October 19, 2018

Coffee Alternatives (1)

Though not frequent, we do meet people who do not like coffee and end up giving up on the golden taste we love. Nevertheless, coffee alternatives do exist and are considered by some as healthy options - an extra advantage apart from feeling socially included in particular occasions where coffee is kind of a 'must'.

One of the alternatives I would like to portray is GINSENG. This is an alternative to coffee which instead of a bean for production, a root is used so as to give us a blend which is slowly becoming a popular demand.

Ginseng coffee, a healthy alternative

The Ginseng is a plant which has been around since time immemorial and was always considered as important for its benefits. This plant is one of the east-west bridges where the very popular west culture of coffee is linked with the eastern culture of the use of plants and roots for health benefits.

The Ginseng root has been considered for centuries as a source of energy which not only with a short term effect but also a long term anti-ageing effect as well as an aphrodisiac. Eastern cultures use the Ginseng mostly for cooking and also raw consumption (mostly chewing). Yet the western infiltration of this plant is mostly in coffee.

The Ginseng root which is used to produce its coffee element

The final product of Ginseng coffee is milk-like-coffee (though milk is not suitable to add) with a sweet taste. When ordering, there are two options: small of larger cup. Yet Ginseng is not versatile, thus not suitable to produce as macchiato, cappuccino or latte. However, garnish can be added such as chocolate flakes and or coffee beans.

Main benefits of Ginseng are stress and fatigue relief while improving memory, moods and concentration. Also, Ginseng is a well-known anti-oxidant used also to level blood sugar and boost the immune system. To date, no contraindications have been recorded.

March 21, 2018

Caffè Lungo [topic: review 16]

It is with great pleasure that I portray my new review from the European Capital of Culture for 2018 - VALLETTA!

This time I went to Cafe Jubilee from the capital city of Gozo off to the capital city of Malta. I ordered my lungo after a meal and when this happens, I always expect some things to happen and others not to happen - such as quality of service with a decent glass of water served with a decent caffè.

what an experience!

Surprisingly enough, Jubilee Cafe in Valletta got high votes with a quality of service and product. Not only was the coffee at a good temperature, cream and taste - but also after a meal I was served (as it should) with a glass of water (here's the reason behind this: https://goo.gl/xszTqM). Allow one reasonable suggestion for an ultimate quality of service in this regard -> please ask your servers to serve coffee differently than other drinks as the presentation of coffee needs to complement the rest i.e. handle with care so as to avoid coffee marks due to movement.

Nevertheless, congratulations Cafe Jubilee in Valletta for the coffee service you offer. Truly your coffee celebrates culture. Well done!

Stay tuned! In the mean time, keep spreading the love for the bean.

March 14, 2018

Caffè Lungo [topic: review 15]

Today's review is taking us to the sister island of Gozo. This time I visited the franchise called Cafe Jubilee. Ordering my caffè is always a pleasure and when this is complemented with good quality, then that is surely a pleasurable pleasure :-)

my experience ... divine!


I must say that the time between order and delivery at table was reasonable despite the amount of clients present. First appearance was also satisfying. My espresso macchiato was good-looking and timely.

The quality of the beans mix was not too high in quality but the final result was acceptable. What is surely not acceptable that such a reputable coffee place serves coffee without the water service which is the next step that I propose to this place. The quality of product is augmented with the quality of service.

Stay tuned! In the mean time, keep spreading the love for the bean.