Superfood coffee

by Schaerer Marketing Team
creative coffee world

Spiced or fermented

Coffee as a superfood

Superfoods have been on the tip of everyone's tongues in recent years – literally. From quinoa to chia seeds to goji berries, so many traditional foods from around the world have quickly become trending ingredients that are internationally popular. What do they all have in common? They are said to have a health-promoting effect. So the special popularity they enjoy with people who pay attention to nutrition and maintain an active lifestyle is not all that surprising. In this context, coffee is now also experiencing a new level of appreciation. After a long period of media focus on the health risks of excessive coffee consumption, the benefits of the hot beverage are now increasingly coming to the fore. Various scientific studies prove the positive effects coffee has, particularly on the cardiovascular system and liver health.

Super ingredients

Fancy recipes for coffee specialities with additional “super ingredients” take this a step further: By adding special spices, supplementary nutrients or fermentation cultures, coffee becomes much richer in terms of its ingredients. In addition, the unusual aromas open up completely new dimensions of enjoying coffee. Here is a closer look at three popular varieties of coffee as a superfood.

 

Turmeric coffee

Turmeric, a spice extracted from ginger-like root tubers, is mainly known in Europe from Indian cuisine. Its distinctive flavour and intense yellow colour have made it a popular ingredient here for thousands of years, for example in curry mixes. The idea of adding turmeric powder to coffee, on the other hand, is much more recent. The spice is associated with a wide variety of health benefits: amongst other things, it is supposed to prevent diabetes, have an anti-inflammatory effect and stimulate digestion. In addition, turmeric gives the coffee very particular, exotic flavour notes.

 

Recipe suggestion for spicy turmeric coffee

Ingredients:

  • 250 ml freshly brewed coffee
  • 1/2 cup milk or plant-based milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • A pinch of black pepper
  • Maple syrup (optional)

Take the coffee that was previously brewed in an automatic coffee machine and pour it into a saucepan. Over a medium heat, whisk the coffee with the milk, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and pepper. Add maple syrup to sweeten to taste. Pour into a coffee cup and enjoy.

Maca coffee

Until recently, the roots of the maca plant were completely unknown outside their immediate locale for distribution in the Peruvian Andes. It was not until the tubers (also known as Peruvian ginseng) were processed into an easy-to-dose powder that they began enjoying ongoing international triumph as a superfood. This is not surprising, given the wide range of effects of maca: Its high vitamin C and calcium content has been shown to strengthen the immune system. Research also suggests that the consumption of maca is beneficial for libido and fertility.

 

Recipe suggestion for sweet fitness drink with maca

Ingredients:

  • 30 ml espresso or strong coffee
  • 2 teaspoons maca powder
  • 3 dates
  • 20 g protein powder
  • 200 ml milk

Purée freshly brewed coffee with maca powder, dates, protein powder and milk in a blender and pour into a glass. To enjoy a refreshing drink, use cold coffee (prepared with Schaerer “Hot & Cold” technology, for example), cold milk and ice cubes.

Coffbucha

It has long been known that targeted fermentation can elicit exciting new flavours from food. The coffee industry is also constantly experimenting in this area, for example with fermented beans. When “Kombucha” – tea fermented with a special fungal culture – finally became a trendy drink a few years ago, the step to “Coffbucha” was not a giant one. The procedure is basically similar to the less caffeinated model: The coffee is brewed according to the preferred method, cooled (or prepared cold with the Schaerer “Hot & Cold” technology) and prepared with the “SCOBY” yeast colony. During fermentation, the drink must be supplied constantly with sugar, which it converts, among other things, into acids with an interesting taste. In addition to a refreshingly different taste, the health benefits of “Coffbucha” are made all the more convincing thanks to the probiotics in the drink, which are extremely beneficial for intestinal health.

 

Recipe suggestion for homemade coffbucha

Ingredients:

  • 500 ml freshly brewed coffee
  • 50 g sugar
  • 1/2 kombucha mushroom
  • 100 ml kombucha liquid

Equipment:

  • Large glass bottle
  • Sieve

Rinse glass bottle thoroughly with hot water. Then prepare half a litre of coffee  in the  fully automatic coffee machine and stir in the sugar. Pour the coffee into the bottle and leave to cool completely to room temperature. Add the kombucha mushroom and 100 ml of the preparation liquid in which it was stored to the coffee. Seal the bottle so that it is airtight and leave in a dark, quiet place for a few days. After successful fermentation, pass through a sieve and collect the liquid. This can now be served chilled.