Why coffee you ask? Several years ago, I read an article about the growing number of people roasting coffee at home. Since my baking hobby had started shrinking my pants, I found the idea of roasting coffee interesting. After all, I have always loved coffee, and many of my fondest memories and deepest thoughts have been shared with family and friends over a steaming cup of coffee. So, I took an introduction to home roasting class, and I was immediately hooked! My new hobby quickly became an obsession. I found myself spending hours reading and learning about the different varieties of coffee plants, the regions where they grow, and the people that passionately plant, nurture, and harvest these plants. I realized that coffee for them was not just a vocation, but a way of life that is deeply imbedded in their culture, economy, and society. Whether it be a large finca in Guatemala or the tiniest micro lot farmer in Ethiopia, they all share the same life-long pursuit of growing the perfect beans that will ultimately become the perfect cup of coffee. And, from that coffee plant, the farmers have grown families, communities, churches, schools, health care clinics, as well as saving our rainforests. I ask you, “can coffee save the world?” Perhaps! It certainly has changed mine for the better!
-Kirstie
My mission is simple. It is to bring to my community premium specialty grade coffees from around the world. My promise to you is to always source beans that are responsibly grown and harvested. I promise to take great pride and care into roasting every batch. I promise to continue to learn and grow as a nano roaster so that I can roast the best darn coffee you have ever tasted!
What Is Cacao?
Cacao is the name of the small tree native to the Amazon basin that grows cacao, or cocoa, beans. Its scientific name, Theobroma cacao, translates to "food of the Gods." The ancient Mayans and Aztecs used cacao as medicine for centuries. Today the cacao tree grows in tropical regions all over the world.
Cacao beans develop flavor and texture through fermentation before they’re processed into either brewing cacao or cocoa powder. Fermenting and roasting cacao is also the first step in making chocolate. Raw cacao tastes bitter, but it's very high in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, so it is often made into a powder that can be added to other foods. Cacao is the fruit in its raw form before it's ever processed. Cocoa is usually a powder made from cacao that you bake with. It's flavor isn't as bitter as raw cacao, but it has more sugar.
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Brewed cacao is made from roasted and ground cacao beans, which are then brewed like coffee or tea. This process extracts the beneficial compounds from the bean, creating a beverage that is low in calories and acidity but high in beneficial nutrients and compounds like antioxidants, theobromine, and fiber.
Brewed cacao is considered a healthier alternative to coffee for several reasons:
Why drink brewed cacao?
There's truly very little you can't do with cacao.
Brewed cacao can be a delicious addition to your daily routine. If you're just looking to explore some new hot beverage options to mix up your daily routine, then this is the perfect option. If you have dietary restrictions but still want that hot coffee sensation, then brewed cacao also has you covered. You can't go wrong with this powerhouse of flavor and antioxidants!
Cacao - Food of the Gods
Patrocinio Fazenda Paraiso
Rustic dark chocolate accented by notes of vanilla wafer cookie, puffed rice cereal, with a pleasant bittering aftertaste of dark cocoa powder.
Honey Process Masha
A brightly spiced coffee with syrupy sweetness and notes of sugar cane, caramel, and Earl Grey and Sencha teas with a touch of lemon.
Cerro Alto La Union
Dark cocoa and caramel, mild acidity, and hints of tea, woody whole spices, and marbled chocolate cake.
Hispaniola Cacao
A fuller-bodied cacao with notes of baking spice, honey molasses, and plum.
Finca San Miguel Bourbon
Caramel-toned and creamy with notes of Dulce de Leche, hazelnut chocolate, vanilla bean, chocolate-covered almond, and dark cocoa.
Dry Process Suke Quto
Tasting notes of strawberry, ripe blueberry, dried stone fruits, and tangy tamarind with fragrances of Chai tea, cinnamon, and fresh rue herb.
Organic (FTO) Dry Process Chuacús
Flavor profiles of rustic fruits and burnt sugars with notes of ripe banana, chocolate liqueur, and roasted chicory root.
Yercaud Balmaadi Estate
A nice acidic snap is followed by raw sugar notes, sesame snaps candies, toasted barley tea, dried apple, chocolate wafer cookie, chocolate almond toffee, and nutty finish.
Nyeri Ichamama Peaberry
Tastes of juicy fruits, like plum, grape, and even a hint of tropical fruit punch with cocoa bittering makes as it cools. Aromatics of molasses and burnt sugar.
Premium Naga
Sweet and nutty tastes mixing with a semi-roasty chocolate factor along with tones of burnt sugar and roasted caramel.
Mexico Altura Chiapas/Oaxaca
A very chocolaty cup of coffee, fuller bodied with low acidity, with some nutty & herbal accents
Carpenter Estates - Sigri- Kula Peaberry
A silky smooth coffee that is clean tasting, fuller bodied, and has a creamy mouthfeel. It is a lower acidity chocolaty cup with a sweet edge with some cool nutty and herbal/spice accents.
Rwanda Nyamasheke Gitwe
Caramel sweetness accented by aromatic spices, with dried apple and orange notes. Dark roasts pull out cinnamon-laced dark chocolate.
Linton Batak
A full-bodied coffee with earthy and foresty notes of cedar, sweet tobacco, black pepper, spice, and citrus.
Grande Cacao
Trinidad - Tobago is famous for its Trinitario cocoa, a hybrid variety known for its fine flavor profile with fruity and floral notes.
Robusta - Central Highlands
A heavy-bodied Robusta offering with a stout body and a balanced cup with a clean finish.
Kateshi Estate AA
A fuller bodied cup with a sweet lemony crispness balanced with a chocolaty dark tone and hints of nuttiness and spice in the aftertaste. When roasted dark, it is smoky and chocolaty with hints of spice.