NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Classification (Nourishing, Stimulating and Refreshing beverages)

A.  Tea       - Origin & Manufacture       - Types & Brands    

Tea was discovered by accident over 5000 years ago, when leaves from a tea bush accidentally dropped into some boiling water and delicately flavoured the liquid. Tea was originally drunk for its medicinal benefits and it was not until the 1700s that it began to be consumed as the delicious beverage that we know today.

Tea is prepared from the leaf bud and top leaves of a tropical evergreen bush called camellia sinensis. It produces what is regarded as a healthy beverage, containing approximately only half the caffeine of coffee and at the same time it aids muscle relaxation and stimulates the central nervous system.

The tea leaf itself contains a number of chemicals including amino acids, vitamins, caffeine and catechins. The latter is a type of antioxidant which in green tea is thought to be more effective in preventing certain cancers such as liver cancer. Green and black teas may also protect against cardiovascular disease.

The leaf particle size is referred to as grades. The main ones are:

·         Pekoe (pecko): the delicate top leaves

·         Orange pekoe: a rolled leaf with a slim appearance

·         Pekoe dust: the smallest particle of leaf size.

In between these grades there are a set of grades known as fannings. In tea terminology, ‘flush’ refers to a picking, which can take place at different times of the year.

Tea producing countries Tea is grown in more than 25 countries around the world. The crop benefits from acidic soil, a warm climate and where there is at least 130 cm of rain a year. It is an annual crop and its flavour, quality and character is affected by its location, altitude, type of soil and climate. The main tea producing countries are described below.

China

This is the oldest tea growing country and is known for speciality blends such as Keemun, Lapsang Souchong, Oolongs and green tea.

East Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe)

This area produces good quality teas, which are bright and colourful and used extensively for blending purposes. Kenya produces teas which are easily discernible and have a reddish or coppery tint and a brisk flavour.

India

India is the largest producer of tea, producing about 30 per cent of the world’s tea. Best known are the teas from Assam (strong and full bodied), Darjeeling tea (delicate and mellow) and also Nilgiri, which is second only to Assam and produces teas similar to those of Sri Lanka.

Indonesia

Teas produced here are light and fragrant with bright colouring when made and are used mainly for blending purposes.

Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)

Teas here are inclined to have a delicate, light lemon flavour. They are generally regarded as excellent afternoon teas and also lend themselves to being iced.

All teas are fermented (oxidised) during the process of manufacture, which gives them their black colour. The one exception is China green tea.

Tea products available

Most teas used are blended teas sold under proprietary brands or names. Other teas, sometimes called speciality or premium teas, are sold by the name of the specific tea (see Table 5.1 Service of tea below). The word ‘blend’ indicates that a named tea may be composed of a variety of different teas to produce one marketable tea, which is acceptable to the average consumer taste. For instance, what is sometimes termed a standard tea may contain somewhere in the region of 15 different teas, some of which would almost certainly include Indian tea for strength, African tea for colour and China tea for flavour and delicacy.

Tea may be purchased in a variety of forms depending on requirements such as:

·         volume of production

·         type of establishment

·         clientele

·         the occasion

·         method of service

·         storage facilities available

·         cost.

The different means of purchasing are:

·         Bulk: this is leaf tea (also called loose tea), which allows the traditional method of serving.

·         Tea bags: these are heat-sealed and contain either standard or speciality teas. They come in one-cup, two-cup, pot-for-one or bulk brew sizes up to several litres.

·         String and tag: this comes as a one-cup teabag with string attached and a tag that remains outside the cup or teapot for easy and quick identification of the tea by the customer.

·         Envelopes: this is again a string and tag teabag but in an envelope for hygienic handling. It is used for trays for in-room tea and coffee-making facilities.

·         Instant: instant tea granules.

·         Pods: these are specially designed individual portions of tea that are used in proprietary tea and coffee makers. Each pod makes one portion of tea and the pod is then disposed of.

Storage

Tea should be kept:

·         in a dry, clean and covered container

·         in a well-ventilated area

·         away from excess moisture

·         away from any strong smelling foods as it very quickly absorbs strong odours.

Characteristics of good tea

Tea should have:

·         good flavour

·         good aroma

·         good colour when milk or cream are added – not grey

·         good body.

