Coffee Ideas!

Coffee Pathways trip 2010

2010-12-10T04:52:00.000-08:00

New harvest 2010-11

The first ripen coffee cherries are being hand picked at Jaivik Greens Organic Estate, Coorg. From left to right: Jose Luis ( Coffee Ideas!), Shantala and Tippu (owners of Jaivik Greens), Apu van Otterlo (consumer), Jessamijn Miedema(Coffee Ideas!), Sijmen and Madu.

We have walk around all the different blocks, each one has its own particularities. We are walking towards the Rosewood block, here we find 53 full grown Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) trees.

Tracing the stem white borer (Xylotrechus quadripes). The expert eyes of this man checks any affected tree so it can be either treated or uprooted and burned.

The white borer is a pest that needs to be monitored carefully, otherwise can wipe out completely a plantation and quickly spread in the whole area .

The most humid places of the plantation are used to grow cardamom.

The first batches of parchment being sun-dried.

Jose Luis and Tippu

The banana flower

Centenary trees like this one have a safe place at Jaivik Greens. Many forest in Coorg are destroyed to introduce unsustainable agriculture based on mono crops.

Pepper harvest

Making homemade wine is a tradition in Coorg. We have made different wines using paddy, wheat, sugar, raisins, passion fruit, almonds, cashews and coffee cherries.

Swimming in the Kaveri river

Crossing rice fields

Steam vegetable momos

Fruit vendor in Madikeri

Rice harvest

Nalkad Palace carving details.

Details of the roof at the King's room at Nalkad Palace

Tippu and Shantala at he entrance of the Palace

Our trekking to the highest peak in Coorg, Tadiandamol is about 1748m above sea level

Wild Water buffalos are seen as well as local cows.

The landscape is unique, climbing to the top of Coorg.

We found a scorpion

We crossed a Shola forest

Coffee Ideas! gave a talk on coffee at the annual conference organized by the Codagu Women's awareness body, in Sommarpet.

The talk was attended by more than 120 coffee planters from all the ares of Coorg

We showed some slides of our work, the response was very positive.

Getting lost in the Mysore market is a pleasant adventure, the vendors are friendly. The smell of spices, essential oils, sandal and incense is all around.

Locals buy their daily needs at the market

This shop is a very old one, they have a selection of essential oils of a very good quality.

At Mahatma Gandhi square you can find many local coffee roasters selling freshly roasted coffee.

Madikeri coffee roasting shop

We slept at the Chamundi Guest house in Mysore

Making pumpking pancakes in the morning, we had so much fun!

Signature spider in a local temple

Grasshopper taking a sun bath

Coffee Pathways, next trip to the coffee land.

2010-10-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Coffee lovers, we are preparing our next Coffee Pathways trip next February-March 2011.

A group from Spain is getting ready, so if you feel to discover how coffee is made from A to Z perhaps this is your opportunity. Maximun participants are 10 and will travel in Tempo traveller. Be ready to sleep in a Maharaja's palace or in a lodge in the middle of the jungle. Rafting, nature walks across coffee forest, crossing hanging bridges to spot the Hornbill colonies. Visit to Tibetan settlements, meet a lama and stay in Auroville and Pondicherry.

Here is a brief of our last Coffee Pathways trip last March.Some pictures, information and comments below to give a glimpse of what you will experience.

Mysore visit

Until 1947, Mysore was the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore and was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty, except for a 40-year era in the 18th century when Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan were the de facto rulers of the province. The Wodeyars were patrons of art and culture and contributed significantly to the cultural growth of the city, which has led to Mysore earning the sobriquet Cultural capital of Karnataka.

Mysore Bazaar, discover a world of smells, colours and charming shop keepers

The Lalita Palace, Mysore, This Palace is now a hotel and we will stay 1 night.

Mysore is located at 12°18′N 76°39′E / 12.30°N 76.65°E and has an average altitude of 770 metres (2,526 ft).^[23] It is situated in the southern region of the state of Karnataka, at the base of the Chamundi Hills and spreads across an area of 128.42 km² (50 sq mi).^[2] The summer season is from March to June, followed by the monsoon season from July to November and the winter season from December to February.^[23] The highest temperature recorded in Mysore was 38.5 °C (101 °F) on May 4, 2006, and in winter, temperatures as low as 9.6 °C (49 °F) have been recorded.^[24]^[25] The average annual rainfall received by the city is 798.2 mm (31 in).^[2]^:p.04 Though Mysore is situated in the relatively safe seismic zone II, earthquakes of magnitude greater than 4.5 on the Richter scale have been recorded in the vicinity of the city.^[26]^[27]

Entrance of The Lalita Palace

The traditional Taxi in Mysore in contrast with our modern Tempo traveler.

Ganesh Temple in Mysore. Early morning puja

Mysore is called the City of Palaces because of the number of palaces situated in the city, including Amba Vilas popularly known as Mysore Palace, Jaganmohana Palace which has now been converted into an art gallery, Rajendra Vilas also known as the summer palace, situated in the Chamundi Hills, Lalitha Mahal which has now been converted into a hotel and Jayalakshmi Vilas, which is now on the University of Mysore premises.^[68] The main palace of Mysore burned down in 1897, and the present-day structure was built on the same site. Externally, Amba Vilas palace exhibits an Indo-Saracenic architecture style though the interior is distinctly Hoysala style of architecture in nature.[69

At Mysore Bazaar you will have a chance to buy essential oils, silks, sandal, incense and handicrafts.

The coffee land of Coorg

We arrived at the Green Hill Estate. The trip have been very smooth, climbing the gentle slopes of the Coorg's hills. Upwards, downwards, crossing ample meadows planted with rice and coconut plantations. Bamboo forests growing along the shores of the Kavery river. Coffee is all around, patios with coffee cherries and multi hued pepper corns spread like in a zen garden, to be dried under the blessings of the sun.

The house was built in the XIX by a Swiss architect, in red stone, tailed roof and rose wood. The Verandha is the best spot to have breakfast and inhale the tranquility of the place.

Our coffee was all the time with us

The main hall, where we host our dinners, played music and danced.

The whole house was occupied by us. We had the feeling to be in a friend house. We set up the tables with candles, put nice music...meanwhile dinner is getting ready, the smell of spices is all around.

Aloe and Eden ready for supper

The first floor hall is a sort of a museum and a library. Pictures and artifacts from the owner's ancestors are displayed in a genuine Coorg style.

There are 2 big rooms in the first floor with 4 beds and spacious toilet. A piano in good condition and plenty of interesting books.

Inside one of the rooms, each one is different with it's own cliche.

The Nalknad Palace
Just a few kilometers from the Green Hill Estate, we found an interesting spot to explore. The lesser known temple built in the middle of the jungle at the foot of the highest peak in Coorg, the Thadiyandamol.
The trekking to the top of the mountain is a unique opportunity to see the rain forest in its full expression.

History

After the death of the Kodagu king, Lingaraja I in 1780 A.D., Hyder Ali captured Kodagu under the pretext of being a guardian to Lingaraja's sons, DoddaVeerarajendra and Linga Rajendra who were of tender age.^[3] The princes were sent to reside in a fort at Gorur in Hassan district, a garrison was stationed at Mercara (capital of Kodagu) and a minister (Amaldar) was appointed to look after the administration of Kodagu. The people of Kodagu were angry at the takeover of Kodagu by Hyder Ali and rebelled against him in 1782 A.D. Since Hyder Ali was busy in fighting against the British army, they managed to throw the garrison out of Kodagu and proclaim their independence.^[3]
After Hyder Ali's death, his son Tipu Sultan wanted to recapture Kodagu. He moved the Kodagu princes from Gorur to Periyapatna and closely monitored them.^[3] However, Dooda Veerarajendra managed to escape and returned to Kodagu.^[4] He started to wage battles against Tipu Sultan's army which forced Tipu to send a large force to Kodagu to subdue the king. Tipu Sultan's army was able to capture some forts but suffered heavy losses as well. However, Dodda Veerarajendra managed to recapture the forts except the Mercara fort. He decided to move to a thickly forested area called Nalknad and convert it as a base for its operations. He built the Nalknad Palace here.^[4] It was a two-storeyed structure with a tiled roof.^[1] Since Dodda Veerarajendra did not have any sons from his first marriage, he married Mahadevammaji in 1796, and this marriage took place in Nalknad Palace. However, his second queen also could not bear him any sons. After Tipu's death, he entered into an alliance with the British to maintain peace with them.
When Dodda Veerarajendra died in 1809, his ten-year old daughter Devammaji was declared as the "queen of Kodagu".^[4] However, in 1811, Linga Rajendra, the younger brother of the deceased king, proclaimed himself as the king of Kodagu and ruled the region till his death in 1820. Chikka Veerarajendra, the son of Linga Rajendra, became the king of Kodagu. In 1832, differences began to rise between the king and the British, forcing the king to start a war against the British. However, the Britishers attacked Kodagu with full force and began to make inroads. Chikka Veerarajendra moved to Nalknad Palace which became his last refuge.^[1] In order to prevent major losses, the king had to surrender and the British deposed him to Benares. With this, Kodagu came under the direct rule of the British and Chikka Veerarajendra remained as the last king of Kodagu.^[

This is the main door of the Palace, still perfectly preserved. I wish i could talk to the door and listen to the stories of a bygone area.

Pepper and coffee harvesting at Green Hills Estate, Virajpet

Robusta cherries ready to harvest at the Green Hill Estate.

Pepper being sun-dried in the patios of the Green Hill Estate

A close up of the pepper from a floor view, the spiced fragrance of green and red pepper is all around

Freshly hand picked robusta coffee cherries drying in the patio

Mr. Poonacha measures the harvest of the day

Only the very ripe ones are harvested in the first rounds

Zen coffee patios

Traditional door built 150 years ago, still in perfect shape.

Dried cherries selection

Winnowing the coffee is a team work task . Coordination, rhythm and good spirit is required.

Visit to Talakavery, the sacred birthplace of the Kavery river

This is the origin of river Kavery on the eastern slopes of Brahmagiri peak at 1350 metres altitude, about 8 km by road from Bhagamandala.

An enclosure around the spring called Gundige is connected to a small pond beside. The water from the pond goes underground and comes out after about one kilometer down the hill. There are three shrines above the spring and birds eye view of west-coast from the hill range.

On a predetermined date and time of Tulasankranthi every year the spring from Gundige overflows called Thirthodbhava. This holy water is carried home by all pilgrims when they go back after paying the last rituals to their parent or spouse departed during the preceding year.

