He was born a noble white baby in London: William Le Lacheur, an Englishman was born on 15 October 1802 and was very early baptized with the name Guillaume Le Lacheure Allez). He got his name from his grand parents. Amazing how well the English do.

William founded the Costa Rica coffee industry by establising the world trade markets with Europe and setting up the shipping lanes. He set up an European trading route that took all the Costa Rica coffee to market. William grew up rather quietly in England but did grow a love for ships and shipping. He married Rachel in 1828 in a church wedding.Since they were not drinking coffee after dinner they played in bed and ended up with five children: his children Amelia, John, Louisa, Emma, and Rachel.

He started his company by buying a ship. Now he had to find something to ship. The year was 1829.After sailing for 3 years and building a good shipping route and building up some capital to expand his shipping business he decided to expand his business. He bought a bigger ship the Minerva to carry more coffee. By 1836, he had formed a company Le Lacheur & Co, which owned two ships: Minerva & Dart. He entered the fruit trade which required faster ships; faster routes and more money. Over the following years, he continued to add to his fleet, and seek out new markets. In 1841 he bought his first ship. The Monarch was a much larger vessel capable of journeys furthers a field. With longer journeys he was able to expand his trade and his routes. During a stop at the port of Mazatlan, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, he learnt that the Costa Rican gourmet coffee growers were having in finding a market for their produce. He decided to investigate.

Since their independence in 1839, Costa Rica found no regular trade routes for their fruit or coffee in the European markets. This was compounded by transportation problems within the country. The farms were too far from the coast or too close to the Pacific Coast {remember no Panama Canal at this time). The coffee-growing areas were located in the central part of the country, and it was impossible, because of the mountains and the rainy forest, to send the coffee to the Caribbean Sea and therefore to the Atlantic. It made sense to sail the coffee directly to England from the Atlantic side versus going around South America from the west Pacific as was currently done. Further hampering them was Costa Rica had no internal railroad system.

William saw a huge business opportunity – as he had fallen in love with the Costa Rica coffee and knew it would sale well in Europe. He signed a treat with the coffee growers to haul the coffee to London on a regular basis. In 1843 the firsh ship carried away 5000 pounds of coffee. He had to buy more and more ships to handle the demand for the worlds greatest coffee. During the rest of the 1840s, he diverted his other ships from the fruit trade to the coffee trade. In 1850 he bought 5 more ships. During the 1860s, a further seven ships were added to the fleet. Le Lacheur made a significan impact on Costa Rica in many ways.

Church coffee Le Lacheur, a devout Christian, was appalled by what he described “the lowest form of the Roman faith” being practiced where superstition took precedence over true religion. He sent many bibles across the countryside – helping spread the church throughout Costa Rica. He handled out over 4000 bibles – which he received his reward in heaven. While the Us in 1864 was involved in a civil war, Costa Rica was building Protestent churches across the country. It was made of pre-fabricated iron, was carried to Costa Rica by Le Lacheur’s son John and was assembled in San Jos?s the Church of the Good Shepherd which founded the start of evangelism everywhere in Costa Rica. It became unofficially known as the ‘Iron Church’. He started the protestent church which remodeled his first church in 1937. Le Lacheur not only exported coffee but formal education too. He sent many children to London to get a more formal education. This caused a huge boom in the success of the Costa Rica economy.

This arrangement was also responsible for the introduction of soccer to Costa Rica. Through this Le Lacheur has also been credited with contributing to Costa Rica national team qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup [1]. In 1856 Costa Rica declared WAR. They stoped the invasion quickly and went back to growing coffee. However, the march from the Costa Rican military base in San Jos?bove them was very perilous. He used his ship to not only to export coffee but also loaned them to the Navy for battles. As a result, they successfully repelled the filibusters.Hewas buried in London in a nice cementary against his wishes to be buried in Costa Rica. There is a Memorial to Captain William Le Lacheur of Guernsey in the Church of the Good Shepherd, San Jos?Costa Rica. He even had postage names done of him in Costa Rica and London. Costa Rica Coffee: Captain William Le Lacheur of Guernsey started thefirst practice of farming of gourmet coffee in Costa Rica. With over 100 years of practice they now produce the finest gourmet coffee in the world. Costa Rica – the finest gourmet coffee.

