fresh shot of espresso with whipped cream

Serve Ware: 110 ml Shot glass

Ingredients

Espresso 1 Shot(30 ml)

Whipped cream (1 shot – 30 gms)

Method

Take a shot glass, take espresso direct from machine into shot glass add 1 shot of whipped cream on the top of espresso

Irish Cafe Cream

Category: Hot Beverage

Your favourite Indulgence hot coffee with fresh cream, It’s a Layered beverage

Serve Ware: 280 ml Irish Glass

Ingredients

Milk (120 ml)

Espresso (1 Shot – 60ml)

Irish Syrup (30 ml)

Whipped cream (1 shot – 30gms)

Method

Take Irish glass, Pour Irish syrup in the bottom froth the milk slowly pour on the top of Irish syrup it should not mix with syrup, Take fresh shot of espresso pour on the top of milk

Topped with 1 shot of whipped cream garnish drops of Irish syrup


Mocha Frappe Blast

Category – Cold Beverage

Your favourite cold coffee with chocolate & delectable ice-cream and whipped cream

Serve Ware: 360 Ml Pilsner glass or Linz glass

Ingredients

Milk (100 ml)

Espresso (2 Shot – 60ml)

Vanilla ice cream (2 scoop – 200 ml)

Drinking Chocolate Powder (5 gms)

HCF – Chocolate syrup (20 ml)

20 ml Whipped cream (1 shot- 30gms)

Chocolate chips or Choco powder to garnish

Method:

Blend together milk, espresso, vanilla ice cream & drinking chocolate powder in Hamilton blender or Blendtec for 30-40 sec. until smooth.

Glaze glass with Chocolate syrup.

Pour the mixture in glass.

Garnish with Choco Chips or Choco powder

(Recipes curated by Girish Chandra, Beverage Training Manager, Lavazza India)

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Health Lite Blogs

Coffee a powerhouse of chemicals?

In colorectal cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer, coffee has also been shown to have a protective effect…writes DR PRASAD KASBEKAR

 Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee? Whether it be an early morning aperitif to start your day or something to relax that hardened body after a busy day in the office, or maybe a simple hot cuppa to have on a rainy day. Coffee has been consumed for centuries. Many swear by it as well.

Coffee by itself is a known concoction of a multitude of chemicals, the most famous being caffeine, other chemicals present include chlorogenic acid, putrescine, among others. Manufacture of coffee entails the usage of multiple chemicals, fertilisers, insecticides, among others. Thus simple coffee is a powerhouse of chemicals.

Many have asked me whether coffee can cause cancer. Conventional wisdom would say that excessive consumption would somehow be associated with the dreaded disease. Anything in excess would be deleterious, why should coffee be different.

However, studies suggest something else, a few studies done on the topic show that coffee is not associated with cancers in general. A few studies have been associating coffee with the risk of bladder cancer and lung cancer, but no conclusive evidence has been obtained.

In colorectal cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer, coffee has also been shown to have a protective effect.

Now, one must understand that none of these is absolute, and a lot more studies are needed regarding this to prove a protective or destructive association conclusively. Polyphenols present in coffee are known to have a beneficial effect in preventing cancer and other diseases such as hypertension and heart disease; while acrylamide present is known to be carcinogenic with an association seen with lung and bladder and blood cancers.

A study published in 2020 did a meta-analysis of all the previous studies done to try and search for the association between cancer and coffee consumption. After studying a total of 36 different papers on the same, they came to the conclusion that coffee was in fact protective against endometrial cancer, liver cancer, melanomas, oral cancer and pharyngeal cancers. Coffee had some association with urinary bladder cancers and a possible association with lung cancer. The International Agency for Cancer Research also agreed upon the above findings with regard to the reduced risk of cancer with a special emphasis on liver cancer and endometrial cancer.

They could find no positive association between any cancer forms conclusively.

Finally, I would like to share my opinion on the whole conundrum of coffee and cancer. The most common answer I would give my patients who ask these questions would be that coffee is safe! It had been consumed by our ancestor’s eons back and continues to be consumed now. Any item consumed in excess is harmful, and coffee is the same. Small quantities make no difference. Many studies carried out to try to find associations between certain items and diseases, and some may be overstating that association as well. We should not read too much into each article we find, rather critique it with a stable head. Over a nice hot cup of coffee!