There is a shrine near the kundike and a big tank in front of it where devotees baths before offering prayers. There are 2 temples here, a Shiva temple with a rare and ancient Shiva Linga, and another Lord Ganesha's temple. According to legend, the Trimurtis - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh gave darshan to sage Agastya at the holy Ashwantha tree near the temple.

Young priest in a ceremony

Ganesh

Shiva

Preparing for the ceremony

Bathing is an ancient practice among Kodavas

Staircase to the top of the Bramagiri Brahmagiri peak at 1350 metres altitude

A eyebird view of the Pushpagiri range

The flowering of coffee

After the rains in March, called by the locals the blossom showers bring the coffee landscape of Coorg to an entire transformation. Thousands of coffee flowers blossoms at the same time for 9 days. The fragrance of jasmine with some notes of sweet gardenia invades the forest.

Delicate, fragile each flower will be in 9 months a ripen cherry, each containing 2 beans. To make a cup of coffee you need 50 beans, so remember when you drink your coffee that 100 flowers blossomed for you.

Each Cluster one cup of coffee!

Nature walks

Sunset in Coorg

Coffee forest in full bloom

We had trained the personnel how to do a good coffee.

Candle lit dinner at the main hall

Setting up the table

Vanilla creeping in a coffee trunk

Taking time to reflect and connect with nature

Montse and Conchi at the patio

Visit to Virajpet

Walking to Virajpet from the Green Hills Estate take around 2 hours.

Virajpet is Coorg's main commercial centre and second town of the district of Kodagu. It is highest producer of honey in Asia.Nearby towns are Gonikoppal, Ammatti and Ponnampet.Virajpet is also known Devarakadus or sacred groves, which means they have a close link between the Kodava community and nature.

Road to Virajpet

St Anne's Church was built in the year 1792 in European and Gothic styles, under the direction of Father Gullivan.St Anne's Church It is surrounded by vast paddy fields on one side and the majestic Malethirke Hill in the background. This church is also a symbol of Coorg's secular tradition. In the year 1811 it was brought down and rebuilt in the year 1868 with a huge spacious structure. The roof is made of copper with decorated interiors and statues from the Bible. The steeple is 180 Feet which resembles a giant candle.

Virajpet boys with Montse

Entrance to St Anne's church

Traffic ranger in Virajpet

Virajpet center

Oil lamp

Add caption

Jasmine, roses, calendulas shop at the market

Local tailor

Visit to the coffee curing works in Kushalnagar

It is a busy time in Kushalnagar curing works, thousands of jute bags arrive everyday form all the coffee plantations of the area. Here, coffee is graded by its density, colour and size. It is also cleaned, hulled and pealed.


From this godowns coffee is send to Cochin by containers to be exported to Europe

The premises are kept always in best conditions

Coffee arrival

This machine sorts out the coffee beans by size

An electronic eye grades the coffee beans by the colour.

Coffee grading trays

There is no machine that can much the human eye to finally select the best beans

Coffee being carried to the final bag

This tailor stitches the bag with a special sewing machine

Hand sorting of coffee

Woman sorting out the beans, the final check

It was really an experience!

Visit to Namdroling's Golden Temple, Bylakuppe

Feel Tibet in Coorg.....

After the Chinese took over Tibet, the refugees were settled at Bylakuppe Near Kushalnagar and the Buddhist Monastery was re-established here in 1972. It houses over 250 monks today. The monastery not only attracts large number of young Tibetans seeking enlightenment and education, but also draws huge tourists from all over India and abroad.This Buddists Golden Temple Located 2 km from Kushalnagar and This is one of the tourist interset place in Coorg. This Buddist are came from the tibet when china had eye on tibet. This Temple is in Byelukoppe near by Kushalnagar, There are many thousand monks leaving here they are wearing red clothes. And all Temple in Byelukoppe decorated by gold plated gods. There are many monasteries arround Byelukoppe. But This Temple in the Border of coorg district and it is part of mysore district, Although it is very near to kodagu, So this is most popular tourist interest place in Coorg.

Bylakuppe (6 km)is a Tibetan settlement for Tibetan refugees and so the area around has Tibetan Buddhist monasteries dotted all along the landscape. Sera Je is the largest with 2000 resident monks. Siddapura (32 km) is prime trekking area. Virgin woods and wafting scents from nearby coffee and spice plantations will ensure you have a great time.

Visit to Ranganathittu, bird sanctuary.

The boat takes us into the wilderness. The birds continue their routine and are not bothered by our silent presence

History
The islets came into being when a dam across the Kaveri river was built in the 18th century. The ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali observed that the isles formed an important nesting ground for birds, and persuaded the Wodeyar kings of Mysore to declare the area a wildlife sanctuary in 1940.

Ecology
Most of the park falls under the Riparian biome, corresponding to the Indomalaya ecozone.

Riverine reed beds cover the banks of the islands, while the islands themselves are covered in broadleaf forests, with dominant species being Terminalia arjun (Arjun tree), bamboo groves, and Pandanus trees. Eucalyptus and Acacia trees have also been planted, which might lead to long-term eradication of native species. The endemic and threatened lily Iphigenia mysorensis of the family Colchicaceae grows in the sanctuary.

The islands are host to numerous small mammals, including Bonnet Macaque, colonies of Flying Fox and common small mammals like Common Palm Civet and Indian Gray Mongoose and the monitor lizard.

The Mugger Crocodile or Marsh Crocodile is a common inhabitant of the riverine reed beds. Breeding water birds include Painted Stork, Asian Openbill Stork, Common Spoonbill, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, White Ibis, Lesser Whistling Duck, Indian Shag, Stork-billed Kingfisher and other common birds like egrets, cormorants, Oriental Darter, and herons. The Great Stone Plover, and River Tern also nest here. The park is home to a large flock of Streak-throated Swallows.

We get as close as this picture.

Painted storks

Flying foxes hanging in the bamboo groves

The Kavery river

Streak-throated Swallows.

River tern

The Mugger Crocodile or Marsh Crocodile is a common inhabitant of the riverine reed beds

Greater cormorant and open billed stork nesting

Visit to Dubare, Elephant Camp and river rafting

Dubare is known for its elephant camp, and is a forest camp on the banks of the river Kaveri in the district of Kodagu, Karnataka. It is an important base for the Karnataka Forest Department's elephants.

The elephants for the Mysore Dussehra were trained at Dubare elephant camp. At present, after logging operations have ceased, the elephants have been practically retired except for giving some rides to tourists.

There are opportunities for trekking, elephant rides, fishing, and river rafting. these activities are hosted by Jungle Lodges and resorts. The Forest Department also conducts some treks along well-defined routes.

The moist deciduous forests of Dubare are home to many wild animals and birds. Sighting of wild Asiatic elephants are regular and so is spotting the sambhar and the spotted deer. tiger, leopard, wild dogs, gaur and bears are also seen in these forests. Crocodiles can be seen in river. The forests are also home to many reptiles non-venomous snakes.

Birdlife in Dubare includes peacock, partridge, kingfisher and woodpeckers topping the list.

River rafting is a great way to experience the environment of the river Kavery

Small islet are formed by ancient jungle trees creating a landscape of magical nature

A tusker at Dubare

Elephant ride

Bamboo groves are elephant's favorite environment

River view from Dubare

Visit to Tranquebar
Following the kavery river we arrive at the lesser known East Cost town of Tranquebar. We stay at the Gate House situated just 5 mins walking distance from Neemrana's "Bungalow on the Beach" is an example of indigenous Tamil architecture with its red tiled roofs and courtyards surrounding, the Gate House rooms are designed to give a traditional feel.

The Bungalow on the Beach in Tranquebar is a grand and stately colonial mansion along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. This heritage hotel in Tamil Nadu reminds one of India's colonial past.

History
The Bungalow on the Beach comprises of restored buildings of two Danish admirals sent by the King of Denmark.

Tharangambadi (or Tranquebar) is a panchayat town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, 15 km north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary of the Kaveri River. Its name means "place of the singing waves". It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and in Danish and some other European languages it is known as "Trankebar" or "Tranquebar"

The earliest reference to Tarangampadi occurs in a 14th century inscription, mentioning the place as Sadanganpade. Tranquebar was founded by the Danish East India Company in 1620, when a factory (commercial settlement) was opened and a fort, known as Fort Dansborg, was built by a Danish captain named Ove Gjedde. This fort was the residence and headquarters of the governor and other officials for about 150 years. It is now a museum hosting a collection of artefacts from the colonial era as early as 1620.

The Masilamani Nathar temple was built in 1306 by Maravarman Kulashekhara Pandian in a
small fishing & trading village called Kulashek-
harapattinam; also referred to as Sadangam-
badi, Thayangambadi and Tharangambadi

Boats in Tranquebar beach

Local fisherman in a funny hut

Visiting the market

Fish market

Local woman

The seaside walk

Tranquebar local fisherman

Tranquebar is the second most ozone-rich place in the world.

The pool at the Bungalow at the beach is one of the most relaxing sites of Tranquebar.

The Nayak House

The Nayak House at goldsmith street

Gueta runs a small cafe

Moonlight at Tranquebar

Coffee Turkish ceremony in Madhuca

2010-10-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

We gathered around the Turkish culture in Madhuca. Coffee is made from Turkish Coffee following the tradition. Coffee is the symbol of long lasting friendship. We served Turkish bread baked by Marc and Aloe and Auroville's peanut and coconut cookies.

Live Sufi flute and classical songs and dances made this afternoon a memorable moment of human unity.

22 people from 16 nationalities participated in the event.

Our Turkish friends practicing cafedomancy, the art of interpretaion of ones's psychology through the coffee grounds....

Dreamers cafe and roasting center

2010-10-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Dreamers cafe and roasting center is a Coffee Ideas! project . Opened its doors 2 years ago with the idea to set up with a minimum of investment a roasting center-cafe, so the local people can have a taste of freshly roasted coffees and learn more about it. It is located in Edayanchavady a few meters from Auroville Visitor's Center.

We store, roast, blend, grind, pack and dispatch Marc's coffee in a 15 square meter garage. The constrain of space and limited funds made us utilize all the resources very carefully. The idea of serving some coffees and refreshments to the public was to meet the need of sharing all our process in an open window, a chance to sit with the customers a talk about our work over a cup of steaming coffee.

Al types of people visit us and drink our coffee blends and take some fresh coffee home.

The culture of coffee is still weak in this rural area. Only brands of instant coffee are available, which are packed in aluminum sachets difficult to recycle.

But, slowly after drinking our coffee, the locals started to like it and now we have regulars coming everyday.

