A drink with countless qualities, green coffee has a less strong taste than traditional espresso. Its main characteristic is that it is extracted from raw coffee beans, that is, not subjected to the roasting process. Compared to roasted coffee, therefore, it has a lower caffeine content and a more neutral flavour. It is suitable to those who don’t want to give up the pleasure of sipping a coffee but are particularly sensitive to coffee.
Consuming green coffee causes fewer side effects than espresso coffee, and it’s a way to give attention to your body pleasantly.
It is commercially available as supplements, in sachets or in grains, and it can be extracted by infusion or with a manual coffee machine.
It’s a light-coloured drink that can be compared to the green tea and has a distinctive herbal taste.
Drinking green coffee, however, is not recommended for its flavour but for its beneficial properties. Actually, it is a drink rich in nutritional, anti-cancer and antioxidant properties.
It is often used in slimming diets because it limits the absorption of sugars in the intestine. And this is the reason why it is very popular and boasts a large number of admirers.
Have you ever heard about it?
Are you wondering how green coffee is prepared and what it tastes like?
Today, we’ll talk about this drink. We’ll tell you how it is prepared and what are the benefits it can give.
What is green coffee
Green coffee is a drink similar to green tea, light-coloured and bright, almost yellow.
Its main characteristic is that the beans are not roasted, therefore they keep their greenish coloured. The only process that green coffee beans are subjected is the exsiccation, that favours the grinding and the extraction of the drink.
Unlike the traditional espresso, it is low in caffeine. The exsiccation, actually, helps keep the amount of chlorogenic acid high, and it reduces the absorption of caffeine in the body.
The chlorogenic acid is an active ingredient with multiple beneficial properties and which does not create tolerability problems.
Its action is particularly useful after meals, since it regulates the action of glucose in the blood and helps reduce postprandial blood sugar levels. Having a coffee after a meal, therefore, could speed up metabolism and favour weight-loss.
The unroasted coffee, furthermore, has an antioxidant action and fights free radicals, contributing to cell turnover and tissue regeneration. Many studies shown that green coffee is one of the richest sources of chlorogenic acid and polyphenols, that helps to prevent the spread of bacteria and inflammations.
Why is it called green coffee
Green coffee is nothing more than raw coffee and takes that name from to the colour that the beans have in nature. These beans, in fact, once collected, are simply dried so, they keep the acid green and yellow hue that characterizes them.
The dark colour that has always been associated with coffee beans, is nothing more than the result of the roasting process.
The green coffee is of the highest quality because, it keeps its original appearance and, it’s not subjected to any organoleptic alterations, so it does not lose its nutritional properties.
When we say green coffee, we talk about both the coffee beans and the drink that is extracted from them. The plant from which green coffee comes is Coffea, of the Arborea tropicale species. Nowadays, it is possible to find coffee plantations in many countries of the equatorial area, but it seems that it has an Ethiopian origin. The best green coffee quality is Coffea Arabica, it has many pleasant and aromatic features.
The coffee beans are harvested in the same way, for both raw and roasted coffee:
- Once the Coffea fruits have finished their ripening process they are harvested.
- After collecting them, the peel and pulp are removed.
Now, the black coffee is roasted, while the green coffee is spread and dried on rammed earth.
The exsiccation process lasts from fifteen to thirty days and can take place both mechanically and naturally.
What is the difference with espresso
The colour, beans processing, nutritional properties, and aroma: green coffee and traditional coffee have a different feature even if they come from the same plant.
Due to the shades of emerald-green, pure coffee is totally different from the beans we are used to seeing at the bar.
The roasting process, actually, darkens the beans, making them crunchier and more full-bodied.
The exsiccation process reduces the absorption of caffeine due to the presence of chlorogenic acid. The latter, in fact, comes out during the roasting process and releases a high quantity of caffeine. The drink extracted from the green coffee beans is lighter and has a significantly lower caffeine content than roasted coffee. Therefore, green coffee is more suitable for those who do not tolerate caffeine well. Actually, causes fewer side effects, and it can also be taken by hypertensive people or by those who have to give up coffee due to insomnia problems.
People who are hypersensitive to caffeine, furthermore, have intestinal or gastric disorders even after a single cup of black coffee. These kinds of annoyances can be overcome by replacing the espresso with green coffee, without having to eliminate coffee from the diet.
There’s a big difference if we talk about the aroma. Roasted coffee has many decisive organoleptic characteristics due to the roasting process. The latter, in fact, helps to release the aroma and to enhance the feature of every single blend.Green coffee instead, is very light and does not convey any hint of “cooked”, typical of espresso.
What does green coffee taste like
Black coffee varies in flavour depending on its origin: Brazilian coffee, generally, is more intense and full-bodied, while the Mexican one has a moderate degree of acidity and, Colombian coffee is extremely flavoured and tasty.
But what does green coffee taste like?
The coffee extracted from raw beans is almost odourless and has not an intense taste.
From the extraction process a light drink is obtained, similar to Matcha tea or green tea, with a bitter taste. At the first taste, it is reminiscent of hay or freshly cut grass and is totally different from the classic espresso.
On despite to black coffee, it’s quite difficult to distinguish the different coffee species, as raw coffee gives very similar results. In fact, is the roasting process that enhances the features of the beans and gives each variety its own unique character.
To let the flavour of the green coffee become more pleasant, many different blends can be created by adding more sweet and aromatic ingredients. Mint, ginger, cinnamon, ginseng, and cardamom match perfectly with green coffee, giving it more enveloping hints and dampening the bitterness.
