How They Drink Coffee in Vietnam

As a change from a latte or cappuccino, how about trying your coffee with egg, butter and cheese! This is how coffee is served in the famous Giang Cafe in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi.

Hidden down a small alley in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, the cafe’s menu lists a selection of beverages, but the tourists and locals who have hunted it out are all there for the cà phê trúng, or egg coffee.

Born of Necessity

The unusual drink, available in both hot and cold versions, was invented in 1946 by the father of the cafe’s current owner, Nguyen Van Dao. He was working in the Sofitel Metropole hotel in the city, but milk was scarce in Vietnam at the time, so he used whisked egg yolk as a substitute, and egg coffee was born.

Other cafes in Hanoi have tried to imitate the secret recipe, which also contains butter, cheese and condensed milk as well as coffee powder, but Giang Café’s authentic and closely guarded recipe is still the most popular – and the cafe is always busy.

What Does It Taste Like?

The hot version, served with the cup sitting in a bowl of hot water to help keep it warm, is thick, like custard, and may need to be eaten with a spoon rather than drunk. Very sweet, the coffee is at the bottom of the cup, while the whisked egg mixture, reportedly tasting of vanilla, sits on top. The cold version, served with lots of ice, is again very sweet and said to taste rather like coffee ice cream, probably not unlike the frappes we enjoy on hot summer days.

Recipes for this unusual coffee can be found online, but for the truly authentic version, you will have to take a trip to Vietnam.

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

Why Coffee Shops Are Increasing in Popularity on British High Streets

Today, more and more people are choosing to meet for a nice cup of coffee rather than a pint of beer or glass of wine. Furthermore, recent figures are indicated that while coffee shops are on the increase across the country, the number of bars, nightclubs and pubs on the British high street has fallen.

Increase in Coffee Shops

However, despite the number of coffee shops, cafes and fast food restaurants increasing by around 6,000 across Scotland, Wales and England between 2011 and 2016, there are still far more pubs in British town centres than coffee shops.

The figures were collated by the Local Data Company and did not include Northern Ireland. They were collected by individuals who walked up and down high streets around mainland UK. These figures showed the biggest increase in leisure businesses in areas such as Wales, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, and the Humber. This contrasted with Greater London where there was a 0.3 per cent decrease.

Leisure Businesses
Among the businesses that saw the biggest increases were lounge bars, cake makers, juice bars and coffee shops. There were falls, however, in the number of snooker halls, comedy clubs, bingo halls and internet cafes.

The rise in the number of coffee shops on the high street has a lot to do with American shows such as Seinfeld and Friends, according to Professor Jonathan Morris of the University of Hertfordshire. Professor Morris is a historian who has studied the popularity of the coffee shop. He believes that the culture of coffee shops in the UK began during the nineties when the aforementioned shows were popular.

He said, “People socialise during the day or after work rather than evenings now. Places like snooker and bingo halls take a bigger chunk of time while meeting for coffee doesn’t take long.To halt the decline, pubs needs to develop their daytime offer.”

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

Tips for Buying a Coffee Machine

There is no doubting the fact that coffee shops have risen in popularity in recent years. Hot coffee-based drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, espressos and mochas are available from various coffee shops, but they don’t come cheap. This is one of the reasons many people are now opting to invest in their own coffee machine so that they can enjoy their favourite beverage without leaving the house. But what should you be looking for in a coffee machine? Below are a few tips.

1. It is important to think about the type of coffee you enjoy before investing in a machine. For example, if you like to have your coffee without milk, there is no point in spending a small fortune on a machine that makes fancy drinks such as cappuccinos. A drip coffee maker may be the best choice for you.

2. If you want something that is quick and convenient, you may want to consider a pod coffee maker. With this device, sealed pods are placed in the machine through which boiling water passes. This type of coffee maker requires little effort, and many different kinds of pod can be purchased, depending on the kind of coffee you enjoy.

3. If you want a coffee similar to those that can be purchased in your local coffee shop, then look for an espresso/cappuccino maker that comes with a milk frother. This will allow you to make lattes, mochas and cappuccinos to your heart’s content.

4. Set a budget that you want to stick to because coffee machines do vary dramatically in price. Think about the features you want from your machine and then look for one that meets your budget. Reviews can be a great way to get an idea of what others think.

Once you have found a coffee machine that will suit your needs and preferences, you will need to invest in some good quality coffee. This is where Good Cup Coffee Company can help. We have a range of delicious blends for you to choose from, and all at competitive prices. Check out our selection today.

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

Mum and Son Team Open a Coffee Shop for Dogs in Warwick

The coffee shop is a place where people go to grab their favourite drink before work or to meet friends to have a chat over a delicious cake and a mouth-watering cup of rich roasted coffee. But a new type of coffee shop has opened in Warwick – and this one caters to dogs (and their owners)!

Coffee Shop for Canines

Chiens et Café was the brainchild of a mother and son team who decided to set up a coffee shop for canines in Smith Street in Warwick. Tanya and Dan Pare have created a menu designed to tantalise the taste buds of dogs;it includes dog-friendly chilli, roast dinners, shepherd’s pie and sharing platters.

Dog owners will not be left to watch their beloved dogs munch while they starve, however, as Chiens et Café will also cater tohuman customers with a range of beverages including coffee and tea as well as home-baked cakes.