The menu is very modest in terms of food, the chocolate chips cookies are a regular snack for coffee break. We do serve non-caffeinated drinks like the popular Chilled Nanari juice ( Sarsaparilla ), served with pure lime juice and tulsi seeds.

We serve coffee using a filter machine for mild brews and espresso machine for the authentic Italian. Turkish coffee is on demand.

Shivagamy, our coffee wally

2010-10-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

In September 2009, she joined Coffee Ideas! and since then she takes care of many things at the dreamers cafe. She opens and closes the dreamers and prepares excellent cappuccino and Turkish coffee to our clients. She also packs and keep the place neat and organized. Everybody in the village respects her very much for her work and way of being. She is 40 years old, and was born in Edayanchavady. She is a widow with one son and one daughter ( in the picture). Her son helped us at the beginning and now runs his own coffee business. Every day I learn something new from her, particularly Tamil language and her simplicity, humility and strength.

The coffee transformation in the roasting process

2010-10-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

The starting point is green coffee. It contains around 12% moisture and has a mild herbal fragrance. The craft of the roaster is to bring forward the best aromatic compounds through the roasting process, Each coffee needs its own rhythm and we respect that. We are not in a hurry...

Coffee after being in the drum for the first 5 min at a temperature of 200 C, in this phase the coffee beans absorb the heat ( endothermic ), water evaporates and due the pressure the cells start to expand. The blueish hues of the coffee are turning into pale yellow.

10 minutes in the drum, 225 C temperature.Coffee is expanding and loosing weight, carbohydrates are turning into sugars.During this phase the beans puff up, doubling in size due to internal pressure exerted by carbon dioxide. At that stage we reach a critical moment the Maillard reaction, where more than 700 new compounds are created, including key volatile aroma compounds responsible for the characteristic coffee flavor. At this point it has a baked bread aroma.
15 min in the drum, we reach the cinnamon roast, caramel notes are arising the temperature is at 240 C .At this stage each minute counts and will affect directly the final taste.
20 minutes in the drum, is time to go for cooling. This is a medium to dark roast. The smell of coffee is all around, the creation is made.

Painting with coffee

2010-09-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Painting with coffee

Espresso coffee has a high content of oil, and dark pigments. Is excellent to use as a paint

The above and below paintings are made Karen Alen.

The creation of coffee!

Painting with coffee is something fascinating, particularly for us coffee lovers. I decided to go ahead and give it a try. I brewed a cup of Julien's Peak, played some classical violin tunes, grasp a coffee book to get inspired, and brought my Ethiopian Jebena to do the honors.

After a morning of brewing espressos, I finally made 3 types of coffee ink.

Dark, Medium and Light. To make this possible i have played with the following parameters:

Grade of the grind, to make it thicker or thinner
Grade of roasting ( the darker the roast the darker the paint)
Ratio between coffee powder and water ( less or more concentrate)

Then I choose 2 types of aquarelle paper: 150 GSM and 300GSM grain fin.

I spend 3 hours in bliss and peace, smelling the coffee ink while giving the strokes with the brush, enjoying the music, drinking coffee with friends.....being at home.

Do you wanna try?

Coffee vendor at Kalossi market, Sulawesi island.

Today, is the 16th of October 2010, World Food Day

. We have gathered in front of the Solar Kitchen to set up a market. Coffee Ideas! has organized a coffee art session. Many people came to try out this new way of making art with 100 % natural coffee ink.

Sawmia drawing an elephant

Ok J Lee, brought special paper and brushes from Korea.

Teo Lara painting a portrait of Eden Tormo

Matilde and Aloe interacting with the visitors

Jhonny painting with the straw technique. Drop a drop of coffee ink into the paper, take a deep breath, shut down the mind ( if you can!) and just blow and follow your inspiration.

Teo finishing the portrait

Eden helping Julien to to his first coffee creation

Uma painting a mandala

Writing a Zen poem

Make great wrap papers for your best friend presents with your straw blowing coffee art

Eden portrait by Teo Lara

Elephant by Swamia

Our dear Royal Enfield Bullet. She carries the coffee to all the shops and with her we had traveled all around South India following the coffee spirit.

Our coffee stall

An Ethiopian jebena with a a branch of coffee bush with cherries.

Grow your own cafeto

2010-09-29T00:58:00.000-07:00

Grow your own coffee

What does a "coffee cherry" look like?

Have a look at the pictures and discover the complexity of this cherry.

The outer skin of a coffee cherry is called the "exocarp", beneath the exocarp is the "mesocarp," which is a thin layer of pulp this thin layer of pulp is followed by a slimy layer called the "parenchyma
The beans themselves are covered in a parchment-like envelope called the "endocarp" and more commonly called "the parchment".Inside the parchment, side-by side lie two beans. Each of these beans are covered separately by another layer of thin membrane or seed skin called "spermoderm"
The spermoderm is generally referred to in the coffee trade as the "silver skin."

Select the ripe cheery, carefully twist and pull

That is the perfect pick, when the stalk remains in the branch. That will ensure that a flower will blossom in this spot and therefore a new cherry

The cherry is so ripe that just by presing with two fingers, the beans come our easely.

This is how the beans look like fron a croos cutting section .

All the main parts of the cherry

Marc's coffee at Creart, 53 rue Suffren. Pondicherry

2010-09-24T20:09:00.001-07:00

On the 24th of September 2010, Creart ( 53, Rue Suffren, Pondicherry) re-opened with a new flavor. The cafe has been enlarged with a new conti menu and the shop retails new eco-creative brands. The spirit of the shop goes beyond retailing products but to create community and bring awareness about human rights, ecology and creativity. It is possible to manufacture products respecting people's livelihood and the natural resources. Marc's Coffees full range are available and served on demand with a French press. You have a choice of organic and sustainable coffees from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The shop retails a selected range of products that are aligned to Creart's 5 main criteria:

Organic
Fair Trade
Reduce- Recycle- Re-use
For a cause
Creative

We invite you to come and join this inspiring initiative .

Coffee Ideas Team at work

2010-09-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Marc, Shivagamu and Jose Luis. This is the core team of Coffee Ideas! Together we work with joy living our four pillars. Creation, Connection, Unity and Growth.

Jose Luis joined a year ago, he has been a great help for Coffee Ideas! , giving support and advice

Cafe La Terrace, Auroville

2010-09-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

At the heart of the social hub of Auroville, La Terrace is a community based cafe. Coffee Ideas! has designed the menu, the settings and equipments and trained the personnel. The result a vibrant place with great coffees and a healthy menu. for more info visit www.cafelaterrace.blogspot.com

Sudakar and Selvam are experienced baristas with great customer care skills.

Coffee Ideas! projects - Amethyst cafe

2010-09-02T03:01:00.000-07:00

Wake up and smell the coffee – it’s organic

If there’s one gourmet coffee pub in India where you are sure to get organic, single-estate coffee, it’s Amethyst Café in Madras.

It’s was setup by Marc Tormo, a Spaniard who’s made Auroville his home. Starting out in 1993 in Barcelona, he brought his talent in opening and operating cafes that radiate élan and atmosphere to India, to Pondicherry, to Madras, at the turn of the 21st century, at the cusp of the café revolution. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, nor the espresso, or so say the devoted regulars at this gem tucked away in a corner of Chennai that’s forever Madras.

Situated in the verandah of Amethyst, an eclectic boutique in Sundar Mahal in the erstwhile Jeypore Palace, the ambience captures an earlier more leisurely, more gracious era, with an aura that sets it apart from any other coffee shop in town. Surrounded by a landscaped green garden, it is an oasis of peace and calm, the pride of Kiran Rao who runs Amethyst and who lovingly restored the heritage building and turned it into a hip store cum coffee pub. Ragtime or sixties pop plays softly, softly in the background, filtered sunlight streams through the cane chiks that hang down from high ceilings…

This 100-year-old colonial mansion set in a leafy garden is a green, peaceful oasis of calm in this big, dusty and noisy city.

The lounge, veranda and gardens have been transformed into a café and restaurant where you can sit among potted palms with a good book, a good friend, or your laptop. They have yummy homemade cakes, which are also difficult to find.

Yercaud High Grown Arabica washed. Single Estate

2010-08-28T10:41:00.000-07:00


Coffee Ideas	Marc's Coffee Julien Peak single estate UTZ certified (250g)	Rs.203.00
Tucked in the Shevarois hills of Tamil Nadu, Yercaud is as yet a lesser-known coffee region. The farm is UTZ certified and through its sustainable methods, the owner is proud to keep the forest mainly populated by local species. Inspired by the beauty of its landscape, we decided to start roasting and distributing this Single State Arabica “Selection 9” coffee. This is an attempt to bring this gift of Nature to our customers. Julien Peak has a very delicate aroma, mild body and fine acidity. It...

Deccan Bold AA

2010-08-28T10:40:00.001-07:00


Coffee Ideas	Marc's Coffee Deccan Bold - Organic certified arabica from Andhra Pradesh Tribal Coffee (250g)	Rs.220.00
Following the coffee Spirit, the idea behind Deccan Bold was to discover Andhra Pradesh: its tribal people and culture. Coffee cultivation in Andra was recently introduced. Spread in an area of around 36 square kilometres, and located at altitudes ranging between 600 and 900 meters above sea level, Araku valley is ideal for coffee cultivation. Encouraged by the good demand for the coffee, tribals of the valley started organically cultivating coffee without fertilizers, chemicals or pesticides....

Kavery Blend. For Espresso lovers!

2010-08-28T10:39:00.000-07:00


Coffee Ideas	Marc's Coffee Kaveri Blend (250g)	Rs.169.00
This blend is dedicated to the Goddess Kavery, who manifests in the form of the eponymous sacred river. Rising in Coorg, the Kavery flows some 765 kilometres southeast to enter the Bay of Bengal. Coorg is the coffee bowl of India, with more than 200 years of coffee tradition. The best grades are exported around the world, except a few – like the one you are holding now. This blend is composed of Arabica and Robusta beans – both washed and cherry – from the best grades. It has a balanced cup,...

Buma Devi. Arabica & Robusta Cherry blend

2010-08-28T10:36:00.000-07:00


Coffee Ideas	Marc's Coffee Buma Devi Blend (250g)	Rs.135.00
Buma Devi combines the richness and strength of cherry Robusta and fragrant Arabica, making this blend a unique experience for the Indian continental palate. The coffee is shade-grown in the forests of Coorg, Karnataka. The ripe cherries are handpicked and sun-dried, then winnowed and hulled to separate the bean from the dried skin. No water is used in the whole process. Selected by colour, size and density, we select peaberry beans which are round in shape and have a distinctive fruity taste....