Reasons for bad quality tea

·         Water not fresh

·         Water has not reached boiling point

·         Infusion time too long or too short

·         Stale or old tea has been used

·         Too much or too little tea used

·         Dirty equipment

·         Tea re-heated

·         Brewed tea being kept too long before use or kept at wrong temperature.

The Tea Plant

·         Tea is a hardy evergreen tropical plant that belongs to the Camellia family. Tea plants require tropical or sub tropical climate and a well drained acid type soil with an even rainfall of not less than 70 inches per year. The plant in its wild state will grow to a height of 30 feet, but constant pruning and shaping the tea bush is kept to a height of 3-4 ft and made to produce large quantities of young shoots.

Tea is made from the young leaves of the plant, called the flush and leaves are picked by hand. Usually only two small leaves and a bud from each shoot are picked for the finest teas with picking taking place every 7-14 days depending on the altitude and location of the plantation.

The main producers and exporters of tea are India SriLanka, China, Kenya, Indonesia, Argentina and Brazil.

Classification

            Tea may be classified under the following headings

1)   By their country of origin for eg India, China etc.

2)   By their type for eg green tea, black tea etc.

3)   By the method of manufacture for eg orthodox, CTC, Leggcut.

4)   By the grade of the leaf for eg Broken Orange Pekoe, Fannings etc.

5)   By the blend for eg teas are sold under a brand name giving a consistency 

     of quality and taste at a standard price.

Manufacture of Tea                        

There are five stages for manufacturing tea.              

To wither the leaf:

The plucked leaves on reaching the factory which is usually situated centrally to the plantation are first weighed, then spread out thinly and evenly on special racks, where they lose by evaporation about 50 percent of their moisture. This stage may take up to 24 hours depending on the temperature and humidity.    

To roll the leaf:

The leaves are put through rolling machines that break up the leaf cells, thus releasing the natural juices and bringing them into contact with the air. At this stage the 'fine' leaf which includes the bud and first leaf are usually sifted from the 'coarse' larger leaves and are then separately further processed.   

To ferment the leaf:

This is not a true fermentation but more correctly an oxidization being the oxidation of the tea tannin and the development of the colour, the aroma and flavour from the enzymes found in the leaf sap. The rolled leaves are spread out on racks in a cool humid room for about 3 hours during which time they turn to a bright, coppery red colour through the absorption of oxygen.

To fire the leaf:

To stop the fermentation stage, the leaves are fired in a current of hot dry air for some 20 to 30 minutes. The leaves are then black dry and crisp.

To sift and grade the leaf: 

The dry tea is next sifted, graded and packed into foil lined tea chests and sealed to protect the tea from moisture and  odours whilst en-route to the blenders.

                     

The Grading of Tea:

To make the unsorted, processed tea leaf commercially marketable it is sorted into a large number of grades through a series of sieves of different mesh sizes.

There are four main grades of Black Tea:

     a)   Leaf Teas

     b)   Broken and small leaf teas      

     c)   Fannings

     d)   Dust

Leaf Teas: The gradings are

     1)   Flowery orange pekoe (FOP)

     2)   Orange Pekoe (O.P)

     3)   Pekoe (P)

     4)   Pekoe Souchong (P.S)

Leaf teas generally yield more flavour and fragrance than broken and small leaf teas.

Broken and small leaf Teas: The numerous gradings within this group consists of the smaller leaves sifted from the bulk intentionally cut after firing to a smaller size or processed by the CTC method.

The gradings are:

1)   Broken orange pekoe (B.O.P.)  

2)   Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP)

            3)   Broken Pekoe (BP)      

Fannings:  Fanning grades include B.O.P fannings, Pekoe fannings and fannings. Fannings are small pieces of leaf.

Dust: This is the trade name for the smaller leaf particles. These grades usually yield a darker and stronger tea with a shorter infusion time than leaf teas. The fanning and dust grades are suitable for tea bags.

Each of the grade terms above refers to the appearance or the size of the leaf but not to the origin of the tea or its quality.