Fort Collins, CO (Vocus) May 29, 2010

Rodelle, a premium extracts and spice company based in Fort Collins, CO, will attend the 2010 Fancy Food Show in New York City, June 27-29, 2010. Rodelle will be located at the Custom Blending booth #5312. Rodelle’s vanilla extracts put the company on the map almost 80 years ago. Since then, Rodelle has expanded their product offerings to include Gourmet Vanilla Beans and Gourmet Dutched Baking Cocoa. They are launching their newest product, Vanilla Sugar, at the show next month.

Rodelle’s products are now sold in 48 states, Canada, Mexico and the UK making Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla the U.S.’s number one gourmet vanilla extract on the market. The vanilla family includes Pure, Gourmet, and Vanilla’s of the World and Organic Vanilla Extracts. Each product is made with the highest quality ingredients (http://bit.ly/cUskGz), including pure cane sugar, not high fructose corn syrup like many other brands. “We use premium vanilla beans and practice an advanced extraction process to produce one of the most flavorful vanilla extracts containing some of the highest vanillin levels on the market,” stated Joe Basta, VP of Sales and Marketing.

Rodelle, a brand of Custom Blending Inc. is committed to creating a positive impact on the global community. “Social responsibility is a cornerstone of our business practices,” said Basta. “We buy our beans and cocoa from Uganda and Madagascar and give back (http://bit.ly/cwbh1g) to the communities to ensure that our footprint is positive and beneficial to the growers”.

Rodelle was established in 1936 in Denver, Colorado and relocated to Fort Collins in 1984. Rodelle Vanilla is America’s fastest growing brand of vanilla extracts. Found in grocery stores throughout North America, we offer the highest quality baking products favored by chefs at home and in professional kitchens. Rodelle has been endorsed by Cooks Illustrated (http://bit.ly/9U214n).

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Let’s start with a beverage that can be considered diet food. GREEN TEA speeds up the burning of fat by way of catechins and EGCG. This thermogenic response is a major weight loss component of healthy weight loss diets. Fit green tea into your healthy eating plans by drinking 2 cups a day. Green tea extract is a safe way to get a stronger effect. Prograde Metabolism is a supplement that contains green tea extract in order to effectively speed up your body’s fat-burning rate.

Yogurt is constantly featured in commercials about dieting and eating right. To make yogurt an effective and extra-nutritious diet food, you should consume GREEK YOGURT. Its advantages over conventional yogurt include probiotics, less unnecessary calories, and more protein. If you are currently eating yogurt as a diet food, make the switch over to Greek yogurt. Add healthy toppings and mix-ins, or use it as a substitute for mayonnaise and sour cream when cooking healthy meals.

A food that packs a huge nutrient punch without many calories at all is SPINACH. Its biggest components are vitamin K, which protects your bones, and vitamin A, which has important roles in several metabolic functions. Try unique ways of including spinach in healthy diets. Mix it in with scrambled eggs or pasta dishes, prepare a spinach salad instead of a lettuce salad, or turn a sandwich into a wrap and add spinach. However you decide to eat spinach, you are learning how to eat healthy by consuming low-calorie high-nutrition foods.

Research backs up the benefits of the healthy properties in SALMON, making it a fish that you shouldn’t ignore. To start, fat oxidation is increased by omega 3 fats, meaning you burn more of the stored stuff. Secondly, we have learned that good sources of protein contribute to increased healthy weight loss. Besides these two research-based properties, salmon also provides vitamin D and calcium. Salmon can be easily prepared in several ways as an entrée, or perhaps you would like to try adding it to salads.

Many people have been trained in a way that knowing how to eat healthy means avoiding starchy foods. This makes our next item on the list a little hard to swallow. POTATOES are actually a valuable weight loss food if you eat them in the right way. They give you an energy boost after a hard workout by restoring glycogen levels and their skins contain minerals and fiber, a nutrient that every health-conscious person should focus on. Remember, don’t start preparing mashed potatoes for every side dish, but use this food wisely and to your advantage.

One beverage has already been mentioned as a diet food on our list. Can you guess what another is? MILK! Conjugated linoleic acid, insulin-like growth factor 1, and casein protein are three important components of milk. All of these scientific terms equate to fat loss (especially belly fat), appetite suppression, and lean muscle boosting for you.

