Vietnamese Coffee

by Catherine Bodry on

I’m waiting for Vietnamese coffee shops to sprout like Starbucks in mini-malls all over America. Such a coffee-crazed country is a ripe market for a drink so strong, rich, and crazily caffeinated.

I was prepared for pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) when planning my trip, as Anchorage already has a couple of Vietnamese restaurants. But I was completely taken aback by the quality of Vietnam’s coffee, which is sold on the sidewalk for a few cents.

Cups are brewed individually by pressing coarsely-ground beans inside a stainless steel filter and pouring boiling water over them. A lid covers the top, which keeps the water hot while it drips into your glass. Often, as much as a half-inch of sweetened condensed milk has already been added to the glass — it was always too sweet for me so I was careful not to stir too much, leaving most of the sticky milk on the bottom.

After a couple of minutes you remove the aluminum contraption, using the lid as a foundation now in order to catch any stray drips. What’s left is a cup of coffee strong enough to make you grind your teeth for hours in a caffeine rush. No 16-ounce mocha-lattes here; glasses aren’t much larger than shot glasses. Sip it slowly.

And if you get a chance, visit the coffee plantations and roasters in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. You can smell the roasting beans for miles, and when you get inside a roaster you’re surrounded by a thick hug of chocolate-smelling coffee beans.

Caffeinated in Seattle

by Iva Skoch on

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! Man, is this a beautiful piece of the planet or what. On that perfect sunny day in Seattle–like today–you’d be hard-pressed to find a more picturesque city (sorry, Prague).

Although I lived here a few years ago, I forgot how many coffee shops there are! Literally one on every block and they keep multiplying. And it’s not just Starbucks, although the original location (picture) in the Pike Place Market still attracts tourists.

I remember walking to work in that “morning march of the claws” (MMC) every day. MMC are all the people bundled up in Columbia Sportswear rain gear, marching to work with their right arm extended, their hand (mutated into a cup-holding claw) tightly gripping a cup of java. Their expression suggested: “Don’t talk to me before I have a chance to caffeinate.”

Everyone here seems to have a favorite coffee place, too. While favorite places used to be chains, such as Starbucks, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Tully’s, Peet’s…, now people seem to appreciate and cherish their independent coffee shops, as the latest Best of Citysearch survey indicates. When I lived here, my favorite local place used to be Uptown Coffee. Although they now have a few locations now, they still make possibly the best cappuccino foam West of Italy.

Six Tips to Stay Awake on Road Trips

by Justin Glow on

Driving when tired is no fun at all. In fact, some studies have shown that a drowsy driver can be as dangerous as a drunk driver. Here are six tips to keep you awake and feeling fresh on your next road trip. Remember, though — if you’re feeling tired, there’s no shame in pulling over and napping. This is the single most important thing you can do when driving for long periods of time. Stay safe out there!

Ingesting highly-caffeinated substances is the obvious, most well-worn method used to keep millions of dreary drivers awake. My personal favorite is dark, black coffee of the been-on-the-burner-for-12-hours, gas station variety. It tastes like roasted trash, but it’s strong like an ox and does the job. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll reach for a Starbucks DoubleShot (it even has its own Web site!). They’re extremely expensive for what little you get, but the caffeine content is high, and they’re mighty tasty. There’s also the caffeine pill option: No-Doze, Vivarin, and a billion other brightly-labeled brands found on the checkout counters at gas stations. If you go this route, use them sparingly and drink a lot of water.

If you’re traveling with someone, make them talk to you. This might seem obvious, but it’s the easiest and cheapest way to keep awake when driving. If you’re on the road for long periods of time, and switching off between drivers, this can be a problem — especially if there are only two people in the car. One person drives, the other sleeps, rotate every few hours; you can see how this could be problematic. How can someone sleep and talk to you at the same time? Good question. When I’m on a road trip, I typically stay awake anytime the car is moving — whether I’m driving or not. This is good for two reasons: 1) Both people are awake at all times, and 2) there are two people gauging tiredness. If the passenger is feeling ultra-tired, chances are the driver is too. Time to pull over and rest!

Use an electronic device to alert you of your tiredness. In recent years, many companies have come out with these little battery-operated devices that attach to your ear — similar to one of those ultra-dorky Bluetooth headsets — and let out a screech when you nod off. These are great in theory, but if you’re at the point of nodding off while driving, you shouldn’t be behind the wheel. Even so, the extra precaution wouldn’t hurt. Here’s an idea: those Bluetooth headsets everyone is wearing nowadays should have this built into them.