Tea Bags: Tea Bags contain 30 original teas which like most teas are blended together by expert tea blenders to produce a high standard of tea of the required flavour and strength. As tea bags are immersed in the tea cup or pot the material used to make the bag has been specially developed to avoid imparting any foreign flavours to the tea and also to give it sufficient strength so that it will not burst.

Although usually costlier than loose tea, tea bags do have the advantages of the same measured quantity of tea being used each time thus simplifying costing plus offering a convenient and hygienic way of disposing of the used leaf.

B.   Coffee       - Origin & Manufacture       - Types & Brands 

Coffee trees were cultivated about 1000 years ago in the Yemen. The first commercial cultivation of coffee is thought to have been in the Yemen district of Arabia in the fifteenth century. By the middle of the sixteenth century coffee drinking had spread to Sudan, Egypt, Syria and Turkey. Venetian traders first brought coffee to Europe in 1615 and the first coffee house in England was opened in Oxford in 1650. The drinking of coffee spread from Britain to America, and after the Boston Tea Party in 1773, the North American palate changed from drinking tea as a beverage to coffee.

The trees that produce coffee are of the genus Coffea, which belongs to the Rubiaceae family. There are somewhere in the region of 50 different species, although only two of these are commercially significant. These are known as Coffea arabica and Coffea camephora, which is usually referred to as Robusta. Arabica accounts for some 75 per cent of world production.

The coffee tree is an evergreen shrub, which reaches a height of two to three metres when cultivated. The fruit of the coffee tree is known as the ‘cherry’ and these are about 1.5 cm in length and have an oblong shape. The cherry usually contains two coffee beans. The coffee tree will not begin to produce fruit until it is 3–5 years old and it will then usually yield good crops for up to 15 years.

The coffee bean goes through various stages while it is being processed. These are:

·         harvesting

·         wet processing (washing, fermenting and drying)

·         dry processing (laid out on mats in the sun)

·         sorting

·         grading

·         packaging.

Coffee producing countries

Coffee is a natural product grown in many countries of the tropical and sub-tropical belt in South and Central America, Africa and Asia. It is grown at different altitudes in different basic climates and in different soils and is viewed as an international drink consumed throughout the world. Brazil is the world’s largest grower of coffee, Columbia is second, the Ivory Coast third and Indonesia fourth.

Coffee products available

The different means of purchasing coffee are:

·         Bulk: (either as beans or in vacuum packs of pre-ground beans) allowing for the traditional methods of making and serving.

·         Coffee bags: these are heat-sealed and come in one-cup, two-cup, pot-for-one or bulk brew sizes up to several litres.

·         Instant: instant coffee granules, available in sizes from one cup to pot size.

·         Individual filters: vacuum packed and containing one portion.

·         Pods: these are specially designed individual portions of pre-ground coffee that are used in proprietary coffee and tea makers. Each pod makes one portion of coffee and the pod is then disposed of.    

The blend

Companies who sell coffee have their own blending experts whose task it is to ensure that the quality and taste of their particular coffee brand is consistent, despite the fact that the imported beans will vary from shipment to shipment.

Samples of green coffee beans are taken from bags in the producing countries and the port of arrival. The samples are sent to prospective buyers whose experts roast, brew and taste samples to test their quality before deciding on the type of blend for which the particular coffee is suitable.

The roasting

Most brands of coffee sold in shops are, in fact, a blend of two or more batches of beans. Because they have no smell or taste, green beans have to be roasted in order to release the coffee aroma and flavour. The roasting process should give a uniform colour. The outputs from different roasting are used to form different blends.

The common degrees of roasting are: l

·         light or pale roastings: suitable for mild beans to preserve their delicate aroma. l

·         medium roastings: give a stronger flavour and are often favoured for coffees with well defined character. l

·         full roastings: popular in many Latin countries, they have a bitter flavour. l

·         high roasted coffee: accentuates the strong bitter aspects of coffee, although much of the original flavour is lost.

Commercial coffee roasters can either convert the beans into instant (soluble) coffee or prepare them for sale as roasted or ground beans. The higher the roast, the less acidity and the more bitterness there is in the coffee.

Certain coffees also have flavourings added, either in the blend or during the process of making. Examples of these include:

·         Turkish coffee: vanilla

·         French coffee: chicory

·         Viennese coffee: fig.