Flavoured green coffee can also be drunk cold but not to lose its beneficial action, it is advisable to avoid sugar.
Beneficial effects of green coffee
Despite having a more bitter taste than traditional espresso, green coffee is highly valued for its nutritional qualities. Roasting gives the drink its strong and intense flavour, but impoverishes the beans and increases the acidity of the coffee.
Raw green coffee, on the other hand, retains its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is one of the phytocomplexes because it consists of polyphenols, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, minerals and B vitamins which, taken together, enhance their action.
Chlorogenic acid is the strongest and most effective active ingredient as it acts on blood pressure, helps control free cholesterol levels and fatty acids.
In addition, it is tolerated well by those suffering from gastritis or complaining of other problems with the gastric mucosa. The acidity of raw green coffee is in fact lower than that of traditional coffee: the former has a ph of 5 while roasted coffee ranges from 3 to 3.5.
Several studies have shown that chlorogenic acid is also an excellent ally in slimming diets. This polyphenol, in fact, helps control sugar absorption and is effective in stimulating intestinal processes.
With similar characteristics to green tea, raw green coffee is a powerful antioxidant and helps eliminate toxic substances from the body.
Among its properties, we cannot overlook its anti-cancer and gout-fighting action.
Given its low caffeine content and slower release, it can be taken regularly as it does not cause the side effects associated with a high and intense concentration of this substance.
In summary, the benefits of green coffee are:
- higher tolerability than caffeine;
- has antioxidant and purifying properties;
- stimulates intestinal peristalsis;
- is a powerful anti-cancer agent;
- fights gout;
- promotes slimming;
- can be taken by those suffering from gastrointestinal problems as it is less acidic than roasted coffee;
- has important nutritional properties;
- counteracts high blood pressure and diabetes;
- reduces the absorption of fat and sugar;
- protects against neurodegenerative diseases.
In short, green coffee can be considered a true elixir of well-being.
Is it true that green coffee makes you slim?
Green coffee is often indicated as a supplement in slimming diets, either in the form of a drink or in tablet form. The caffeine contained in coffee, both roasted and raw coffee, acts effectively on fat tissue, promoting its elimination.
Unlike traditional coffee, however, green coffee releases caffeine more gradually. Consequently, its activity is prolonged over time and its effects on the body are also longer lasting. By remaining in the bloodstream for longer, caffeine stimulates the metabolism over a longer period of time, with noticeable effects on weight loss.
This molecule promotes weight loss in two ways:
- increases the production of adrenalin and noradrenalin, which can speed up the breakdown of fats in the blood;
- inhibits the absorption of sugar and fat in the intestines.
The lower absorption of sugars is essential in preventing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and, consequently, in preventing diabetes. Above all, by preventing glycaemic peaks, the metabolism of sugars and fats is activated correctly, preventing the accumulation of fat on the belly. Poor sugar metabolism, in fact, is one of the most important causes of body weight gain.
The fat-burning properties of green coffee also depend on the presence of polyphenols, which prevent the formation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver, thus preventing fat accumulation.
Of course, its action alone is not enough to reduce body weight. Real and noticeable results can only be achieved if the consumption of raw coffee is combined with a controlled diet and physical exercise.
How is green coffee made?
Like for the traditional coffee, there are also different ways of preparing green coffee.
It is possible to find in commerce raw coffee both in filters and beans, so you can opt for both infusion and extraction with a manual coffee machine.
Preparation by infusion is really simple: just put a sachet in hot water for 10/15 minutes and wait until the drink is ready. But you have to pay attention to the temperature of the water. Unlike other infusions or drinks based on theine and caffeine, raw coffee is thermolabile so water must not be more than 80 degrees, otherwise its nutritional properties are lost.
To enjoy your green coffee without giving up the rituality associated with espresso, you can choose raw coffee beans and use the professional coffee machine for the preparation of the drink
Even in this case, the process does not require a great deal of effort.
The coffee beans can be bought in herbalists or in local roasters, and grind with a mortar or kitchen mixer.
Turn on the coffee machine so that the water reaches the right temperature. Then, fill the filter and continue with the extraction.
The most aromatic variety of raw coffee suitable for preparation with the coffee machine is the Arabic Coffea. With an intense and pleasant taste, this variety is extremely valuable and has an optimal texture to be ground.
Preparing a green coffee with a professional coffee machine is the best way to keep unchanged its nutritional properties.
With a Pontevecchio lever coffee machine, furthermore, you can explore and discover the gesture and regulate the machine parameters in order to extract a healthy and rich coffee.
How and when to take green coffee
Green coffee is a drink that, taken regularly, can give many beneficial effects to the body.
Known for its slimming properties, this drink is very effective if matched with a low-calorie diet and exercise.
It seems that, having at least three cups of green coffee per day, it is possible to see the results in the first weeks of intake.
It is recommended to take the drink before each meal. So, if you want to lose weight, you must be consistent and prepare your green coffee before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In this way, you can lose up to two kilograms in just a month.
It is important to keep in mind that, despite it has a lower caffeine content than espresso coffee, you should not overdo it.
A moderate and regular consumption is the one that can give the greatest benefits.
But there is no information about the intake of green coffee during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
A little secret to appreciate its aromatic shades is to have it in a large cup.
If you prefer a more flavoured drink, you can try the ginger-based green coffee or just sprinkle some cinnamon on it.
Remember that the best way to keep unchanged the beneficial properties of raw coffee is by the extraction with a manual coffee machine.
Discover our models and start taking care of yourself with green coffee.