Much Needed Service

Tanya, who previously worked at Warwick Hospital and who left her job in order to open the café with son Dan, said, “We decided to open the coffee shop because we realised locally there are very few places which welcome dogs and provide a service for them. The only real places that welcome dogs can be pubs, but as some people don’t like them, it can make for a very stressful experience.If you are in a coffee shop specifically for them, then everyone knows what to expect. We want people to totally relax, and we think that if people know it’s a coffee shop for dogs, then that’s what they’ll do.”

Innovative Idea

With dog and coffee lovers everywhere, this innovative idea has really taken off, with Dan saying, “We’ve never done anything like this before, it’s totally new, exciting and actually even scary. We’re hoping everyone will love it; the reaction has been overwhelming. Everyone seems to love the idea. We’ve wanted to open it for a while and the idea, which started as a shop, just seemed to grow. Now it’s a full-on dog coffee shop with everything catered for the dogs. It’s very much a family venture.”

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

Coffee Meeting with Ivanka Trump Costing $50,000!

There is no doubting the power of a coffee meeting in terms of business because it is informal and encourages people to converse with one another. Here at Good Cup Coffee Company, we also know that a delicious cup of coffee can provide an energy boost and can improve mood, therefore making all parties at the meeting more inclined to reach a positive conclusion.

Expensive Coffee
While we acknowledge the benefit of a coffee meeting, we are not sure if Ivanka Trump’s meet and greet coffee meeting is one that most people could justify. Although for a good cause, the meet and greet is set to cost two potential donors $50,000 for a forty-five-minute meeting with Donald Trump’s daughter and executive vice president of The Trump Organisation. The money raised will be donated to her brother’s charity, the Eric Trump Foundation.

Terms and Conditions

And it would appear that not just anyone with this large sum of money to spare will be able to take up the prize.Several terms and conditions must be met before any individual can have a sit-down and delicious coffee with President-Elect Trump’s daughter.

Those who are lucky enough to get the chance to meet Ivanka will have to first be approved by the Secret Service and must also pass criminal background checks. And the meeting will only take place in Washington DC or New York, meaning travel arrangements may have to be made.

Further conditions stipulate that individuals must act appropriately and show respect and ‘polite manners’ during the meet and greet.

One thing is for sure, whoever does nab this prize will remember it as being the most expensive coffee they have ever had!

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

Can Coffee Help Prevent Cancer?

Here at Good Cup Coffee Company, we know the benefits of a good cup of coffee in terms of providing a much-needed boost during the day or to help you relax after a stressful morning at work. But did you know that your favourite beverage could actually help to prevent certain cancer?

Reducing Risk of Liver Cancer

New scientific research has found that coffee drinkers could see their risk of developing liver cancer reduced. And there is the suggestion that the more coffee drunk, the greater the benefits, which will have most coffee lovers rejoicing.

Both men and women will benefit from increasing the amount of coffee that they drink, according to the research.

Effect on the Liver

The report states: “The effect of coffee intake on cancer risk has been a topic of considerable interest, because coffee is the second most popular beverage worldwide, ranking behind tea only. Coffee contains large amounts of compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties such as caffeine, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and polyphenols, as well as diterpenes and other antioxidants were found in that beverage.”

Preventable Deaths

Every year in the UK, around 5,550 people are diagnosed with liver cancer and around 5,000 people will die from the disease annually. Shockingly, approximately forty-two per cent of liver cancer cases could be prevented.

Research published by the British Liver Trust in June 2016 also found that drinking coffee can reduce the development of other liver problems such as cirrhosis and fibrosis. Executive Director of the British Coffee Association, Chris Stemman, said, “In the UK, we drink 55 million cups of coffee a day. Britain has a growing love affair with coffee, so these findings are important because, amongst other health areas that have been studied, they further show how moderate coffee consumption of around four or five cups per day can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.”

Wholesale Coffee

If you ever needed an excuse to stock up on your coffee supplies, this must be it. Check out our fantastic range of delicious coffee blends available at wholesale prices.

The Original article Published at Good Cup Coffee Blog

What You Never Knew About Coffee

Most people associate their morning cup of coffee with giving them that boost they need to face the day, particularly on Monday to Friday when they have to head to the office. However, there are just so many fascinating things that you may not know about this delicious beverage.

For example, were you aware that not only is coffee delicious, it may also be good for your health? There have been many studies conducted into the health benefits of coffee, with many results indicating that it could be good for the liver and may reduce the risk of heart attacks and certain cancers. In addition to this one, there may be many more facts that you simply did not know about coffee:

1. Coffee can help you to burn fat,with studies showing that it can help to increase metabolism by up to 11%.

2. Coffee is full of antioxidants that are said to prevent premature ageing and can contribute to protecting your skin against the damaging effects of the sun’s UV rays.

3. Drinking a cup of coffee at the very early stage of a headache could help to prevent it from developing into a migraine.

4. Around 1.6 billion cups of coffee are consumed around the world every single day!

5. Elephants regularly eat the coffee fruit that contains the coffee beans. This means that the beans can be found ready hulled in the elephant dung (and some varieties of coffee actually use these beans)!

6. Coffee is a great drink for those on a diet – provided you have it black. One cup of coffee has around two calories. However, once you start adding milk, sugar and flavourings, those calories start to creep up very quickly.

7. If you need a quick boost, a cup of coffee is the ideal option as it takes just ten minutes to start feeling the effects of the caffeine.

This article originally published at Good Cup Coffee Blog