BEANS are not a food to be scared of. Healthy meals can be greatly enhanced by adding beans to a side dish or using them to replace meat. They offer fiber and protein, which are two important nutrients that have already popped up on this list several times. Remember that all foods, even those with healthy properties, should be consumed in moderation.

Fruit can be very powerful in a healthy eating plan and BLUEBERRIES may even burn belly fat. While research on that is still developing, we can take advantage of the anthocyanin in blueberries and its antioxidant powers. Don’t forget to vary your fruit because strawberries, raspberries, etc. contribute to healthy diets too.

Salads and other dishes can be enhanced by EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, which also enhances the health of your heart. Cholesterol levels seem to be lowered by monounsaturated fats. Also, this diet food is a natural anti-inflammatory because of the oleocanthal it contains. When you cook healthy meals with extra virgin olive oil, remember to keep the heat moderately low in order to avoid breaking down its healthy properties.

Finally, rounding out our list is a diet food that offers vitamins and high quality protein that is so easy for our bodies to use, yet people used to be scared of it. EGGS, it turns out, are not the one overwhelming instigator of high cholesterol or heart disease in people. Eggs are so versatile that they make it easy to learn how to eat healthy. Some are even offered as rich in omega 3, so that you can add omega 3 fat benefits to the protein and vitamins.

The goal of this list is not to limit a healthy eater’s food choices. Remember, healthy meals are made up of a variety of foods that all offer good nutrition in their own ways. Now you can incorporate these 10 foods into your already healthy diets and know exactly how they are benefiting your body.

Where you get your gourmet coffee beans depends a lot on what you are considering gourmet. Are you looking for gourmet flavored coffee beans or gourmet coffee beans that are grown in a specific region such as the Kona beans of Hawaii.

You can purchase gourmet coffee beans at your local grocery retailer. However, you cannot be assured of their freshness or their authenticity. Any company can label a product as gourmet and you might not know the difference until you have already spent your money on an inferior product. Additionally, they most likely won’t carry the higher end gourmet beans.

Local coffee shops are more likely to carry authentic gourmet coffee beans that are fresh. They are staking their business’ reputation on any product they carry and sell. This alone is reason enough to trust their product.  In addition, they are usually able to procure a larger variety of gourmet coffees than a typical retailer. They most likely will take special orders as well.

Picking a Gourmet Coffee Bean

If you are going to buy a gourmet coffee bean you should know ahead of time what kind of bean you want to buy. To help you make your decision, based on the beans growing location and expected flavors, you can choose from among these gourmet coffee beans:

Brazilian coffee beans: Typically these coffee beans are consistent but unremarkable in their characteristic. These coffee beans make a wonderful base for coffee blends.

Colombia: Everyone has heard the commercials with Juan Valdez and his Columbia n coffee; however, what they don’t tell you is the best Colombia coffee is the Supremo and the Excelso.  Colombia also has a Colombian Medellin that is very rich with a fully body and slight acidity. Aged Vintage Colombian coffees are very sweet, thick and rich with a little bit of acidity.

If you like full bodied coffees with that are strong and sharply acidic then you should try gourmet coffee beans from Costa Rica. Another area that has a full bodied coffee that is rich in flavor has a wonderful aroma and a slightly acidic taste is Mexico.

Panama coffee beans are noted for being full-bodied with a mild flavor and a sharp acidity.

Two of the most excellent coffee beans are from Hawaii’s Kona area and Jamaica’s Blue Mountain area coffee growers. The Kona beans have a hint of spice and sweetness with a full body a rich flavor. The Blue Mountain gourmet beans are considered top of the line coffee beans with their full body, slight acidity and smooth mellow flavor.

Gourmet coffee from the Dominican Republic is rich with a moderate acidity. You should look for coffee beans specifically from Santo Domingo or Barahona.

In Guatemala and El Salvador you should look for beans grown in the mountains or high areas. These tend to have the best body and a mild flavor. Those from El Salvador tend to have a medium level of acidity while those from Guatemala have a higher acidity level with a spicy, smoky characteristic.

Java Island, whose name is synonymous with coffee, offers gourmet Arabica beans that are spicy with a heavy body and mild acidity.