The grind

Roasted coffee must be ground before it can be used to make the brew. Coffee is ground to different grades of fineness to suit the many different methods of brewing. The most suitable grinds for some common methods of brewing coffee are:

Method                       Grinding grade

Cafetière                     Medium

Espresso                      Very fine

Filter/Drip                   Fine to medium

Jug                               Coarse

Percolator                    Medium

Turkish                                    Pulverised

Vacuum infusion         Medium fine to fine

Storage

Some tips for storing coffee:

·         Store in a well-ventilated storeroom.

·         Use an airtight container for ground coffee to ensure that the oils do not evaporate, causing loss of flavour and strength.

·         Keep coffee away from excess moisture.

·         Do not store near any strong smelling foods or other substances, as coffee will absorb their odours.

Characteristics of good coffee

Coffee should have:

·         good flavour

·          good aroma

·         good colour when milk or cream are added – not grey

·         good body.

Reasons for bad quality coffee

·         Water not fresh.

·         Water has not reached boiling point.

·         Insufficient or too much coffee used.

·         Infusion time too short or too long or at wrong temperature.

·         Coffee not roasted correctly.

·         Stale or old coffee used.

·         Incorrect grind of coffee used for equipment in operation.

·         Coffee kept too long before use or kept at wrong temperature.

·         Dirty equipment.

·         Sediment remaining in storage or serving compartment.

C.  Juices and Soft Drinks /Aerated waters

These beverages are charged (or aerated) with carbonic gas. Artificial aerated waters are by far the most common. The flavourings found in different aerated waters are obtained from various essences.

Examples of these aerated waters are:

·         Soda water: colourless and tasteless

·         Tonic water: colourless and quinine flavoured

·         Dry ginger: golden straw-coloured with a ginger flavour

·         Bitter lemon: pale, cloudy yellow-coloured with a sharp lemon flavour.

·

Other flavoured waters are:

·         ‘Fizzy’ lemonades

·         Orange

·         Ginger beer

·         Cola, etc.

Aerated waters are available in bottles and cans and many are also available as post-mix. The term post-mix indicates that the drink mix of syrup and the carbonated (filtered) water is mixed after (post) leaving the syrup container, rather than being pre-mixed (or ready mixed) as in canned or bottled soft drinks. The post-mix drinks are served from hand-held dispensing guns at the bar. These have buttons on the dispensing gun to select the specific drink. The key advantage of the post-mix system is the saving on storage space, especially for a high turnover operation. Dispensing systems need regular cleaning and maintenance to ensure that they are hygienic and working properly. Also, the proportions of the mix need to be checked regularly: too little syrup and the drinks will lack taste; too much syrup and the flavours become too strong.

Juices

The main types of juices held in stock in the dispense bar are: l

·         bottled, canned or in cartons:

·         orange juice

·         pineapple juice

·         grapefruit juice

·         tomato juice.

·         fresh:

·         orange juice

·          grapefruit juice

·         lemon juice.

Apart from being served chilled on their own, these fresh juices may also be used in cocktails and for mixing with spirits.

Natural vegetable juices

 Often known as ‘health drinks’, these include carrot juice and beetroot juice.

Syrups

The main uses of these concentrated, sweet, fruit flavourings are as a base for cocktails, fruit cups or mixed with soda water as a long drink. The main ones used are:

·         cassis (blackcurrant)

·         cerise (cherry)

·         citronelle (lemon)

·         framboise (raspberry)

·         gomme (white sugar syrup)

·         grenadine (pomegranate)

·         orgeat (almond).

Syrups are also available as ‘flavouring agents’ for cold milk drinks such as milk shakes.

D.   Cocoa & Malted Beverages       -  Origin & Manufacture 

Chocolate

Chocolate and cocoa come from the fruit of the plant Theobroma cacao, in the form of beans containing up to 25–30 white seeds. This cocoa plant is grown in countries as far afield as Mexico, Central and South America, West Africa and Asia.

Production process The seeds are fermented, dried and shipped abroad where they are then roasted and blended before being pressed, ground and sieved for use as powdered or solid products. They then become cocoa powder, drinking chocolate, eating chocolate and couverture chocolate used for decorating purposes.