ALSO READ-Exclusive milk-based coffee recipes to try at home

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Food Lite Blogs

Exclusive milk-based coffee recipes to try at home

Tierra is a unique blend of as many as 20 different coffees, selected from the best beans and toasted with care. The coffee that highlights the characteristics of its places of origin: Brazil, Colombia, Central America and India, is sustainable even throughout its supply chain. Here are a few exclusive recipes to try out…writes Abdul Sahid Khan

Healthy honey coffee smoothie

Ingredients

Shot of Espresso

100 ml milk

2 tsp honey

60 ml soya cream

1 ripe bananas, frozen

1 tbsp chocolate syrup

4 ice cubes

Directions

Combine the coffee and honey with the water and stir.

Tip the brewed coffee, cream, bananas, syrup and ice cubes into the blender.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and drizzle over a little more chocolate syrup if you like.

Blueberry and Honey coffee smoothie

ingredients

Shot of Espresso

150 ml chilled milk

2 tsp honey

100 g fresh blueberries

50 gm rolled oats

4 ice cubes

Directions

Combine the coffee, milk, oats, blueberries, and honey into a blender.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and top with a few whole blueberries.

Marshmallows mocha

Ingredients

Shot of Espresso

20 ml milk

5-6 marshmallows

2 tbsp caramel sauce

Whipped cream

2 tbsp chocolate sauce

Directions

Take a shot of Espresso in a mug.

If you making it at cafe just froth the milk like latte, Heat the milk or cream in the microwave until hot but not boiling (about 30 seconds).

Add the espresso and give it a thorough mix with chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce.

Fill the mug with hot and frothed milk. Put generous amount of whipped cream.

Drizzle with lots of chocolate sauce and top with marshmallows.

Cinnamon Almond cappuccino

Ingredients

Shot of Espresso

150 ml almond milk

Cinnamon powder

Nutmeg (just for taste)

Sugar to taste

Directions

Take a shots of espresso and starch it with hot water, half fill the mug.

Steam and Froth almond milk, until doubled in volume.

Pour it like Cappuccino, Sprinkle over a dash of cinnamon and very little nutmeg. Enjoy.



Red Velvet Latte

Ingredients

Shot of Espresso

350 ml milk

20gm milk/white chocolate

10 ml vanilla syrup

Few drop red food colouring

Whipped cream

White chocolate shavings (Garnish)

Directions

Take a shot of espresso in a glass mug, Add in the chocolate and stir to melt.

Add a drop food colouring and stir to combine.

Pour steam and frothed milk like cappuccino.

Mix two drop of food colouring into soy cream and whip it.

Pour good amount of whipped cream over cappuccino.

Sprinkle over some white chocolate shavings.

Indian Spicy Mocha
Shot of Espresso
180 ml milk

15 ml chocolate sauce

Cinnamon powder

Ground cardamom

Ground nutmeg

Directions

Steam and froth the milk.

Take a shot of espresso in a cup, add chocolate sauce, and ground spices to your espresso.

Pour the hot milk and just like latte. Enjoy.

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COVID-19 Health

‘A cup of coffee a day may protect you from Covid-19’

Coffee is known to contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties….reports Asian Lite News

 Drinking one or more cups of coffee per day was associated with about a 10 per cent decrease in risk of Covid-19, compared to less than one cup daily, claimed a study.

The study, led by researchers from the Northwestern University in the US, also found that the consumption of more vegetables, and less processed meats, could cut the risk of Covid infection.

Coffee is known to contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

“Coffee consumption favourably correlates with inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor I (TNF-I), which are also associated with Covid-19 severity and mortality,” said the study published in the journal Nutrients.

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“Coffee consumption has also been associated with lower risk of pneumonia in elderly. Taken together, an immunoprotective effect of coffee against Covid-19 is plausible and merits further investigation,” it added.

For the study, the team analysed the records of 40,000 British adults in the UK Biobank. They looked at the link between diet factors including daily intake of coffee, tea, oily fish, processed meat, red meat, fruit, and vegetables, and Covid.

They found that consumption of at least 0.67 servings/d of vegetables (cooked or raw, excluding potatoes) was associated with a lower risk of Covid-19 infection.

Processed meat consumption of as little as 0.43 servings/d was associated with a higher risk of Covid-19. However red meat consumption presented no risk, suggesting meat per se does not underlie the association observed with processed meats.

“Our results support the hypothesis that nutritional factors may influence distinct aspects of the immune system, hence susceptibility to Covid-19. Encouraging adherence to certain nutritional behaviours (eg, increasing vegetable intake and reducing processed meat intake) may be an additional tool to existing Covid-19 protection guidelines to limit the spread of this virus,” said the researchers.

“Although these findings warrant independent confirmation, adherence to certain dietary behaviors may be an additional tool to existing Covid-19 protection guidelines to limit the spread of this virus,” they added.

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