Make frequent, short stops to rest and/or stretch. Make it a ritual — every 100 miles or so, find a gas station, truck stop, or rest area and pull over. Stretch your legs, take a quick nap, get some fresh air, shoot a deer; do whatever it takes to revive you for the next 100 miles. Most Wal-Marts will allow you to park in their lot for a quick nap (they sell rifles too!), so take advantage of this when applicable. For reference, here’s an updated-daily list of Wal-Marts that DO NOT allow over-night parking. It’s amazing what even a 15-minute nap can do for your stamina, so don’t hesitate to take a regularly scheduled break.

Stock up on audio media to keep you entertained, interested, and alive. The only time I’ve ever listened to an audiobook was on a solo road trip. Bill Bryson taught me a little bit of everything I need to know about our universe in the audio version of A Short History of Nearly Everything, and it kept me alert the entire time. Make sure you switch it up, though. Too much of one thing can hypnotize you into a dreary sleep, so I always switch between music and “talking” media every few hours. Podcasts are a good, free (most times) alternative to audiobooks, and you don’t necessarily have to have an iPod or other MP3 player. Most podcasts give you the option of downloading the raw .MP3 file (instead of streaming it) which can easily be converted to .WAV and burned to a CD using any major burning utility.

Bring along road-friendly snacks to munch on. My favorite is sunflower seeds. Not only are they tasty, but they give me something to do while breaking the monotony of the open road. I have a routine when it comes to prying those little suckers out of their shells, and it goes a little something like this (to the tune of that one Daft Punk song): suck it, bite it, split it, remove it, separate it, chew it, spit it, repeat! Or you can kill two birds with one stone by munching on SumSeeds: Caffeinated Sunflower Seeds! Other snacks that have worked for me are sour, hard confectioneries that take some time to finish. Remember Warheads, those super-sour candies that contort your face into a perpetual, invisible-straw-sucking mask? Those things are S-O-U-R! There’s absolutely no way you’d fall asleep with one in your mouth. If you’re a health nut, apples also work well.

sources (1, 2, 3)

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Want the “Freshest Coffee on the Planet”? Head to The Roasting Plant.

by Willy Volk on

If you’re looking for a pick-me-up next time you’re exploring NYC, you might want to head to the Lower East Side and scout out The Roasting Plant. Featuring computer-controlled roasters, this clean and funky coffee shop custom roasts each type of bean it sells.

To order, you first select among seven bean types. When your order is entered into the computer, the chosen beans are sent through overhead pipes and into the custom-pimped super-automated Egro espresso machine, where they’re ground, brewed, and served to you. The Plant claims it’s the “freshest coffee on the planet.”

Founder Mike Caswell — an engineer who used to hold a senior position at some place called “Starbucks” — spent five years developing a system that would minimize the time and distance between roasting, grinding, brewing, and drinking. The end result? Coffee brewed on demand and delivered to you as fresh as possible.

China’s New Coffee Culture

by Willy Volk on

According to Stuart Eunson, managing director of Arabica Coffee Roasters, “In 1994, Beijing taxi drivers didn’t know what coffee was.” Now, 13 years later, tea production has fallen sharply in the country, and China has developed a deep and sophisticated taste for the drink. In fact, the demand for coffee in China is growing at 10% per year — and there’s no end in sight.

While some “credit” the shift from tea to coffee in China to Nestle — which introduced soluble coffee to the country in the 1980s, which was both easy to make and comfortably similar to making tea — other people think it’s a desire by the Chinese to embrace all things Western. For example, one university student claims, “I learned about coffee culture by watching the TV series Friends.” Ugh. Could that BE any sadder?

However, other people think China has grabbed onto coffee culture and made it its own. These people argue that Chinese coffee lovers pay more attention to “presentation” than Westerners — demonstrated by their love for elaborate latte art; their fondness for siphon pots; and their emphasis on a “fresh cup” (as opposed to Westerners’ always-brewing 10-cup behemoths).

In any event, the “take-away message” is that, despite the Chinese backlash against western coffee houses showing up in ancient Chinese locations, if you love your Cuppa Joe, and you’re in China, you’re going to be able to find it.

[Photo: tonx]