Product characteristics

The characteristics of these beverages vary according to the exact ingredients used and in what proportions. This has an impact on:

·         flavour

·         consistency

·         sweetness/bitterness

·         milkiness/smoothness

·         overall presentation.

Some products on the market only have to be mixed with hot water as dried skimmed milk and milk proteins are among the ingredients making up the product.

Storage of chocolate products

Drinking chocolate products come in individual vacuum sealed packs or pods for use with electronic beverage making machines or in containers of varying sizes to suit demand and turnover. When not in use the containers should be kept air tight, in cool, dry and well ventilated conditions and away from excess moisture and sunlight.

Other non-alcoholic beverages

Squashes

A squash may be served diluted with water, soda water or lemonade. Squashes are also used as mixers for spirits and in cocktails, or used as the base for such drinks as fruit cups. Examples are: l orange squash l lemon squash l grapefruit squash l lime juice.

Milkshakes

These are made from:

·         chilled milk

·         syrups (concentrated flavourings)

·         ice cream.

Smoothies

Smoothies are made in a blender and have become increasingly popular. The ingredients required might include fresh fruit or vegetables, the latter being sweetened if necessary. Also frozen fruit, frozen yogurt, fruit juices, milk and honey may be used in a recipe. Crushed ice is often used to ensure the product is well chilled on serving. Pre-made bottled or carton versions are also available.

COCOA AND CHOCOLATE

“CACAHAUT” was the Aztec name for the seeds of the tropical tree Theobroma cocoa originally grown in central and South America. The Spanish conquerors of America shortened it to “cocoa”. The Americans changed it to cocoa. In 1720 the Swedish

botanist gave cocoa beans the botanical name “theobroma cocoa”. Cocoa in Greek means `FOOD OF GODS'.

SOURCES:

Cocoa is mainly produced in Africa, North, Central and South America and Asia.  Africa is the major producer.

Cocoa is taken  from the fruits which is  4-12 inches in length and 4 inch in diameter with a feathery rind having 25 - 75 seeds in 5 distinct rows.

CLASSIFICATION:

1. By the country of origin.

2. By their species eg. criollo forastero

3. By their types, drinking chocolate

PROCESSING OF COCOA

FERMENTING THE BEANS: The roped cocoa pods are collected, slit open and the beans and pulp surrounding them scooped out and fermented under controlled condition of temperature between 40-50 C. The reasons for fermentation are:

(1)       To prevent the germination and decomposition of the beans.

(2)       Killing of germs

(3)       To encourage the enzyme reaction, reducing bitterness and developing flavour. The beans absorb the liquid from the fermenting sugar pulp, which is then converted into alcohol and then into acetic acid. The fermentation is stopped as soon as the mass of beans passes into the acid. If the fermentation is allowed, the beans will develop an unpleasant flavour and odour.

DRYING OF THE BEANS:

This is done by drying in the sun for two to three days and occasionally turning them over or by passing them through a mechanical drying chamber. When dried the beans should have a moisture content less than 4%.

ROASTING OF BEANS:

By roasting, the flavour and aroma of the beans are enhanced. Roasting also helps in giving even colour and helps in removing the shell from the beans.

WINNOWING (REMOVING THE SHELL):

The shells are removed by passing the beans through a series of rollers and sieve. The de-shelled beans are now referred to as NIB.

DUTCH PROCESSING:

The flavour is developed by putting the nibs in alkali solution. After drying, the nibs are re-roasted to correct the moisture content. This method gives a darker colour and better flavour.

GRINDING THE NIBS:

The nibs  are ground into very small particles, a process which  releases  a large amount of fat and results in the mass becoming a thick syrup.

EXTRACTION OF COCOA BUTTER

The thick fluid is fed into a felt lined steel pan fitted with a movable perforated lid. When hydraulic pressure is applied the fat is forced through the cloth leaving behind a solid residue known as pressed cake.

This is removed from the pan cooled to set the colour. Then powdered and sieved, a small quantity of salt and flavouring (vanilla) is usually added and then sold as cocoa powder.

MAKING OF PLAIN CHOCOLATE:  Three stages are involved for making chocolate.

(1)MIXING OF COCOA WITH SUGAR: The cocoa mass is mixed thor­oughly with sugar in a large blending kettle. The fat content is strictly controlled to enable a standard product. Additional cocoa butter is added to adjust the consistency.