The best quality Arabica beans in the Asia/Indonesia area are from Sumatra. Sumatra coffees are wonderfully full-bodied, rich with a mellow taste that is low in acid.

Gourmet coffees can come from around the world or from your local coffee shop. Gourmet coffee can be grown in specific locations that lend to its taste, such as the Kona coffee beans, or it can be made into a gourmet coffee through the addition of flavorings during the roasting process. Either way, coffee enthusiasts know when they are being served a gourmet coffee; it’s all in the taste.
 

From what we know, there are more than 6,000 variations in the world, with at least 25 major types of gourmet coffee beans underneath that. When it comes down to it, though, the two most commercially important types of beans are Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica Types of Gourmet coffee Beans account for over 60% of gourmet coffee production worldwide. The Arabica plant is a large bush and is very susceptible to frost, disease, and pests. Because of this, its beans are more expensive. Arabica can be used in its pure form or used as the base for gourmet coffee blends with Robusta. Arabica has a delicate flavor and is used to add body to the gourmet coffee when used in blends.

The flavor of Arabica beans varies widely according to the region of the world where they are grown. Indonesian beans produce the richest, most full-bodied cup of gourmet coffee. Hailing from Java and Sumatra, the brew is a good dessert gourmet coffee and very suitable to flavoring with cream and sugar. Arabica beans grown in Central and South America offer moderate body and aroma. Most breakfast blends are made with American gourmet coffees, as are most flavored gourmet coffees.

By contrast, Robusta gourmet coffee accounts for almost 40% of world production. Robusta differs from Arabica in that it’s much easier to grow and is resistant to disease and weather and is therefore cheaper.

However, this does not necessarily mean that a gourmet coffee blend with Robusta is lower quality than pure Arabica – gourmet coffee blends are designed to bring out the best in different flavors. Robusta has a strong flavor and is used to give ‘kick’ to gourmet coffee. Robusta doesn’t vary in flavor as widely as Arabica does. It was first discovered growing naturally in the area now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Growers in Africa produce a gourmet coffee of medium aroma and body. If you like very flavorful gourmet coffees, you will like those from Kenya and Tanzania. Now that you understand the basics of Gourmet coffee Beans, the question turns to which Types of Gourmet coffee Beans are right for you. It really depends on with what you’re planning to serve the gourmet coffee. If you’re serving with breakfast or a dessert of fruit and sorbet, beans from East Africa (particularly Kenya and Ethiopia) or Mexico will best complement the food.

If you’re going to offer your guests light desserts like cakes, cookies, or pie, the beans of Guatemala and Colombia will warm up the food with their slight acidic tendency. With rich desserts like truffles, trifles, and tiramisu, Indonesian Gourmet coffee Beans are full-bodied and smooth enough to perfectly offset the dessert.

Another key point to consider is how much gourmet coffee you’ll need. These high quality beans shouldn’t be bought in bulk and should instead be purchased so that you have just enough for your immediate need. They should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week or in the freezer for up to a month. To discover what beans are best for your daily cup of Joe, conduct a taste test. Brew several types of beans separately. Pour each in its own cup. Pick up each cup individually, smell the gourmet coffee, and then slowly sip and taste the gourmet coffees. Later, take a sip or two when it’s cooled, as many gourmet coffees change flavor as they cool.

One type of Arabica mean is a Kona bean, though some people mistakenly call it a third bean. Kona is extremely small commercially compared to Arabica and Robusta, but is extremely expensive and therefore important economically. Kona is really a Arabica bean grown in Hawaii.. Kona offers average bite and body but is in high demand worldwide because of its powerful aroma. These Gourmet coffee Beans are rarely blended with others because of their high desirability in and of themselves

The popularity of gourmet flavored coffee has soared. For years the only gourmet flavored coffees were the instant coffees available in your local grocery. Although they are quite flavorful, they aren’t nearly as tasty as a pot of freshly ground gourmet flavored coffee can be.

Coffee roasters realized that people like variety and of course they took notice of those instant flavored coffees and coffee drinks and began working on making the coffee bean flavored. Other coffee roasters didn’t go for exotic flavored coffees; instead they focused on the growing and roasting of the bean itself to make a gourmet flavor.

