Compositions & Coffee Presents: "Creative Soul Digest"
What's Brewing With You?
Hello beautiful people and welcome to Tuesday. I wanna know What’s Brewing With You but before we dive into the divine and glorious abundance in your cup I want to talk food. This week is all about Kwanzaa and yesterday we learned about the movement and history that is Kwanzaa including the celebration. Today we will dive into the festival a bit more by looking at what’s on the menu.
Kwanzaa Dishes
Of course the menu can vary depending on each families unique traditions but the primary dishes are typically African American soul food. Some of the foods that grace the tables are: catfish, collards, macaroni and cheese, jerk chicken, gumbo, accras, feijoada. The vast majority of foods are sub-Saharan African, soul food and coastal dishes of the Atlantic rim. The focal point is often some kind of one-pot stew or braise. These stews are made up of many traditions such as Ghanaian groundnut stew, West Indian or South African curry dishes, Philidelphia pepper pot stew, jambalaya, Nigerian jollof rice or Senegalese thieboudienne. The side dishes range as well which can include rice, couscous, candied yams, buttermilk biscuits, spoonbread, plantains, fritters, hoppin John and injera.
Here are some dishes you may not be familiar with but must try:
Philadelphia Pepper Pot
Ghanaian groundnut stew
Senegalese thieboudienne
Hoppin John
Injera
Besides adding those to your menu here’s a few recipes to include with you feast:
Needless to say the menu has been set in my house. I won’t front I have only tried 2-3 items from this list so I know this will be a treat. Pick a few to share with family and friends during your holiday feast. Even if we can’t be together physically we can still share in this event together in spirit or virtually. Let’s be honest most of us will probably share via social media anyway.
As promised I’m circling back around to coffee by telling you more about the richness of African coffee beans.
Africa’s Coffee
African coffee is in high demand around the world simply because of it’s richness, unique flavor notes, and skilled farmers.
Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee
Flavor:
Known for its medium roast flavor it emits an aroma of floral notes followed by hints of citrus, pineapple, and coconut taste. The aroma of Tanzania coffee may exhibit rustic notes and a brow bread sweetness. The aftertaste lingers with a slight suggestion of East African wildness.
Acidity:
The acidity levels of Tanzania coffee is slightly muted compared to Kenyan coffee and has a milder body. Ground, dry Tanzania coffee may present a sweet molasses fragrance that is slightly floral with notes of apple fruit.
Ethiopian Coffee
Flavor:
This heavy-bodied coffee is spicy with floral notes and hints of jasmine. Ethiopian Harrar coffee (east of Adis Ababa, the country’s capitol) is bold and edgy with a complexity and spice tones that may include cinnamon, cardamom, blueberry jam, apricots, compote, and even smoke with a lingering finish.
Acidity:
This bean is known for its winey and fruit, floral-toned acidity. Its bright in the cup, even intense and tasting notes describe it with a rich and pungent, heady aroma that is reminiscent of blackberries.
Kenya Coffee
Flavor:
Notes of kiwi, black seeds, and tropical notes of lemongrass can be discovered in this coffee. This coffee is grown at high altitudes and the Kirinyaga coffee has earned top ranking from coffee reviews globally.
Acidity:
It is known for its ripe, fruit-forward profiles. The peaberry addition doubles the flavor and sugar of the seed and is easier to roast.
Uganda
Flavor:
Uganda’s coffee has sweet chocolate flavor and rich texture. It is generally less fruity than neighboring Tanzania and Kenya but does contain sweet citrus notes.
Acidity:
Uganda’s coffee tends to have high acidity then its neighbors.
Burundi Kirimiro Coffee
Flavor:
The Kirimiro bean gives off flavors of lemon with hints of spiced cloves and sweet nuts. It’s a big body coffee with notes of citrus, blueberry, and wild notes. The sweet and clean flavor along with its fruits, flowers and honey notes make for a balanced coffee blend.
Rwanda
This coffee is full-bodied with red fruit notes (apples & grapes) and distinct floral characteristics. The country’s high elevation produces dense beans and roasters will use high temperatures to avoid an overly acidic profile.
Ivory Coast
The beans from the Ivory Coast have been noted as being bitter and coarse but full of flavor.
Conclusion
There you have it friends a journey through Africa’s golden bean. As you can see each country and each region is beautifully unique and depending on how it’s grown and roasted you may get a different result. The same can be said from brewing and extracting the most from your coffee (which I can teach you). Coffee lovers all over the world have been blessed by the richness of Africa’s coffee at one point or another. Now you know what to look for and expect from your roast.
Friends, I will also be hosting a class under Eclectives all about the wonderful world of coffee and how to get that perfect cup. The Eclectives is called Just Right and an event is hosted each month virtually. It’s a true delight for my coffee lovers and future coffee lovers so don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to enhance your skills and become your own barista at home.
On that note I will leave you with some AMAZING recommendations since I already gifted you with some AMAZING recipes. Be sure to check out our Eclectives for upcoming fun events including our Kitchen Cyphers cooking class and Just Right Coffee tutorials. Until tomorrow…
--Be Free
Your family at Eclectuals
"Where we mind your mental diet!"
Support Black Business
Book Recommendations
Coffee Recommendations
From Southern Ethiopia a medium roast, slightly sweet and fruit-forward with deep rich, complex medium-body flavor
Ground or Whole Bean
We Are Someone You Should Know
--We are purveyors of literature, gourmet coffee, fashion, style and art." We believe in cooperative economics in the black community locally and nationally thereby promoting and/highlighting other black artisans and black owned businesses through our book subscription Eclectic Crates and our Artisan Market of goods and services.
Kommentarer