Vietnamese Coffee : A Unique Iced Coffee Tradition

Coffee was introduced into Vietnam by French colonists in the late 19th century. Vietnam quickly became a strong exporter of coffee with many plantations in the central highlands. The beverage was adopted with regional variations. Because of limitations on the availability of fresh milk, the French and Vietnamese began to use sweetened condensed milk with a dark roast coffee.

Vietnamese iced coffee, also known as Ca phe da or cafe da (Vietnamese: cà phê đá, literally "coffee ice") is a traditional Vietnamese coffee recipe.

"Vietnamese iced coffee with milk", also known as ca phe sua da or cà phê sữa đá It is also called ca phe nau da (Vietnamese: cà phê nâu đá, "iced brown coffee") in northern Vietnam.

At its simplest, Ca phe da is made with finely ground Vietnamese-grown dark roast coffee individually brewed with a small metal French drip filter (cà phê phin) into a cup containing about a quarter to a half as much sweetened condensed milk, stirred and poured over ice.

In the USA, Vietnamese-style coffee is sometimes confused with that brewed in Louisiana with French roast coffee with chicory. Vietnamese immigrants who came to the state in the late 20th century adopted New Orleans-style coffee because they were unable to get Vietnamese-grown coffee. The French roast style popular in Louisiana was similar to Vietnamese coffee in its relatively coarse grind; therefore it made an excellent substitute for traditional brewing in the single-serving filter/brewer. In Vietnam, however, locally produced coffees are characterized by medium roast and seldom contain chicory. [source : Vietnamese Coffee]

The History and Technological Development of Coffee Vending Machines

A vending machine is a machine that provides snacks, beverages, newspapers, magazines, lottery tickets, gold, and other products to consumers without a cashier. Items sold via these machines vary by country and region.

The first recorded reference to a vending machine is found in the work of Hero of Alexandria, a first-century engineer and mathematician. His machine accepted a coin and then dispensed a fixed amount of holy water. When the coin was deposited, it fell upon a pan attached to a lever. The lever opened up a valve which let some water flow out. The pan continued to tilt with the weight of the coin until it fell off, at which point a counter-weight would snap the lever back up and turn off the valve.

Despite this early precedent, vending machines had to wait for the Industrial Age before they came to prominence. The first modern coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London, England in the early 1880s, dispensing post cards. The first vending machine in the U.S. was built in 1888 by the Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on train platforms. The idea of adding simple games to these machines as a further incentive to buy came in 1897 when the Pulver Manufacturing Company added small figures, which would move around whenever somebody bought some gum from their machines. This simple idea spawned a whole new type of mechanical device known as the "trade stimulators". The birth of slot machines and pinball is ultimately rooted in these early devices.

The coffee vending machine technology has certainly encountered significant advancements in the past few years. As office businesses continue to grow from time to time, a lot of companies are offering their employees the comfort of using coffee vending machines in their premises. In line with these, many vending machine companies are exploring ways for the technology to be more efficient.

In the past years, vending machines were often considered as flawed due to weak kinds of drinks and lack of choices. However, with the technological advancements, vending machines now utilise tools to ensure that cups are loaded with the right quantity of coffee. Coffee dispensers nowadays also come in a wider variety of sizes and are in fact more cost-effective. In addition, modern units are available in different designs and features, with added tools for people to experience more comfort and convenience with every purchase.

Technological developments in coffee vending machines have also directed a broader selection of drinks available. These drinks range from fair-trade coffee, green teas, and hot chocolates. It is also usual for some machines to offer a variety of cold drinks such as filtered water and fruit juices. To cope with the improvements in the society, there are also hybrid types that are available in the market. This innovation offers the best quality caffeine drinks as well as a richer selection of teas and hot chocolates. Accordingly, since these advanced dispensers are more complicated in terms of function and mechanical details, they require more cleaning and maintenance than the ones in the past. [source : Coffee Vending Machines]

Coffee Syrup : Rhode Island's Official Drink

Coffee syrup is a beverage additive typically found in Rhode Island. Made of three ingredients (water and sugar strained through coffee grounds), this syrup is used in other local cuisine such as coffee milk and coffee cabinets.

Originally produced in the 1930s in corner drug stores, coffee syrup was targeted towards children, while their parents drank hot coffee. Due to the popularity of this product, coffee syrup was bottled and sold by merchants. In 1993 coffee syrup was competing against Del's Lemonade (another local drink) and won the title of official drink of Rhode Island.

Two major factors that determine the quality of the coffee syrups are sweetness or sugar content and flavor concentration. 

The sweetening of these coffee syrups usually come from one of four sources. They are fruit juice, pure cane sugar, beet and corn sugars. The syrups made with fruit juices and cane sugars will be sweeter and therefore more concentrated. The beet and corn sugar syrups is also have a good taste, but more syrup is required to achieve the same level of sweetness.

Coffee syrup is a quick and delicious treat that can be used to satisfy one's coffee cravings. It can used to spice up ice cream, cakes, puddings, hot chocolate, and well almost any kind of dessert or hot beverage.

One of the drawbacks to flavored coffee syrup is the calorie count. Flavored syrup is fattening. Considering that black coffee has only about 4 calories per cup, adding syrup does add to the waistline. That's why many coffee syrups producer companies offer sugar-free coffee syrup in order to decrease its calories.

Flavored Coffee : The Fast Growing Area of The Coffee Market

Coffee is a wonderful taste itself, but it also acts very well as the platform for many other flavours. Flavoring coffee is actually an old trick. In the Middle East it is traditional to add cardamom to coffee, while the practice of adding cinnamon has been widespread in Mexico for many years. 

Flavored coffees is an interesting and fast growing area of the coffee market. Today there are over 100 different flavoured varieties available. While coffee connoisseurs may turn up their noses at the idea of spoiling the flavour of their sacred brew, there are definitely moments when a chocolate or cinnamon flavored coffee is just right. 

The growth in popularity of flavored coffee is proof of coffee's versatility and strength. The flavours are added to the beans directly after roasting by spraying them with a carrier oil and then the particular flavouring. Another method is to add a syrup to brewed coffee to make a drink that can be served either hot or chilled with ice to make iced coffee.  

A bit of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, or other powdered spice can be added to the ground coffee. It should be mentioned that by far the most important flavouring added to coffee throughout the world is milk. [source : Flavoured Coffee]