(2)REFINING THE  MIXTURE:  The mixture is passed through a series of heavy steel rollers to reduce the size of the individual non-fat particles so that the chocolate grains are fine in texture. The particles are exposed to air reducing the moisture content, partially evaporating the volatile substances and lightening the colour of the mixture.

(3) TO CONCHE FLAVOUR AND STANDARDISE THE MIXTURE:  Conching is the flavour development process which puts the chocolate through a kneading action and takes its name the shell like shape of the container  originally employed. The conches as the machines are called are equipped with heavy rollers that plough back and forth through chocolate mass for few hours to several days. Under regulated speed, these rollers can produce different degree of agitation and aeration at a temp between 60-70 C helps in removing the undesirable volatile flavour. Additional flavours are added as per desire and the chocolate is runoff and set in moulds as slab and bars. The product is then called COUVERTURE.

PROCESSING OF MILK CHOCOLATE: Milk crumb is added at the refining stage and the conching is done at a lower temperature but for a long time. Milk crumb is the mixture of specially prepared condensed milk and chocolate mass which has been reduced to powdered form. Milk chocolate should contain at least 14% milk.

DRINKING CHOCOLATE: It is prepared by adding hot water or milk to chocolate powder or chocolate flakes.

COOKING CHOCOLATE: Hardened chocolate liquor without sugar used for baking and candy making.

BITTER CHOCOLATE: Same as cooking chocolate but in some cases sugar is added to reduce the bitterness.

CHOCOLATE LIQUOR:   Dark thick liquid or paste that is the end product of grinding cocoa beans.

COUVERTURE: Also, called coating or bulk chocolate. It has extra cocoa butter added which makes it shinier, soft and smooth.

TRUFFLE:  A blend of chocolate, butter and cream and sugar, filled with liqueur or fruit flavouring and rolled in cocoa powder or powdered sugar. Their shape resembles that of black furnus truffle after which the name is given.

IMITATION CHOCOLATE

It is also known as bakers chocolate where some or all the cocoa fat is replaced with other vegetable fat and stabilized. Imitation chocolate are used for coating of ice cream, cakes and candies. The fat used should resist melting in hand. A hydrogenated fat will resist better than cocoa butter in melting during summer. They are cheaper than the cocoa butter chocolate and  must be appropriately labeled.

MELTING OF CHOCOLATE

Cocoa Butter melts at 89 F to 93 F which is just below body temp. Chocolate is used by melting bitter chocolate or couverture at 115 F and then cooled to a temp of 85 F and then spread and used.  Do not over heat during the melting stage temp. Above 120 F tends to make the chocolate thick and coarse. White melting chocolate it must be kept free from any contact  with water or liquid of any kind and it tends to cause the chocolate to stiffened lose its liquid form.  Tempering of chocolate is the addition of finely grated chocolate to melted chocolate. So that the temp. is brought down faster and the chocolate sets faster.

FLAVOURING: The flavouring which is compatible with chocolate in vanilla.  Excessive spices may mask the true chocolate flavour if used in excess.

USES AND PREPARATION OF COCOA AND CHOCOLATE:

Cocoa and chocolate is used for the preparation or chocolates, beverages, flavour desserts, cakes ice cream etc.

The process of roasting the cocoa beans dextrinises the natural cocoa starch rendering it more absorbent to  moisture. Thus the addition of cocoa powder in a cake mix will bring about the stiffening of the batter. To compensate for this a reduction in flavour is desirable. The exact extent of this reduction is dependent of the type of cocoa but will at least be 4 ounce. Cut in flour for every pound of cocoa used.

In certain recipes for chocolate cakes particularly  Devils food, a certain amount of soda is often included because of the action which it seems to have in promoting a reddish brown seems to colour of the crumb. Unless very carefully used soda is likely to impart that undesirable flavour in a chocolate cake.

COMPOSITION OF COCOA                                                       

Cocoa has an alkaloid called teobromine and caffeine  which acts as stimulant.

STORAGE: Cool in a dry place in airtight containers. If kept at higher temperature cocoa butter rises to the surface giving a patchy appearance to the chocolate.