Green coffee
An unroasted coffee with herbaceous flavours that Pagès wanted to introduce into one of its creations. Its subtle notes go very well with green tea.
Green Coffee, unroasted coffee seed with subtle notes
Origins of green coffee
Cultivated for many years by the Arab people, Coffee (and therefore Green Coffee) was introduced to Europe at the beginning of the 17th century. It was the Venetians who introduced this shrub and its seeds to Western civilization.
Coffee comes from the coffee tree, a shrub of the Rubiaceae plant family. It is said that coffee originated in Ethiopia, in the Kaffa region. According to legend, it was a shepherd who praised the invigorating effect of the fruit of this tree on his goats, to whom he had given some. Coffee cultivation later spread to Arabia under the name "k'hawah", which can be translated as "invigorating". Although it gradually expanded its presence in and around Arabia, coffee was still unknown to the rest of the world in 1685.
At first, Coffee has almost been banned in Europe. Pope Clement VIII was advised to ban the product, which some members of Catholicism considered a threat from infidels. After tasting it, the Supreme Pontiff baptized this product, declaring that it would be a pity to leave the pleasure of consuming this beverage to the infidels alone. Coffee is then very popular among monks, for the same reasons as it is among imams: it helps to keep the mind clear and awake.
In France, it was not until 1669 that coffee was consumed in the capital.
Characteristics of green coffee
Name: Coffea
Family: Rubiaceae
Species: Perennial plant
The Coffee tree is a plant that includes more than 80 species of trees or shrubs native to the tropical regions of Africa or Asia. It grows at high altitudes and is less than 10 metres high. However, it is often pruned in plantations, so that its height does not exceed 3 metres.
Its elliptical leaves are tough, oval and opposite. Fragrant and ephemeral white flowers are grouped in the shape of a tube around these smooth and shiny leaves. They produce a pale green fruit that turns red when matured. The soft and sweet pulp of this fruit contains two green seeds. These are the coffee beans. While Green Coffee beans have several virtues and yet a strong taste, they become much more aromatic when roasted and ground to prepare the black coffee we know.
Uses of green coffee
Green Coffee can be consumed in several ways. It can be found natural, so it is advisable to let the Green Coffee beans macerate overnight in cold water before drinking the beverage, heated or cold. It is also sold in a mixture with roasted coffee, in soluble form. Café Vert also made its debut in the health food section a few years ago. It is found in individual bags or sticks to be consumed as a slimming food supplement. Finally, if it can be mixed with roasted coffee, it also goes very well with tea infusion. Its sweet flavours blend perfectly with the subtle notes of green tea.
More surprising and rare, we use Green Coffee in cooking! It can be used to flavour sauces or broths (once ground) but can also be used to bread meat (once crushed). It should be noted that some cooks prefer to use it to make desserts. A few pinches of Green Coffee in a simple custard automatically gives it an original and unexpected taste.
Benefits of green coffee
Green Coffee has several natural therapeutic virtues, which are mostly eliminated by roasting. It is used mainly to slim down. Green Coffee is renowned for its purifying and detoxifying properties. It is said to contribute to weight loss as part of a balanced diet. This is because caffeine boosts metabolism and causes the body to lose a relatively few calories.
Finally, Green Coffee can of course be effective against fatigue. The caffeine level it contains, even if it remains low, can stimulate and maintain alertness. However, its consumption must, like Black Coffee, be reasonable in order to avoid any deterioration in sleep or anxiety.