Organic Certified form Coorg. Single Estate

2010-08-28T10:10:00.001-07:00


Coffee Ideas	Marc's Coffee Jaivik Greens - Organic certified arabica from Coorg (250g)	Rs.236.00
Jaivik Greens Coffee Estate is located in North Coorg, near Sudicopa village. Karnataka, South India. It was acquired and developed by the present owner ancestors. It has approximately 50 acres of land at 1000 mts A.S.L. It produces arabica coffee (Cauvery variety), pepper, vanilla, rice, betel nut, coconuts, jack fruit and soon oranges. There is a cottage in the farm with attached kitchen. We visit Jaivik Greens often with our customers, so they have the opportunity to see how organic coffee...

Try the new recipes at Craft Cafe, Tranquebar

2010-08-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Glazed Lemon Cake with Coffee
Enjoy the coffee moment and listen to the singing waves

Butter scones with strawberry jam

Home made scones, with black coffee...at Craft cafe, Tranquebar

2010-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Pastel de Chocolate, at Craft cafe- Tranquebar

2010-08-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Fine Indian coffees, Marc's selection at Farm Fresh Shop, Auroville

2010-08-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

Neemrana Coffee, newly introduced in all the hotels.

2010-08-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

Marc's coffee in Hidesign cafe, Pondicherry

2010-08-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Marc's coffee in Spain at inhala, specialty gourmet shop

2010-08-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

In Granollers, Barcelona you can find a rare shop, with exquisite taste and amazing products.
If you are a coffee, tea, chocolate connoisseur this is a shop that will make you stop time once you are inn. The aroma is very special as much as the two persons that runs the shop.

More info. www.inhala.net or www.inhala.blogspot.com

Creation, coffee germinates. Our story begins

2010-08-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

In august 2007, we opened our coffee center in Edayanchavady, a small village next to Auroville. We had in place everything to start our coffee brand Marc's Coffee.

...the smell of coffee was all around when the first batches of fine Indian coffees were roasted.

Finally a dream came true!

One day I will roast coffee!! I said to myself after having an strong intuition more than 15 years ago. This idea make me study coffee more in detail, from the seed to the cup but with a holistic approach.

Roasting is a creative moment, I stand next to my Probat and feel the pulse of the drum, the music of the beans rolling, the aromas of baked bread and caramel, the first crack, the second crack and the moment of truth, when I open the door to the cooling plate. Then a silence comes and the creation is made - Marc’s Coffee.


		Marc's Coffee Deccan Bold - Organic certified arabica from Andhra Pradesh
	Following the coffee Spirit, the idea behind Deccan Bold was to discover Andhra Pradesh: its tribal people and culture. Coffee cultivation in Andra was recently introduced. Spread in an area of around 36 square kilometres, and located at altitudes ranging between 600 and 900 meters above sea level, Araku valley is ideal for coffee cultivation. Encouraged by the good demand for the coffee, tribals of the valley started organically cultivating coffee without fertilizers, chemicals or pesticides. Deccan Bold is a 100 % arabica washed coffee, selected for its colour, size and density. It has a clean and sharp distinctive taste and aroma, ideal for any time of the day. It is roasted at medium dark to create a fragrant edge. We offer you this quality, natural and sustainable product packed in 100% biodegradable materials. Share our coffee grounds with your plants. They’ll love it! available online at www.auroville.com

Ripe cherries ready to be pulped

2010-08-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

Julien Peak. UTZ certified.

Tucked in the Shevarois hills of Tamil Nadu, Yercaud is as yet a lesser-known coffee region. The farm is UTZ certified and through its sustainable methods, the owner is proud to keep the forest mainly populated by local species. Inspired by the beauty of its landscape, we decided to start roasting and distributing this Single State Arabica “Selection 9” coffee. This is an attempt to bring this gift of Nature to our customers. Julien Peak has a very delicate aroma, mild body and fine acidity. It is roasted at medium to enhance the fragrance and subtle notes of a high-grown coffee. Especially crafted for coffee connoisseurs, it’s best enjoyed after lunch along with some good chocolate! We offer you this quality, natural and sustainable product packed in 100% biodegradable materials. Share our coffee grounds with your plants. They’ll love it!

Creative commons

2009-10-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Coffee Ideas! by Marc,s coffee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Consumer - Producer Trip to Coorg

2009-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Coffee Ideas! and introduction to sustainable coffee

Jaivik Greens Organic Coffee Estate is located in North Coorg., near Sudicopa village. Karnataka, South India. It was acquired and developed by the present owner ancestors. It has approximately 50 acres of land at 1000 mts A.S.L. It produces arabica coffee (Cauvery variety), pepper, vanilla, rice, betel nut, coconuts, jack fruit and soon oranges. All this crops are rain fed and does not depend on irrigation of any kind. To preserve the moisture on the soil, shade is required to filter the sun light , that is accomplished by creating a three tier canopy . The trees that provides shade also have a symbiotic relationship with the coffee plants, here are some examples:

Huge trees form the “ficus” family provide water to the soil around them during the summer moths thru their root systems. Wild orchids and jungles creepers live on the tree and birds find their hide out for nesting.
Dadap trees are fast growing and excellent nitrogen fixers and also provide large amounts of biomass for compost and mulching.

When we speak of Nature it is wrong to forget that we are ourselves a part of Nature. We ought to view ourselves with the same curiosity and openness with which we study a tree, the sky or a thought, because we too are linked to the entire universe.
(Henri Matisse)

Timber trees like Rosewood, Silver Oak, Vengai, etc are used by the pepper vines to creep on and also provides excellent wood for furniture and construction.
Fruit trees like Jack fruit, oranges, cherries provide abundant food for wide range of animals living in the forest like elephants, bisons, monkeys and exotic birds.
This wide variety of leaves and animal droppings are discomposed in the top layer of the soil forming a rich hummus. The quality of the coffee will be directly connected by the amount in minerals, micronutrients, fungi and bacteria present in that hummus.

Infrastructure

The farm is divided into 5 blocks, which are connected with corridors and small pathways.
Two bungalows next to each other, one is occupied by Tippu's family and the other is used as a homestay for nature lovers. Each house has a Gazebo with a sitting area. There is an additonal house that is used as a staff quarters.

A cow shed with 10 cows, that provides abundant dung and urea for organic preparations to nurture the soil that sustain the life and health of the plants .
A pulping house equipped with an 2 disc pulper and“ Aquawash” to remove the mucilage and fermentation tanks to bring forward the best the hidden flavours of the coffee bean. The water used during the washing process is stored in an open tank. A wide drying yard to sundry the coffee and a coffee parchment storeroom.

A turning point

In spite of the common trend of using chemical products to grow coffee, Tippu and his wife took up the challenge to stop using conventional farming practices and started to practice Vedic farming methods.
During the first years of that “ transitional” period, they went through difficult times, primarily because the coffee plants were under “desintoxicaton effects” so, some of them died and the rest hardly had any yield . Besides the economic drawback , the peer pressure from nearby farmers and family members tried to discourage them to go organic.
Inspite of all the inconvenience , their determination was so strong that they managed to overcome the first 3 critical “ conversion” years . Meanwhile they searched advise from leading coffee consultants to identify key areas of improvement to produce an excellent organic coffee and enter the speciality coffee market to fetch a premium price as a reward towards his commitment to quality and sustainable coffee farming.

Although their coffee is fetching a better price for its quality, they still not fulfill his mission.
Most of the times the coffee brokers sell his coffee as a commodity along with other coffees, to be finally roasted in other countries, losing its identity and uniquess.

The next step was to reach out the consumers that appreciates Single Estate Coffee and are concerned about the way the coffee has been produced and by whom.
To make that “leap” he realized that a new set of skills were required , so he decided again to search for advise. Coincidentally, Marc and his wife started his roasting and coffee distribution unit in Auroville and were searching for a organic coffee farmer that could deliver sustainable quality coffee. After several visits to the Estate , Jaivik Greens & Coffe Ideas! started co-creating a brand that slowly is gaining popularity among coffee connoisseurs locally and around the globe.

Roasting

Tippu's mission is to deliver the best green coffee to Marc, who will roast the coffee in Auroville (www.auroville.org) . He decided to purchase a Probat Roaster G12 from Barcelona, that came by ship in a big wood box. The art of roasting remains in to bring the best of the flavors by carefully checking the time, temperature, color and sound.

“ When I roast my senses are fully awake, its a sort of being in trance” the smell, hues and “crack” sound of the magical bean are whispering me how the process is going. Finally the moment of truth come and the roast is finished, knowing when to stop it is the key for a great result. This is something that you acquire by practice and not much in books.

Marketing

The coffee is now served in Auroville, at Cafe La Terrace (www.cafelaterrace.blogspot.com), located at the roof top of Solar Kitchen Dinning Hall. Well trained baristas will finally extract the best of the coffee by using espresso machine La Spaziale S5.
The cafe is very popular among aurovilians and guests that enjoys the coffee recipes as well as a wide range of healthy food & beverages.

Marc's coffee is sold a Branded Single Estate in 100 % degradable packets to the local shops and distribution centers around Auroville, Pondy and Madras.

Recently available in internet at www.auroville.com. in 250 gr and 1 kg pack. (beans or powder)The first export consignment of roasted coffee has been send to Spain www.inhala.net . in the shop run by Marc's mother & sister. Inhala sell a excellent selection of fine coffees, teas & chocolates. A perfect stop over for the connoisseurs .
The connection between the producer and consumer is preserved at all stages.

In order to go one more step further, Coffee Ideas! is organizing trips for consumers to the farm . Finally the consumers get to know the other side of the coffee cup and establish a personal connection with the grower. This is one of the new marketing activities that will help to spread the Brand awareness and share the values that stands for.
For more information visit www.marcoffeeideas.blogspot.com

Coffee Ideas ! First Consumer – Producer Trip.

Dates: 22nd to 26 of March 2009.
Transport: Toyota Innova
Total distance of the trip: 1350 km

A brief of the 4 first participants:

Alan ( British), he is mainly working for Auroville Today ( Auroville's monthly news paper) for the past 22 years.
Donald ( US ), he is mainly working for Auroville Residents Assembly Service, facilitating decision making processes
Maria Ange ( Haiti ) she is cooking for Pour Tous Distribution Center, a consumer cooperative in Auroville.
Manohar (Italian), he is working with Auroville web site team, managing the site.

“ Ashok, a local driver with excellent driving skills drove us very safely during the 5 days journey.

