Group Work
Group Work
Group Work
Expo 2018
The By-Products of Coffee Production:
1. Cáscara
Many of us may think we reside firmly on either Team Tea or Team Coffee. But what if there
was something that could satisfy both camps at once? Like, say, a tea made out of coffee!?
Cascara (also known as sultana in Bolivia and qishr in Yemen) is exactly that: a beverage
made from the dried skin of the coffee cherries that can be steeped like tea and enjoyed
both hot and cold.
In coffee producing countries like Yemen and Ethiopia, drinking cascara is an old tradition.
It’s served every morning before the coffee farmers rise as well as on special occasions, like
the receiving of guests. Like the beans, the taste depends on the variety.
Cascara can be bought online from Square Mile or The Barn, so why not try it yourself? You
can even enhance it with spices, using everything from ginger to cinnamon or cloves to
create your own signature drink.
Just remember – like coffee, cascara contains caffeine. Don’t get an overdose while
experimenting!
2. Ŝelosoda
Fancy a sparkling coffee mixer? Think ŝelosoda. A version of cascara, it’s produced from the
dried and discarded coffee cherries – yet it tastes quite different. It has a naturally sweet
honey and orange taste, and organic lemon and orange juices are typically added to
enhance the flavor. The added sparkle promises a refreshing drinking experience and it also
goes well with some types of alcohol (I recommend gin).
Sourced from the coffee farm Las Lajones in Panama, ŝelosoda is brewed in southern
Germany. It’s hard to find it outside of the German market, yet if you feel like creating your
own, there’s strong potential for experimentation. (Dare I say it, putting your own twist on the
ŝelosoda could see you crowned champion of your local barista competition.)
And if you don’t feel like getting inventive, it can only be a matter of time until this delicious
drink hits the global (online) market.
3. Coffee flour
Yes, you read that right – coffee flour! Can you imagine delicious homemade cookies or
brownies, with a hint of “floral, citrus, and roasted fruit-type notes” mixing with that
chocolatey goodness? This is what CF Global Holdings, a company founded by former
Starbucks employee Dan Belliveau, is currently working on.
Coffee flour is made from the leftover coffee cherry, but it’s eco-friendly nature isn’t the only
amazing thing about it. This gluten-free option is supposed to have five times the fibre whole
grain wheat flour contains, as well as three times more iron than fresh spinach. Pretty good,
right?
And if coffee flour became popular, it would provide an additional source of money for coffee
farmers who could sell the dried cherries to flour mills. Hello, potential for greater economic
growth and the reduction of organic waste.
Coffee flour is predicted to hit the shelves by the end of 2015, so watch out for this
interesting new ingredient.
4. Fertilizer
Not only does caffeine wake you up in the morning, it can have the same effect on your
plants. If, like me, you enthusiastically buy new plants only to witness their rapid demise,
coffee could come to your (and your plants’) rescue.
Used coffee grounds still contain nutrients beneficial for the soil, if applied in reasonable
quantities. You can either ask your local coffee shop for their spent coffee pucks or use the
coffee grounds left over after your morning brew. Simply work them into the soil around the
plants, and the grounds will add organic material that improves the quality of the soil.
Another use for coffee grounds around the garden is as compost. If you turn it around
regularly, it will add nitrogen to your pile and compost in about three weeks.
Bonus point: the caffeine around your plants is said to keep slugs and snails away!
5. Air Freshener
Coffee grounds are not only useful helpers for your plants – they also help you out around
the house.
Every once in awhile, you’ll open your fridge and (depending on what you’re storing in there)
be greeted by some unpleasant smells. So here’s a smart trick: always keep a bowl of fresh,
unused coffee grounds in there. It will absorb any
smells, usually overnight.
There really are so many creative uses for coffee by-products and used coffee grounds, and
research is showing there may be more to come. Recent studies have investigated how the
substances contained in the coffee cherry can be used in animal feed, fuel, agriculture, and
even beauty products.
People drink coffee to relieve mental and physical fatigue and to increase mental alertness.
Coffee is also used to prevent Parkinson's disease, gallstones, type 2 diabetes,
gastrointestinal cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. Other uses include treatment of
headache, low blood pressure, obesity, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Rectally, coffee is used as an enema to treat cancer. Coffee enemas are used as a part of
the "Gerson Therapy." In the Gerson Therapy, cancer patients are treated with caffeinated
coffee in the form of enemas every four hours on a daily basis. During the treatment people
are given a diet of liver, vegetables, and a variety of medicines, including potassium, pepsin,
Lugol's solution, niacin, pancreatin, and thyroid extracts. The Gerson Therapy is considered
an unacceptable medical practice in the U.S., but continues to be used at The Hospital of the
Baja California in Tijuana, Mexico, one mile from the U.S.
Mental alertness. Drinking coffee and other beverages that contain caffeine throughout the
day seems to increase alertness and clear thinking. Caffeine can also improve alertness
after sleep deprivation. Combining caffeine with glucose as an "energy drink" seems to
improve mental performance better than either caffeine or glucose alone.
Reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. Some research suggests that drinking more than 3
cups of coffee daily may significantly reduce the risk of rectal cancer.
Preventing dizziness in older people caused by low blood pressure after eating a meal
(postprandial hypotension). Drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee seems to increase
blood pressure in elderly people who experience dizziness after meals.
Preventing gallstones.
Drinking caffeinated beverages, including coffee, that provide at least 400 mg of caffeine
per day seems to reduce the risk of developing gallstones. The greater the intake of caffeine,
the lower the risk. Drinking 800 mg caffeine per day (four or more cups of coffee) has the
greatest reduction in risk.
Dosing
BY MOUTH:
For headache or improving mental alertness: The typical dose of caffeine is up to 250 mg
per day, about 2 cups of coffee.
For preventing Parkinson's disease: Three to four cups (28 oz) of caffeinated coffee per day
or 421 mg to 2716 mg total caffeine. However, a significantly lower risk of developing
Parkinson's disease has also been associated with as little as 124 mg to 208 mg of caffeine
(approximately one to two cups of coffee). In women, more moderate caffeinated coffee
intake, one to three cups per day, seems to be best.
For preventing gallstone disease: 400 mg or more of caffeine per day (two or more cups of
coffee). However, drinking at least 800 mg caffeine per day (four or more cups of coffee)
seems to be most effective.
For preventing type 2 diabetes: 900 mg caffeine per day (6 or more cups of coffee per day)
long-term.
Use filtered coffee to avoid some unwanted side effects. Choice of coffee, grind, ratio of
coffee to water, and other factors determine flavor and strength of the coffee.
Caffeine content of coffee (per average cup): Percolated, 100-150 mg caffeine; instant,
85-100 mg caffeine; and decaffeinated, approximately 8 mg caffeine. Darker roasts contain
less caffeine due to the roasting process.