Beans that are grown in certain regions are considered more desirable than those in other regions. Think back to those Juan Valdez commercials. They were marketing the Columbian bean as being a more flavorful and sought after bean. The Jamaican Blue Forest Bean is one of the most sought after gourmet beans due to its rich taste and enchanting aroma. This bean is proof that gourmet flavor can come from the bean itself, not necessarily as an addition during roasting.

The Bean and the Flavor

Gourmet flavors can be added during the roasting process to enhance or totally alter the flavor of the coffee. There is one central premise that gourmet coffee roasters all follow in order for their coffee to be considered truly gourmet and that is the bean they start with. No matter what additions or flavors they add during roasting, starting off with an inferior bean will create an inferior coffee.

Although there are more than 25 major types of coffee beans in the world, there are two beans that are considered the major players in gourmet flavored coffees, the Arabica bean and the Robusta bean.

The Arabica bean is used in more than 60% of all gourmet coffee production around the world. This bean is very delicate and prone to disease, pest and ailments from the weather. These reasons alone make it a more costly bean. The Arabica bean is used both as a gourmet coffee on its own and as a base for gourmet flavored coffees.  The taste of the Arabica bean depends on where it is grown.

The Robusta bean accounts for about 40% of coffee production in the world. Robusta beans are easier to grow which makes them less expensive. This does not mean that they are any less flavorful than Arabica beans. Robusta, as the name implies, have a stronger, darker flavor than Arabica beans and can be used to give the gourmet flavored coffee a little more punch.

Oftentimes gourmet roasters will use a blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans as the base to their gourmet flavored coffee. Then, during the roasting process they will add enhancements such as chocolate syrups or caramel to flavor the coffee. Flavoring oils can also be used to flavor the coffee as well as chemical compounds that are created to mimic flavors.

Gourmet flavored coffee that presents itself as naturally flavored should have the most robust coffee base as well as a subtle flavoring. Flavored coffees that have been flavored using a chemical process lose some of their natural coffee characteristics during the flavoring process.

Gourmet flavored coffees have come a long way in recent years. From deep, robust coffee that has been dark roasted to those wonderful vanilla bean gourmet flavored coffees, coffee lover’s palettes can be tantalized with a variety of coffee flavors. No longer set aside for the elite, gourmet coffees can be bought at the local grocer or coffee shop by most anyone.
 

For the holidays, there are gourmet coffee bean flavor for each season.
All coffee lovers agree that to make the best cup of coffee, the gourmet coffee bean should be freshly ground, and spring water should be used to brew it.
Keeping the gourmet coffee bean fresh has always been a disputed. Some coffee lovers swear by sealing the gourmet coffee bean in airtight container and storing them in the freezer, and using only the amount recommended. Transferring the coffee to thermal carafe immediately after brewing ensures that the gourmet coffee is kept fresh.
Some gourmet coffee shops will ground and brew the gourmet coffee bean, and discard any unused coffee after a certain amount of time.

Gourmet coffee beans have a shelf life of about 6 months, although they usually sit on a shelf that long. Some shops offer special discounts on gourmet coffee beans for the holidays and for gourmet coffee lovers; this is something to look forward to.
There are thousands of sites on the Internet that offer discounts on gourmet coffee beans. They claim to have the freshest coffee beans at the absolute best prices.
To find the best sites or coffee shops to buy gourmet coffee beans from takes some research. It is trial and error, but in the end, it all depends on the consumers taste. They will decide which gourmet coffee bean is best for them.

The cocoa bean is a product of the cacao tree, which produces cacao pods. Inside each cacao pod, there are anywhere from 30 to 50 cocoa beans. In addition to this, there is a sweet pulp surrounding the cocoa beans, which is called “baba de cacao” by some cocoa bean harvesters. The appearance of the cocoa bean ranges from pink, brown or purple, and the texture of the cocoa bean is fairly soft.

It is speculated that the Cacao tree was first introduced to Central America in ancient times, by the Mayas. In Mexico, the cacao tree was grown and harvested by the Olmecs, and eventually became a common form of currency throughout the Americas. This was, of course, prior to the Spanish conquest of the area. The cacao tree is considered to be a native species to the Americas, though other speculated origins include the Amazon, more specifically at the base of the Andes mountains.