“The car was conformable and the roads were in a good shape. Driving on the Coorgy roads with all the scenery around us was a memorable experience”

“We have learned so much about coffee that now I look at it in a total new perspective”

“The hospitality of Tippu and his wife make us feel at home”

Aims & Objectives of the Trip

The Aim of the trip was to spend quality time with friends , share knowledge on coffee culture and experience the wilderness in nature and in our spirit.

The main objective is to connect organic coffee producers with their customers .
Through that connection, consumers learn how the coffee they drink is produced engaging them to experience the natural habitat and sustainable concepts and practices.

Activities

Forest walks: the main attraction was to witness through forest walks the unique phenomena of the blossoming of coffee flowers, which only occurs once a year and only last for 9 days. For a successful blossoming, rain showers must occur during the end of the month of March hence the synchronicity with weather patterns is crucial.

During the walks, Tippu and Marc explained the differences between vedic farming and chemical farming. “ In Nature there is no waste” ,-Tippu exclaims; we learned how to combine all the elements available in the farm to produce most of our fertilizers, bio pesticides and compost. After the flowers dries out, the new future coffee cherry is born. At this point the plant after giving all its energy to make the flowers blossom and stand for 9 days, they require abundant compost around them to boost the new growth of thousands of baby cherries. It will take 9 month for the berries to ripen.

The flowers emanates a delicate but intense jasmine-like fragrance that invades the entire forest

Discover the source of sacred Cauvery river. Raft on top of its clear waters and enter to the lush and wild enviroment.

The Cauvery river, is one of the most important water sources in South India. It provides water to thousands of hectares of rice fields, orchards and vegetable gardens. A unique and fragile ecosystem , where wide diversty of flora and fauna co-exist in harmony.
We visited the “Talacauvery” the birth of the sacred Cauvery river, located at the Bramagiri mountains.

Each October thousands of piligrins come to witness the “Sankramana” event. The water coming from the source raises and creates bubbles at the temple pond. The God Ganapati and the Godess Ishwara are also venerated at the temple.

River Rafting is a great way to experience the beauty of the Cauvery River. We stopped at Dubare and Elephant camp run by the Forest department. Wild elephants live in those forests with the tribals since ancestral times

Visit to the Golden Temple, a Tibetan settlement

26 km from Jaivik Greens, we found a large and well establish tibetan settlement.

After the Chinese took over Tibet, the refugees were settled at Bylakuppe Near Kushalnagar and the Buddhist Monastery was re-established here in 1972. It houses over 250 monks today. The monastery not only attracts large number of young Tibetans seeking enlightenment and education, but also draws huge tourists from all over India and abroad.This Buddists Golden Temple Located 2 km from Kushalnagar and This is one of the tourist interset place in Coorg. This Buddist are came from the tibet when china had eye on tibet. This Temple is in Byelukoppe near by Kushalnagar, There are many thousand monks leaving here they are wearing red clothes. And all Temple in Byelukoppe decorated by gold plated gods. There are many monasteries arround Byelukoppe. But This Temple in the Border of coorg district and it is part of mysore district, Although it is very near to kodagu, So this is most popular tourist interest place in Coorg.

Bylakuppe (6 km)is a Tibetan settlement for Tibetan refugees and so the area around has Tibetan Buddhist monasteries dotted all along the landscape. Sera Je is the largest with 2000 resident monks. Siddapura (32 km) is prime trekking area. Virgin woods and wafting scents from nearby coffee and spice plantations will ensure you have a great time.

Young monks were reciting aloud Buddhist text as part as their studies. It was a great experience to be in silence and listen to them.

This year marks the 50th anniversari of the Dalai Lama's in exile. The Dalai Lama recently inaugurated the Tibetan Pavilion in Auroville. with the mission of preserving the tibetan culture heritage from extinction.

There are a number of shops around the temple, a restaurant which serves good momos and fresh juices. Coffee only after 4 !!

Forest walk to spot Hornbill Colony

Coffee Ideas! logo is represented by a Hornbill, an exotic bird, endangered due lost of habitat.
In order to raise the awareness about the preservation of wilderness, spotting the Hornbill was a thrilling mind-walk. Crossing a river on a hanging bridge, finding shelter under a wild mango tree to protect us from the rain and walking along the river side to mention a few magical moments

Finally, at of top on one hill, we could admire a colony of around 20 horn bills in the wild. A rare sight if we do not protect the forest from ecological destruction.

Modern man no longer regards Nature as being in any sense divine and feels perfectly free to behave towards her as an overwhelming conqueror and tyrant. (Aldous Huxley, The Perennial Philosophy)

Gastronomy, Camp Fire and Cafe Flambé

The food was a culinary journey to traditional Coorg and South Indian food.
For Breakfast, we had fluffy and soft rice chappatis with green peppers curry. with potato masala and Dosai with tomato chutney. Butter and wild honey was always on the table.

For dinner, steamed rice with dhal and egg curry among other specialities prepared by Tippu's wife.

Pooris served in banana leaf

Camp fire under the clear sky, with thousands of stars looking at us. Singing traditional songs in different languages and enjoying a cafe flambé prepared by Marc following his catalan traditions.

Boating in the wild, at Ranganatittu Bird Sanctuary

In our way back to Auroville, we stopped at Ranganatittu, ready for a boating experience that will remain in our memories for long.

Thousands of birds come every year to nest at this particular place.
We could watch the birds so close without disturbing them that was difficult to believe that our eyes were witnessing.

Huge painted storks, cormorant, egrets, river tern, flying fox, open bill stork, sandpiper, grey pelican, etc.....

And to add one more wild element, large marsh crocodiles swimming next to our boat!.

Flowers of Coorg

Walking on the paths of Jaivik Greens Gardens, we found gorgeous flowers that after the rains were blooming at their maximum potential. Prosperity flowers ( canon ball tree), Lilies, Anthuriums and vanilla orquids were only few of the many we saw.

The Vanilla orchid

Wake up to a new taste

2009-01-15T01:13:00.000-08:00

Wake up to a new taste

Who am I? A Homo coffea universalis, one of those new species that are emerging in this world that perceives coffee through a holistic view, trying to comprehend the underlying structures of the coffee crisis by joining the dots in the coffee “community”, and exploring new avenues for positive change. I have a passion for coffee, and a passion for people. Not just coffee or people but coffee grown, processed, retailed, brewed and finally drunk by people with a vision for future generations and respect for nature and planet Earth.

The idea behind this article came during my visit to the Tea & Coffee World cup held in Hyderabad, India. While reading the program and particularly the coffee symposiums , somehow I expected from the speakers and their presentations a message of hope and inspiration about the global coffee and its economic and ecological implications. Understanding coffee from a more integral approach, where consumers and producers lifestyles are more in balance with the natural resources on which they depend, to result in achieving a perfect joe.

So, I asked myself, instead of complaining let's do something!. While walking into the Tea & Coffee Magazine booth to subscribe for one more year, I meet the man that could help me. Mr Heneage Mitchell, the managing editor of Tea & Coffee Asia Magazine. At the first glance I knew that he was also a Homo coffea. After a friendly gastronomic conversation about English cuisine and listening to Heneages' plans to become a coffee farmer, I asked him the possibility of writing an article to share my thoughts about how I see the future of coffee. My intuition was right and he encourage me to do, so here am I.

Since the discovery of coffee as a beverage up to nowadays, the human factor has played a decisive role. First coffee was safeguarded and monopolized by the Yemenis at the Harbor of Mocha, then slowly spread over Europe and the rest of the world. It was banned by Kings, Sultans or even Popes claiming that it had devilish properties which in reality were freedom of thought practiced at the cafes or mystic ceremonies celebrated in secrecy by Sufis.

But somehow, coffee's journeys could not be stopped by any means and spread all over the world. But, wait a minute. What is the coffee mission on Earth? What do cafes have to offer to humanity?

As the French Revolution started at cafe Procope, today we are witnessing a global Revolution, since the world is interdependent and the entanglement between all living creatures more obvious than ever. Our planet resources are being depleted, our population is increasing and the gap between super rich and super poor is widening.

Nevertheless, that sector of society that continues to insulate themselves from these issues, reacts in two ways: either by ignore them or playing the passive role by saying “ I can not do anything about it, it's too complex and I'm too busy”.

For Homo coffeea universalis, coffee is much more that an amazing aromatic complex drink, it is a phenomena that is uniting the world. How? even if you are not a coffee drinker, I'm sure that you love to meet your friends at a cafe.

Local cafes run by local entrepreneurs are social platforms where people exchange ideas, share experiences and concerns in a respectful mode with each other beyond their religion or social status. In another way, when we are at a cafe we have a sense of belonging to a community.

The main stream coffee businesses are mainly focusing on growth and cloning cafes all over. But growth at which cost?

This question came while sipping a cup of Ethiopia Yergacheffe at a well know global branded cafe. The barista was explaining to me the complexity of its taste and amazing aroma of such coffee and he was feeling very self-satisfied to have pulled up a shot of that creamy Joe. The coffee experience was up to that moment memorable, the coffee was great, the customers having a great time sharing ideas, lounge music in the background, baristas doing their job... a truly cafe experience.

But something happen when I asked the barista for the bill, he said with a big smile .- 3 Euros.
While getting the cash form my wallet, I asked him some questions.
- How much does the man that produced this coffee get out of this 3 euros?
- Is he having the same sense of wellness and community life than us?
- Is that coffee grown organically?

His face turned pale and he did not have a clue what to answer. After a while he said, The management did not inform me about such details. I told him that if a barista is meant to pass over the great work of the coffee farmers to the consumers by pulling out a perfect shot, it would be interesting for him to know the other side of the story. I recommend him to go to the internet and do some research on Yergacheffe coffee and on organic farming as well. He politely agreed to do so. The tragedy is that most of the time, for every 3 euros that we pay for our coffee only 3 cents goes to the producer. Did you know that if you drink 2 cups of coffee a day you will need 18 coffee trees? I walked out of the cafe with a Moca taste of this unique coffee but with a bitter aftertaste in my consciousness. I realize that the solution is not only with the cafe management but also with the consumers, if we would be a bit more conscious about the other side of the coffee cup story, brands will make a change in their purchasing policies, so eventually they will offer “ethical and organic coffee”.

So, let's wake up to a new taste, become a homo coffee universalis and drink the beverage that unites people, saves the world from ecological destruction and helps to abolish social inequity. If you want to be part of the solution and not the problem, you need to just ask your barista or retailer for shade grown organic and ethical coffee. Or even better open your own cafe or rotisserie like I decided to do in south India and spread the word.

