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Serving the perfect wine
with a special meal is an
art. But
what about the coffee you
are serving? Your coffee
should compliment your food
in the same way wine would.
A Kenya coffee that sizzles
with your breakfast bacon
will fizzle when paired with
a rich and sweet dessert.
As a general rule of thumb,
South American and Hawaiian
coffees are mild and smooth
in flavor. These coffees
pair well with lighter
meals, light desserts and
seasonal meals of Spring and
Summer. African coffees are
generally richer and more
full bodied which lend
themselves to hearty, but
not heavy meals and desserts
that are rich, but not
chocolaty or gooey sweet.
Indonesian coffees are the
perfect fit for those
sinfully rich or extra sweet
desserts that need a very
full bodied and deep
flavored coffee to match the
intensity of such a dessert.
Dark roasted coffees like
French Roast, Full City Roast and
espresso are not
only ideal, but necessary
for anything that is
chocolate.
Breakfast is a special time
for coffee and the one you
drink will set your mood for
the rest of the day. With
traditional bacon and eggs,
we recommend a Kenya AA or
Colombian Supremo. These
coffees have full flavor and
snappy acidity needed to
"finish" the eggs and bacon.
Lighter breakfast foods like
muffins, fruit or waffles
will taste even better with
a cup of Guatemala.
Desserts are the important
finalé to any great meal;
selecting the right coffee
will enhance your dessert
and bring a satisfying
conclusion to a very special
evening. Light desserts,
such as simple cakes,
cookies, soufflés or
fruit-filled pies will be
complimented by well
balanced and medium bodied
South American coffees such
as Guatemala, Brazil Santos
or Mexican Altura Coatepec.
Sumatra Mandheling and
Ethiopian Harrar are the
perfect partners for your
Holiday desserts like
pumpkin pie, pecan pie,
mincemeat pie or plum
pudding. Any dessert with a
liquor in it like tiramisu,
Italian rum cake or Irish
whiskey cake will be also
enhanced with Sumatra
Mandheling, Ethiopia
Yirgacheffe or Celebes
Kalossi. These coffees
additionally have the
interesting and unusual
taste profile to detract
your guests from noticing
that they are eating that
much-maligned fruitcake.
Any form of chocolate is the
richest and most decadent
form of dessert. For these
type of desserts, you need a
coffee with a strong,
powerful flavor. Dark
roasted coffees and dark
roast blends are a must for
any kind of chocolate
dessert. The more chocolate
a dessert has, the stronger
the coffee you should serve.
A light chocolate drizzled
eclair would pair nicely
with a blend of 1/2 French
Roast and 1/2 Mocha Java
Harrar. However, for killer
chocolate cake, nothing but
espresso could stand up to
such intense flavors.
Chocolate truffle cakes and
tortes are complimented
perfectly by a
Full City or
cafe roast Sumatra. Slightly
lighter chocolate desserts
like a Mousse or chocolate
soufflé would be enhanced by
a lighter French Roast.
Coffee can be a dessert by
itself by adding liquors,
spices, cream and whipped
cream. We suggest that you
always use at least a full
bodied African or Indonesian
coffee with the ideal coffee
for these recipes being a
dark roast or dark roast
blend. Liquors will
automatically water down the
flavor of any coffee so be
sure to brew whatever coffee
you use to an extra strong
strength.
Whatever coffee you decide
to buy to accompany your
meals and desserts, be sure
you grind it just
before brewing and never let
your brewed coffee sit on
the warming plate for more
than 20 minutes. Use the
proper amount of coffee; at
least 1 tablespoon for each
cup. This amount will give
you the rich, full flavor
experience each coffee has
to offer.
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