Stimulating Beverages

Caffeine (AKA 1,3,7-trimethylxantheine) is an alkaloid
* Alkaloid: a Nitrogen-containing compound of plant origin

Caffeine Molecule

100-200 mg of caffeine can increase alertness, decrease drowsiness, and improve thinking
250-700 mg of caffeine can cause anxiety, increase blood pressure, cause insomnia, and nervousness
In plants caffeine functions as an insecticide

Humans have consumed caffeine since the Stone Age
Chewing seeds, bark, or leaves of certain plants eased fatigue
* Effects were increased by soaking such plants in hot water
In 1819, a German Chemist isolated relatively pure caffeine for the 1st time
The chemical structure was determined in the late 19th century

Coffea (or coffee) is a large genus with more than 90 species.
* A member of the family Rubiaceae
It grows as a shrub with dark green leaves, clusters of small white, fragrant flowers, and small, rounded berries that turn yellow, red, or purple when they ripen.
Native to Ethiopia
Large-scale cultivation occurs in countries such as the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Indonesia
Most berries contain 2 seeds
* Peaberries are the exception and have 1 seed
Grown in tropical and subtropical climates
* 60-100 inches of rainfall per year
* Cannot tolerate frost
Begin to bear fruit at 3-5 years
Berries are picked by hand, or machines shaking the trees
After picking the berries need to be “depulped”
* Wet Method (South America): the fruit is floated in large tanks to remove debris and then are mechanically depulped.
* Dry Method (Africa): the fruit is allowed to dry in the open for several days while the pulp ferments.
The seeds (AKA beans) are dried and roasted
* the flavor of the coffee depends on the temperature and timing roast
* Under a general rule, the darker the roast the less sweet and more strong the coffee

Glocal harvest of coffee is approximately $10 million tons per year
The top five countries for coffee production: Brazil, Vietnam, Columbia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia

The coffee industry brings in $10 billion a year
25 million farmers grow coffee
* Farmers usually get 25-50 cents per pound
* Fair-Trade Farmers get at least $1.26 per pound

Leaves are dried to make a beverage
Native to adjoining areas of China, India, Tibet, and Burma
* China and India are by far the largest producers of tea in the world
Grown as a tree that can get up to 30 feet tall but is pruned to be a shrub about 3 feet tall
Only the 2 leaves and a tip are picked at a time
Picking promotes regrowth, so the plant can be harvested every week

Used in the Far East for thousands of years
Brought to Eastern Europe in the 1400s and Western Europe in the 1650s
Arrived in the New World in the 1650s and became a popular drink for colonists
* Boston Tea Party in 1773

There are no calories in tea unless you add sugar
The British are still big on tea
* 165 Million cups of tea are drunk in Britain each day
* Usually hot black tea, with a little milk
Americans usually drink iced tea
* Herbal teas are also more popular in the U.S.
* These are NOT C.sinensis

After harvesting, the way the leaves are dried determines the color and taste of the tee

Black tea: the leaves are dried on racks with hot air, the leaves wither and are rolled, these are left to ferment for a few hours, and then dried

Green tea: the leaves are not withered but are steamed and then dried directly to stay green

White Tea: the leaves harvested are of a particular variety that has tiny white hairs (trichomes), not steamed or withered.

Tea contains caffeine, but not as much as coffee contains
Tea also contains another alkaloid known as theophylline
* Theophylline: relaxes muscles and has been used to treat asthma
Other components may have health benefits
* Anti-oxidants in green teas may help protect against certain types of cancer

Native to Tropical Central and South America
It is the seed that is used to make chocolate
* The seed is called the cocoa bean

Theobroma: the “food of the gods”
Used for centuries in Central America, mixed with chili (like the Mexican mole)
Taken to Spain in 1528, they added sugar instead of chili to make the drink more palatable

A small tree that grows in the understory of a tropical rainforest
Requires a wet and warm climate
Grown extensively in Central America, Venezuela, Columbia, Brazil, and West Africa
* The Ivory Coast in West Africa provides 30% of the cocoa of the world

The tree bears football-size pods which take 4-6 weeks to mature
The pods are cut down by the tree by hand
Inside each pod, they are 20-40 ivory-colored seeds (beans) surrounded by a sticky pulp
Seeds are removed and allowed to ferment for up to a week
The beans turn brown and are then dried

The beans are roasted for 20-50 mins at around 120 C
Seeds are then cracked releasing the cocoa nibs
* the nibs are the cotyledons
Nibs are milled to produce chocolate liquor (brown oil)
The chocolate liquor is pressed to extract cocoa “butter” which is used to make chocolate
* The remaining “presscake” is used to make chocolate powder

A lot of child labor is used in cocoa plantations in West Africa
UNICEF estimates that 200,000 children are removed from their families and used as slaves