2008-11-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

Marc Tormo was born in Valencia in 1971. After finishing high school in Spain, he traveled India in the year 1992, and realized India would be eventually his “home”. However, he found himself too young at that time to settle right away in the country and decided he should go back home for now in order to acquire some professional knowledge.

Along with his family, mainly his sister who was already in the hospitality business, they developed a new coffee-shop concept that proved very successful. Benefiting from some professional Italian training, it was a great experience and it is during the next 3 years that Marc gained his current expertise in the coffee scene: knowledge about coffee beans quality, art of coffee roasting and grinding, style of serving, etc… Eventually, “it was the best training I could ever had in terms of entrepreneurship”, says Marc, since the whole venture also included issues related to employees, taxes, accounts, quality control, customer care, supply chain etc…

At one point Marc thought he had completed the training he was looking for, but the situation in Spain and his own inner aspiration were not matching, and he knew that Auroville, Pondicherry and India were calling…
He eventually came and settled in Auroville with his wife Matilde in 1997, and started considering again the hospitality business in the local context…: how to run a restaurant or a café in India was his first approach… What would be to establish a catering business with local people, local ingredients, and within the context of Auroville and India at large?

By the end of the nineties, Marc had worked in all the Auroville restaurants and cafeterias, hence coming to know exactly what the people like mostly and how they want it… This first step brought him to offer his expertise and be a consultant to assist people opening their own cafés outside Pondicherry and Auroville, like in Chennai, in Bangalore, in Kerala, as well as in North India…

Simultaneously, and in order to choose the best coffee available on the market, Marc considered going up to the business roots and he started showing interest in coffee plantations and cultivation, as India is a coffee producer country. Moreover, he went to realize that coffee could be grown organically, which he was not aware first, neither of the social issues related to coffee harvesting etc…
As a result Marc started traveling extensively to places like Kodaikanal, Kerala and Coorg where he discovered a few plantations very dedicated to organic coffee. He then happened to market those plantations products in the right way, offering since then and for the past five years consultancy and marketing to selected coffee growers.

His latest project to satisfy coffee lovers is “Le Café” in Pondicherry. “Le Café” is a prime building on Pondy seashore run by the Puduchery Development Tourism Corporation that didn’t want to privatize the place, and yet was aware that the place could no longer be managed the way it was… While the building has been fully renovated by INTACH, Marc has been in charge of upgrading both products and services and “Le Café” is now regarded as a prime selected tourist spot in Pondicherry, where one can taste a real espresso coffee while enjoying the sea breeze…
In Auroville itself, above the Solar Kitchen “La Terrace” has been recently fully renovated as well, like for “Le Café”: new building, new menu, and new people to run the place, as it is now managed by the Solar Kitchen team.

As for the future, Marc sees his involvement more into the roasting coffee business, from choosing the beans on selected organic growing places, to packaging and distribution: “India is now ready for a real coffee experience”, says Marc, “with a strong and delicate flavor, with social and ecological issues attached to it, with a good packaging…; even the middle class is now ready to pay a little bit more for an exclusive product, whereas ten years back it was not possible…”…
Even though the present market is still a very niche one, Marc is confident in the next five to eight years it will become a substantial market, not only in India, but worldwide as well: the organic coffee market is indeed developing every year, with a current approx 25% growth annually…
Marc sees this perspective as not only selling a premium product, but instead offering a whole concept behind, since a product can serve as well as a medium to express one’s concerns, personal taste, commitments…
That’s what motivates Marc currently for developing exclusive coffee brands that, apart to the public at large, will be proposed also to selected outlets that would guaranty the various coffees would be offered in the best possible environment, thanks to proper equipment and services… Should those be missing, then Marc would offer a training to ensure best possible exposure of the products. This may concern hotels, hotel chains, and entrepreneurs willing to open their own coffee shops since franchises might be tempting, but although good in many aspects, still they remain eventually very impersonal… And Marc would rather be helping people willing to do something different by themselves, at all levels, be it villagers who wish to open a small coffee-shop in local villages, or owners of 5 stars hotels planning to offer something new and thrilling to their clientele…

Marc is confident he can process and sell 10 to 12 tons per year to start with… Aiming at 40 to 50 tons by 2012, with a proper 500 sq meters model factory set up in the Auroville Industrial Zone…
We look forward to see Marc’s exclusive coffee beans and powders more and more on Indian shelves and cafés…!

Coffee Ideas! attents to Kappi Shastra, a training program by the Coffee Board Quality Division. July 2008

2008-09-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

It was a one week workshop on the Art of Making Coffee. We learned how to grade coffee, roast and blend. Also we did intersting cupping sessions and a little coffee competition. The personnel of the Quality Division were very friendly. I recomend this workshop for entrepeneurs that are thinking to start up a coffee business.

Food & Art sessions

2008-09-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

Food Festivals during Global Days

2008-09-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Coffee Ideas! is promoting organic, local food through food festivals during Global celebrations like Earth Day or Live Earth Concerts 07/07/07.

Coffee Ideas! participates in Global Events

2008-09-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

SOCIAL WORLD FORUM MUMBAI 2004

Eco coffee Facts

2008-06-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

5 REASONS TO BUY/DRINK ORGANIC COFFEE by Coffeeideas!

Believe it or not, 1.4 billion cups of coffee are drunk everyday on planet Earth. Have a look how is the impact in the environment.

1. Coffee is the second largest agricultural crop in the world, after cotton. It is the third most heavily sprayed crop in the world; Cotton and tobacco are first and second.

2. Three-fourths of the coffee grown in the world and the soil its planted in, is sprayed with some of the most dangerous chemicals in the world, and some have been banned from for their toxicity to people. Some of these are benoyml, chlordane, cabrflurane, DDT, endulfan, paraquat,and zineb.

3. One pound of coffee consists of 4000 hand-picked beans. One hundred coffee beans for one cup of coffee. This represents one coffee tree per one pound of roasted coffee.

4. If you drink two cups a day, you'll consume about 130 liters this year, which represents the harvest of 18 coffee trees.

5. If you drink conventional, non-organic coffee, the 18 trees which supply your morning brew this year will be treated with about 5 kg of chemical fertilizers and 200 ml of pesticides. Most of those chemicals will be washed down hillsides in the streams that carry away the 20 kg of pulp stripped from your beans.

2008-06-20T02:49:00.000-07:00

GENESIS OF INDIAN COFFEE

It all began in 1600, when Saint Baba Budan, an Arab Mystic, returned from Mecca with seven seeds of the wonder bean, Coffee. He planted them in the Chandragiri Hills of Karnataka, whose conducive climate and altitude proved ideal for coffee cultivation.
Perfected into plantation crop

The East India Company with its relentless spirit of exploration for harnessing commercial avenues in India, discovered a gold mine in coffee cultivation and developed it into a viable plantation crop.

By the end of 19th century, the green hills of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were covered with thriving coffee plantations. However, Karnataka State, the home of Indian Coffee remains the largest producer of finest varieties of coffee even today.

Coffee Ideas! Single Estate Pepper

2008-06-19T22:35:00.001-07:00

Coffee Ideas	Marc's Pepper (100g)	Rs.150.00
Marc's peppers are grown naturally in Coorg, under the shade of jungle trees. Coffee plantations are the ideal habitat for pepper cultivation in India. Pepper vines are creepers that grow straight on timber trees like Silver Oak. This traditional variety of pepper is very rare, having a unique lemon- floral aroma and a mild spicy edge . The size of the peppercorns are almost double the size of ordinary peppercorns. Have a look at the process of drying the pepper under the sun. This was an amazing experience!

Jaivik Greens Coffee roasted by Coffee Ideas!

2008-06-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Coffee Ideas! is launching its first Single Estate Coffee under the name of Marc's coffee.

Coffee Ideas! is working in collaboration with Jaivik Greens Organic Coffee Farm.

The Plantation is located in Coorg, at 1400 mts ASL. The main crop is arabica Selection 9 inter cropped with Robusta coffee, vanilla, pepper, citrus trees.

The Coffee berries are hand picked when ripe, then pulped, washed and carefully fermented.
Sun dried to remove the moisture up to the desirable levels. Curing and grading is made in Coorg.

The coffee is packed in jute bags by grade and sent to Coffee Ideas! roasting center in Auroville, Tamil Nadu.

Coffee Ideas! roast the coffee with a Probat roaster. Some of the coffee is sold in beans to cafes, restaurants and hotels in 1 kg alluminium pouch with a one way valve. The aroma of the coffee is preserved for 6 months. Other coffee is sold in powder in 250gr and 500 gr in kraft paper bags for the local market

From Left to Right:

Tippu owner of Jaivik Greens
Marc founder of Coffee Ideas!
Ernest founder of Alma de cafe, Spain

Cafe La Terrace, Auroville

2008-06-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Café La Terrace is located on the top roof of the Solar Kitchen, Auroville.

It was re-opened on the 9^th of September, 2007, after a period of renovation and change of management. The new team is managed in collaboration with the Solar Kitchen and Coffee Ideas!

Social Hub

Cafés have been social platforms since centuries where people could gather the collective
intelligence of their communities.

It can be said that cafes were the first information hubs before the invention of the world wide web. That is why the first internet outlets were located in cafes and this synergy has become rapidly a global trend.

“At café la Terrace people come to browse into the cyberspace, to socialize and share experiences with others while sipping great organic coffees and healthy food”

Nutrition

There is a lot of thinking before we design our menus and cook the recipes. The idea is to prepare delicious recipes using quality produce that are not only healthy for our body but to the environment as well while producing them. Special care is taken to outsource products supplied by Auroville farms or other nearby organic sources keeping the food miles as low as possible.

“Eat local, feel global“

Our Team

“Feeling part of the Auroville adventure in a creative way through our work”

Most of our team is formed by Aurovilians, Newcomers, Long term guest and Students from different nationalities and social backgrounds. Sharing our common values align us to work together harmoniously in a caring and welcoming atmosphere.

Do you want to joint the team, send an application to: laterrace@auroville.org.in

Articulo escrito por Maria Usuariz, publicado por el diario de Pamplona

POR FIN……………………..un café integral

Por fin se abrió La Terrace.
Por fin Auroville vuelve a disponer de un espacio multi.
Un lugar flexible donde la gente pueda reunirse, compartir su tiempo y experiencias; conocer nuevas perspectivas; y lo mejor de todo, degustar un maravilloso café y una sabrosa comida.

Hay diversos puntos a destacar y redescubrir en este nuevo concepto de cafetería que animaron a Marc Tormo (un valenciano de 36 años) a lanzarse de lleno en este proyecto que él mismo ya comenzó nueve años atrás.