When Hernan Cortes fist began the conquest of Mexico, he came into contact with Montezuma II, who was the current emperor over the Aztecs. In the chronicles of his journey, it is recorded that Montezuma would not approve of any other beverage at his meals except for chocolate. When dining on chocolate, Montezuma reportedly ate with a golden spoon, out of a golden goblet. At this time, powdered cocoa beans were combined with spices, vanilla, and other ingredients, then whipped into a foam. Reportedly, 200 portions of this chocolate beverage were consumed by Montezuma’s court of nobles on a daily basis, while Montezuma consumed 50 chocolate beverages each day.

It is recorded that Chocolate was first introduced in the European area sometime during the 1600′s, most likely by the Spaniards. In addition to this, the Spaniards began cultivating the cacao tree population, expanding to areas such as the Philippines, as well as the West Indies. Ironically, the botanical name of the cacao plant itself is “Theobroma Cacao”, which, loosely translated, means “food of the gods”. Cocoa beans were a staple of society in many areas around the world, and have rapidly grown in popularity in today’s society.

Beans – Beans are a very economical source of protein that cook very well in slow cookers . Every bean has its own flavor which is increased by the herbs or spices you use to cook with them. Beans can make a meal base when you cook them with meat or be the main ingredient if you are a vegetarian looking to create a quick and simple dish. Whether haricot, black-eyed, borlotti, or lentils, beans can make some fantastic slow cooker meals.

Fibrous Vegetables – For starters, these means good old spuds and the average kitchen has at least a few potatoes lurking around in the vegetable rack.They are a really flexible food. Mash them, stew them, fry them, or chuck them in the slow cooker. Potatoes thicken stews, soups, and meat-free dishes. Potatoes and other fibrous vegetables like carrots, swede and turnips, take a while to cook, so they can be thrown in the slow cooker with meat and can cook all day.

Fresh Herbs – Using herbs can dramatically change the flavour of almost any meal you make. You can use dried herbs, but they release a much richer flavor if they are added fresh. You can even grow your own herbs in the house in small pots on your kitchen window sill. All you need is a good spot in the sun, some compost, and don’t forget to water them regularly. Home grown herbs can even be dried to extend their life, making them easy to keep around without worrying too much about wasting them. Remember herbs need to be added at the end of the crock pot cooking cycle so their flavor mingles in through the meal and isn’t lost during the cooking time.

About Author
If you want to choose the best slow cooker, then visit Jayne Fairclough’s site on how to choose from amongst the slow cooker reviews the crock pot best suited to your needs.

What is the source for such noxious miasma? Beans pass very slowly through our digestive tracts while we try to break down the complex carbohydrates contained in them – known as oligosaccharides. The problem is that we do not have the particular enzymes in our digestive tracts needed to break down these sugars, so they just sit there fermenting in our gut, thus producing the unwanted side effects.

Fortunately, proper soaking significantly reduces oligosaccharide content, as well as total sugars and starch. In particular, soaking with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) causes remarkable reduction in these sugars and starches.

Although some people claim that soaking beans in a baking soda solution damages their nutritive properties, a study found that a 0.5% sodium bicarbonate solution reduced only antinutritional factors, while protein digestibility was actually increased. (It should be noted that lentils and split peas do not need to be soaked.) Also, most people experience much less flatulence with lentils and split peas than other varieties of legumes, which is a huge bonus since they lead the pack in the carb:fiber ratio.

To soak beans, first rinse them, then place them in a large pot and add water at a 4 to 1 ratio (water to beans). Allow the beans to soak anywhere between 12 to 24 hours at room temperature for the best results. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans, pouring all of those nasty anti-nutrients down the drain.

Some people advocate a ‘quick’ way to soak beans, by bringing them to a boil for two minutes, then cover and
stand for two hours. However, the effectiveness of this method is unknown, and frankly, how much easier can it get than to dump them in a pot with water and baking soda overnight? The table below presents the correct proportions of dry beans, water, and baking soda for the soak.
Dry Beans         Water          Baking Soda
1/2 cup              2 cups         1/2 tsp
1 cup                   4 cups         1 tsp
1.5 cups             6 cups         1.5 tsp
2 cups                8 cups          2 tsp