La Terrace es un servicio para la comunidad de Auroville. Se quiere servir una comida lo más sana posible, cultivada, producida y procesada dentro de Auroville.
¨Del campo, al comedor¨ así podríamos resumir esta idea que en el mundo anglosajón se denomina farm & fork (granja & tenedor). Procurar que la comida viaje lo menos posible, considerando de esta manera nuestro entorno, respetándolo y cuidándolo.

Las ensaladas son festivales de formas, texturas y colores sazonadas con salsas aromatizadas con albahaca, eneldo y especias.

Las tortilla de patatas con broccoli y pimientos servida con “pa amb tomaquet” vuela de las manos junto con las pastas frescas y los crepes de champiñones.

Para acompañar estas delicias culinarias y apagar la sed los zumos naturales de papaya, sandia, leche de coco y naranja ofrecen un refrescante complemento .

Y para acabar este viaje gastronómico con un gusto dulzón los pasteles integrales de banana y nueces, chocolate y jengibre actúan como perfectos anfitriones para el producto estrella de La Terrace....el café

New image for Le cafe, a Coffee Ideas! project

2008-06-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Le Café at the beach offers a unique Pondicherry experience. Coffee and Culture have being always played and important role in our society. The Pondicherry Tourism Development Council ( PTDC) in collaboration with Coffee Ideas! and INTACH, have been working with the renovation and re-organization of le Café and opened it doors on the 28th of November 2008.

LE CAFE new spirit aims at preserving the Heritage of the building, selling tourist tours, offering information about Tourism and Cultural activities and serving a wide range of international and local beverages and food, being the coffee the core product.

Le Café a bridge between the past and the present Historical background

The Le Café building on the Goubert Salai is one of the oldest buildings of Pondicherry. It is now about 200 years old, even though it was disfigured beyond recognition by a number of recent extensions in the 1990s.

During the French period, this building was Pondicherry's harbour office. It was the first site the Europeans saw as they approached Pondicherry by sea. The harbour captain and his staff worked here. It was also the oldest post office of the city.

For the French, the small structure on the sea front on Goubert Salai may remain an anecdote, but surely not for many fishermen living in Kuruchikuppam. Their ancestors, the "Macouas" (a French deformation of Makuvan), had waited at this site the whole day for some work in one of the hundred "chelingues" of the port of Pondicherry.

It is often quoted as being built in the "beginning" of the 19th Century, because most people think that it was founded around 1827, when Governor Desbassyns de Richemont opened the "Cours Chabrol", known today as "Goubert Salai". But it is now clear that the harbour office is older than that because the French archives in Aix en Provence (CAOM) have another story to tell. When the Cours Chabrol was opened, the same "bureau du port" existed already, "needing a few repairs". And, in 1817, when the French came back to power after the British occupation of Pondicherry, they found a building, which they had to repaint and whose proportions were quite similar to those of today. So the "bureau du port" was never destroyed or rebuilt by the French during the 19th Century.

We know quite well how the site existed in the 18th Century since we find its description in M. Jean Deloche's "Old Pondicherry revisited": There were two buildings known as custom house and harbour office, separated by the "Porte Marine" in 1765. But they were quite different from our "Le Café". In 1793, the British conquered the city once more after a violent bombing. We may assume that the two buildings near the "Porte Marine" were destroyed at that moment, because they were very close to the fortification's walls. As the British needed a harbour office, they had to build a new one. So the "Le Café" is most probably the only witness of the British period of Pondicherry and dates either from the last decade of the 18th Century or the first one of the 19th Century.

We don't know much about the early years of the “Le Café”; but from its plans, we can make out that the two rooms inside were built first. Later, in 1817, the French added two rows of arcades outside: one in the North and one in the East.

When Governor Desbassyn de Richmont visited the site in 1827, he found it in such a bad shape that he decided to rebuild the eastern row of arcades and to create a new one in the South, so as to harmonise the building with the newly opened "Cours Chabrol." It remained unchanged from 1827 to the late 1940s. At that time, the government decided to give the harbour office a modern look: some doors and windows were shuttered, the huge word "Pondichéry" was painted on the eastern wall, "Port" on the western wall. The building began to change only when the port was shifted from "Cours Chabrol" in the late 1960s.

For Pondicherry, this building is a bridge between the past and the present: Now it has been given a new lease of life by the Government by restoring it. If all the uncared heritage buildings can be similarly restored our city will become truly beautiful...
--------------------------------------------
Adapted from an article by RAPHAEL MALANGIN, INTACH

South Indian Organic coffees

Espresso: the essence of coffee made with organic Indian coffee.
Espresso Americano: coffee mug with steaming mild coffee.
Café au lait: French favorite coffee drink. (Mild milk coffee served in a coffee mug)
Cappuccino: Italian famous coffee drink. (Very creamy milk coffee with cocoa powder)
Caffe Latte: large coffee mug with strong coffee and creamy milk
Café Cortado: small coffee with steamed milk, Spanish favorite coffee recipe
Moccaccino: espresso, chocolate syrup, frothed milk and cocoa powder:
Latte Macchiatto: a 3 colored milk coffee served in a glass.
Caffe Affogato: espresso coffee with vanilla ice cream:
Cold Coffee: chilled espresso coffee and milk shake served with chocolate syrup and cocoa powder
Caffè Frappé : a coffee shake with out milk.

Organic Teas, Ayurvedic Herbals and Tissanes

Breakfast tea: organic Ceylon black tea with a complete body and invigorating fragrance, served with a cloud of milk or slice of lemon.
Earl Grey Tea: organic Ceylon tea aromatized with Bergamot. A classic tea either in the morning or afternoon.
Masala Chai: organic Black tea brewed with aromatic hot masala milk.
Black tea: organic Nilgiris tea. Served with a cloud of milk or a slice of lemon.
Green Tea: organic Nilgiris green tea with a delicate aroma and taste.
Tisanes (caffeine free) : a choice of cinnamon, mint, ginger, lemon, chamomile or saffron.
Ayurvedic Herbals : different blend of herbs and spices following Ayurvedic principles Vatha ( invigorating ), Pitha ( energizing) and Kapha ( relaxing) . Preferably served without milk.
Lemon Iced tea: organic Nilgiris Tea with pure lime juice, very refreshing.
Kambucha Iced tea: Organic Nilgiris Tea prepared in a ancient Chinese method.

Beverages

Fresh juices: ( pineapple, sweet lime, grape, orange)
Lassi: ( plain, sweet, banana, fruits):
Lemonade:
Lime soda
Hibiscus soda: soda with hibiscus syrup
Power juice: cold water with hibiscus flower syrup with lime juice
Radha juice: water with Radha’s flower syrup with lime juice
Pineapple champ:
Hot Chocolate: homemade chocolate preparation, steaming and invigorating.
Cold Chocolate: : homemade chocolate preparation, kids favoutite.
Milk shakes : of your choice (Vanilla, Banana, Chocolate, Coffee).

Snacks & Pastries
Samosa: 4 cocktail crispy samosa served.
Vadai: 2 vadai served with tomato and mint chutney.
French Fries
Vegetable Puff
Egg Puff:
Chicken Puff:
French Croissant
Almond Crosissant:
Cheese Croissant
Pain au Chocolat:
Pain au Pomme:

Cakes
Madelaine: flavoured with cinnamon and lemon zest
Apple tartlet: apple compote with nuts served in individual tartlets.
Cheese Cake: creamy and soft falvoured with lenon and orange zest.
Dark Chocolate Brownie: moist and light.
Eggless Jaggery cake: a vegan tasty cake
Egg less Citrus surprise: a vegan light cake
Chocolate truffles: 4 chocolate truffles:

Chilled Desserts
Kulfi of the day: ask for today’s flavor.
Vanilla Sky: vanilla ice cream with leeches in syrup
Coffee Iceberg: coffee ice cream topped with crunchy nuts and chocolate sauce
Strawberry Fields: strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries from Ooty.
Dead by Brownie: warm brownie with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips and nuts.
Irish chilled coffee: espresso coffee flavored with Whisky and topped with ice cream:
Copa Macedonia: exotic fruit salad with black current ice cream and strawberry sauce
Mousse of the Day: ask for today’s flavor.

MORNING DELIGHTS
(from 6 am to 12 pm)

South Indian (veg): 4 mini idlis, 2 mini vadia, sambar and 2 chutneys :
Continental (veg): fresh orange juice, fruit salad, toast, baked beans, butter and jam
Omelet & Toast: choose your favorite filling (mushroom, bacon, cheese, masala, fresh herbs, plain)

* Included regular coffee or tea

Curd & Fruits: homemade curd, muesli, and selection of fresh fruits (papaya, grapes, apple)
Fruit Salad:

SPECIALITIES
(From 12am onwards)

Lasagna of the day: ask for today’s choice.
Gratin of the day: ask for today’s choice.
Grilled chicken supreme with mustard sauce, French fries and salad
Marinated fish grilled with lemon butter sauce, French fries and salad
Grilled prawns with garlic and parley, French fries and salad
French Quiche, salad and French fries: 80
Pizza slice, salad and French fries
Vegan Soup of the day with garlic bread

Salads
Tossed Salad: seasonal vegetables tossed in vinaigrette sauce, served with garlic bread.
Caprese Salad: tomato, mozzarella, oregano and olive oil dressing served with bread sticks.
Egg Salad: seasonal vegetables with boiled egg tossed in vinaigrette sauce, served with bread sticks.
Tuna salad: lettuce, tomato, sweet corn, boiled egg and tuna fish with mayonnaise.
Chicken Salad: grilled chicken breast tossed with crispy vegetables with mayonnaise.

Three-tier Club Sandwich: made with brown bread loaf served with French fries and salad

Vegan: tomato, cucumber, spring onion, carrot, lettuce, sprouts and pesto spread:
Vegetarian: Cheddar cheese with tomato, cucumber, spring onion, carrot, lettuce:
Mushroom: mushroom cooked Spanish style with or without cheese:
Tuna: tuna fish with mayonnaise, cheese, tomato, cucumber, spring onion, carrot, lettuce:
Chicken: grilled chicken supreme with mayonnaise, cucumber, spring onion, carrot, lettuce

Grilled French Baguette served with French fries and salad

Butter & Cheese: melted cheddar cheese and butter (veg)
Tomato & basil: tomatoes, basil spread and black olives (vegan)
Zucchini & Mushroom: sauté mushrooms, grilled zucchini in olive oil.(vegan)

Coffee Ideas! first coffee in the market.

2008-06-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

It will be sold in Auroville from July onwards in 2 sizes ( 250gr and 500gr).

Marc’s Coffee

Has a sweet and intense aroma with a mellow body, well balanced with a subtle hint of spices. It has been roasted in a German roaster following traditional methods in order to bring the best flavors and taste. To preserve the quality for longer duration, place this coffee pouch in to an airtight container. This pack is 100% degradable.
At Coffee Ideas! We have, a passion for coffee and, a passion for people and it is our privilege to offer you this unique coffee experience. Linking consumers and producers is our mission and Marc’s coffee is the first example. Marc Tormo

Single Estate Coffee - 100% Pure Washed Arabica . Shade Grown

At Jaivik Greens we perceive the Estate as a living organism so we practice holistic organic methods in growing our coffee plants under the shade of trees like rosewood, Jack fruit and Silver oak. Pepper, cinnamon, vanilla and citrus trees are intercropped with the coffee plants thus preserving biodiversity. A wide variety of exotic birds co-exist in the farm, like the Hornbill or Paradise Flycatcher. To achieve maximum quality in the cup, our coffee is hand picked, washed and sundried carefully. Tippu (Jaivik G.)

Coffee & Health?

Epidemiological evidence suggests, that coffee consumption in moderation has the potential to reduce the risk of Parkinson,s , gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver and type 2 diabetes. If you drink two cups of coffee you will not only increase your level of alertness, but also helps your short term memory. Coffee helps you to energize yourself to study and concentrate. A strong cup of coffee can help relieve migraine. (Coffee Board of India)

For more details, suggestions or feedback kindly contact at:
Coffee Ideas!. Madhuca – Auroville 605101. T.N, India.
Email: coffeeideas@auroville.org.in / coffeeideas@gmail.com/ marcoffeeideas@blogger.com
Blog: www.marcoffeeideas.blogspot.com

Coffee Ideas! new logo

2008-06-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

coffee roasting

2007-05-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

Roasting coffee is an art by itself. The smell of freshly roasted coffee is just amaizing!

What is all about roasting coffee?
Roasting is a chemical process by which aromatics, acids, and other flavor components are either created, balanced, or altered in a way that should augment the flavor, acidity, aftertaste and body of the coffee as desired by the roaster.

The first stage of roasting is endothermic (beans absorb heat), where the green beans are slowly dried to become a yellow color and the beans begin to smell like toast or popcorn.

The second step, often called the first crack, occurs at approximately 205 °C (400 °F) in which the bean doubles in size, becomes a light brown color, and experiences a weight loss of approximately 5 %. The corresponding Agtron number for this color is between 95-90 (Davids, Roasting, 68).

In the next step the temperature rises from 205 °C to approximately 220 °C, the color changes from light brown to medium brown (Agtron # 60-50), and a weight loss of approximately 13% occurs (Davids, Roasting, 68). The resulting chemical process is called pyrolysis and is characterized by a change in the chemical composition of the bean as well as a release of CO2.

The second step is followed by a short endothermic period, which is followed by another exothermic (beans release heat) step called the second crack. This second pyrolysis occurs between 225-230°C, and the roast color is defined as medium-dark brown (Agtron #50-45) (Davids, Roasting, 68). The second pop is much quicker sounding and the beans take on an oily sheen. Roasting well into the second pop or darker is not favorable since volatile aromatic compounds are stripped off and oils on the outside of the bean are more easily oxidized. Unfortunately, in America the trend is to roast to a dark black, with a bright-shiny surface, and a final temperature of 240°C. This type of roast is often preferred since it masks poor blending, dirty machines, and stale coffee.

Coffee essence

2007-05-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

What is all about coffee's aroma?

The aroma of a coffee is responsible for all flavor attributes other than the mouthfeel and sweet, salt, bitter, and sour taste attributes that are perceived by the tongue. Therefore, it might be said that the aroma is the most important attribute to specialty coffee. Even instant coffee has the components responsible for stimulation of our taste buds. The difference, however, is that instant coffee lacks most of the aromatic volatile compounds causing a dramatic decrease in the overall flavor.

Aroma is perceived by two different mechanisms. It can either be sensed nasally via smelling the coffee through the nose or retronasally. Retronasal perception occurs when the coffee is either present in the mouth or has been swallowed and aromatic volatile compounds drift upward into the nasal passage.

The number of aromatic compounds found in coffee increases every year. Today, the number is well over 800 and as our analytical methods become more precise more will be uncovered. Yet, the perception of aroma is dependent upon both the concentration of the compound and its odor threshold. With that said, understanding coffee aroma is not as difficult as understanding how over 800 compounds interact with the olfactory epithelium. It is probable that a relatively small group of compounds that share both a high concentration and a low odor threshold make up the fragrance we know as coffee aroma. This article will discuss the recent research that has narrowed in on these aroma impact compounds.

Illy listed the following the development of volatile compounds in coffee (112):
1) Maillard or non-enzymatic browning reaction between nitrogen containing substances, amino acids, proteins, as well as trigonelline, serotonine, and carbohydrates, hydroxy-acids and phenols on the other.
2) Strecker degradation.
3) Degradation of individual amino acids, particularly, sulfur amino acids, hydroxy amino acids, and proline.
4) Degradation of trigonelline.
5) Degradation of sugar.
6) Degradation of phenolic acids, particularly the quinic acid moiety.
7) Minor lipid degradation.
8) Interaction between intermediate decomposition products.

In a review article published by Clarke, he asserts that various research groups have identified 150 aliphatic compounds including 56 carbonyl compounds and 9 sulfur containing compounds; 20 alicyclic compounds, including 10 ketones; 60 aromatic benzenoid compounds, including 16 phenols; 300 heterocyclic compounds, including 74 furans, 10 hydrofurans, 37 pyrroles, 9 pyridines, 2 quinolines, 70 pyrazines, 10 quinoxalines, 3 indoles, 23 thiophens, 3 thiophenones, 28 thiazoles, and 28 oxazoles (34).

Table 1 shows the compounds that are likely to be the most influential in coffee aroma This data was compiled from the work of both Grosch and Blank and is by no means exhaustive. It should be noted that the OAV alone does not dictate which compounds are the most important compounds present in coffee, but rather suggests compounds that are likely to have a large impact on the aroma of coffee. The furans are found to be the most predominant group of compounds amongst the coffee aromatics. They typically have caramel-like odors since they result from the pyrolysis of sugars. Shibamoto claims that furans produce key aroma notes when secondary reactions take place with sulfur containing compounds (77).
Table 1. Important compounds in coffee aroma as summarized by Grosch. Click on compound name for more information.
Volatile1 Conc. (mg/L)1 OAV1 Aroma Description2

(E)-ß-Damascenone

1.95x10-1

2.60x105
honey-like, fruity

2-Furfurylthiol

1.08

1.10x105
roasty (coffee)

3-Mercapto- 3-methylbutylformate

1.30x10-1

3.70x104
catty, roasty

3-Methyl-2-buten-1-thiol

8.20x10-3

2.70x104
amine-like

2-Isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine

8.30x10-2

1.70x104
earthy

5-Ethyl-4-hydroxy- 2-methyl-3(2H)-furanone

1.73x101

1.50x104

Guaiacol

4.20

1.10x104
phenolic, spicy

2,3-Butanedione (diacetyl)

5.08x101

3.40x103
buttery

4-Vinylguaiacol

6.48x101

3.20x103
spicy

2,3-Pentanedione

3.96x101

1.30x103
buttery

Methional

2.40x10-1

1.20x103
potato-like, sweet

2-Isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine

3.30x10-3

8.30x102
earthy, roasty

Vanillin

4.80

1.90x102
vanilla

4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl- 3(2H)-furanone (Furaneol)

1.09x102

1.70x103
caramel-like

2-Ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine

3.30x10-1

1.70x102
earthy, roasty

2,3-Diethyl-5-methylpyrazine

9.50x10-2

1.00x102
earthy, roasty

3-Hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl- 2(5H)-furanone (Sotolon)

1.47

7.50x101
seasoning-like

4-Ethylguaiacol

1.63

3.00x101
spicy

5-Ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl- 2(5H)-furanone (Abhexon)

1.60x10-1

2.00x101
seasoning-like

Table References

1) Grosch, 151.

2) Blank et al., 124.

The pyrazines are the second most abundant class of compounds and contribute to the roasted, walnut, cereal, cracker, or toast-like flavors in coffee. Along with thiazoles, the pyrazines have the lowest odor threshold and therefore significantly contribute to the coffee aroma. Next, the pyrroles are responsible for some of the sweet, caramel-like, and mushroom-like aromas in coffee. Conversely, the thiophens are known to have a meaty aroma and are thought to be produced from Maillard reactions between sulfur containing amino acids and sugars. Thiazoles have an even smaller presence in the overall aroma and are said to be formed via sugar degradation.

Definitions:
Odor threshold - minimum detectable quantity via nasal perception.
Taste threshold - minimum detectable quantity via retronasal perception.
Odor Activity Value (OAV) - ratio of the concentration of a molecule to its odor threshold.
Flavor dilution factor - when high signifies a key odorant.

Sources

Clarke, R. J. The Flavour of Coffee. In Dev. Food Science. 3 B. 1986. 1-47.

Blank, I.; Sen, A.; and Grosch, W. 14th ASIC Colloq. San Francisco. 1991. 117-129.

Grosch, W. 16th ASIC Colloq. Kyoto. 1995. 147-156.

Illy, A. and Viani, Rinantonio. Espresso Coffee: The Chemistry of Quality.

Cappuccino Taj Mahal

2007-05-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

coffee sprout

2007-05-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

It was sometime in 2005 during my regular visits at Nandavan Estate in Palani, Kodaikanal.

I woke up very early to do my morning walk when a stop over the coffee nursery my friend Vinod had prepared. There were Hawaian Red Caturra seedlings sprouting all over. I carefully pull out out a took a shot and put it back safely. It was a great experience that at least I can share with you with the pic.

Marc & coffee farmers

2007-05-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

coffee flower

2007-05-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

BD coffee equipment

2007-05-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

Coffee & panini

2007-05-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Moca cafe, Madras

2007-05-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

PR, Kerala

2007-05-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

marc at eco cafe, Madras

2007-05-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

eco cafe logo

2007-05-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

galettes at Amethyst cafe

2007-05-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

coffee nursery

2007-05-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

coffee baby

2007-05-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

coffee miniature

2007-05-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

PR. Moca cafe, Madras

2007-05-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

PR - New Delhi

2007-05-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

coffee druppa ripining

2007-05-07T04:58:00.000-07:00

sun dry coffee

2007-05-07T04:53:00.000-07:00