Products - AlterNativa3

Freeze-dried instant coffee: what is it?

Posted on 8 de November de 2023 by factoria

What is freeze-dried instant coffee?

Freeze-dried coffee is an instant drink that, upon coming into contact with water, regains its fundamental characteristics in seconds. This coffee is gaining popularity in Spain, where more and more people consume it due to its immediacy in preparation and practicality.

Today, we are going to talk about this delicious coffee and we will get to know all the details about how it is made, what its advantages are… and, of course, where to find it.

Is freeze-dried coffee the same as soluble coffee?

The freeze-drying process is the method that best preserves the aroma and flavor of instant coffee. Unlike soluble coffee, freeze-dried coffee does not undergo any chemical manipulation and is therefore more environmentally friendly and more complex.
To make soluble coffee, the coffee powder is extracted, concentrated and dried by spraying. In this process, the aroma and flavor are lost, so it is necessary to add those again later artificially.
In the freeze-drying process, the coffee is subjected to ultra-freezing. Afterwards, it is placed in a chamber that dehydrates it directly. And, this way, the coffee retains all its organoleptic properties intact.

How is freeze-dried coffee made?

To make freeze-dried coffee, expert hands are required, since it is a complex process. Here is how it is made step by step:

ROASTING. First, the coffee is roasted at high temperatures to obtain its unmistakable aroma, flavor and color.
GRINDING. Next, the coffee beans are ground.
EXTRACTION. Afterwards, it is placed in closed tanks where it is subjected to a solid-liquid extraction process by injecting hot water at high pressure.
CLARIFICATION. Later, the coffee is filtered and cooled, by lowering the temperature to the point where ice crystals are formed. Dry air is then incorporated into the extract at low temperatures.
FREEZING. Finally, the extract is frozen at approximately -50ºC and undergoes a sublimation process. That is, it evaporates because of vacuum and temperature.

And… voilà! Finally, we have a freeze-dried coffee.
Now all you have to do is enjoy it by simply adding water, milk or vegetable drink to obtain the infusion again with all the aroma and flavor characteristics perfectly preserved.

Advantages of freeze-dried coffee

The main characteristics of freeze-dried coffee are:

You can easily prepare your coffee in a flash.
It dissolves easily in both hot and cold water or milk.
It can be easily mixed with other products to make more complex drinks (cappuccinos, mocha or coffees with more or less milk).
It preserves the aroma and flavor for longer periods of time.

Is any freeze-dried coffee a good choice?

As with all coffees, the most important thing is the origin and type of coffee. Therefore, in AlterNativa3, our freeze-dried coffee is 100% Arabica, considered the highest quality bean.
Plus, our freeze-dried coffee is organic and Fair Trade, so it takes care of you and the planet. Would you like to try it?

Coffee features and benefits that coffee provides

Posted on 6 de November de 2023 by factoria

Many of us cannot start the day without a coffee. Whether black, latte or mocha, the thing is… Drinking coffee in the morning is a ritual! It helps us activate, wake up and get off to a good start. In addition, it gives us many other benefits. Today we tell you some of them.

Coffee benefits:

It reduces the risk of developing diabetes: it has been proven through various studies that consuming coffee reduces the risk of suffering from diabetes by between 23% and 50%. Caffeine has this effect on our body, although it is not yet known why, it has been proven that it helps us prevent the development of this disease.

• It contains essential nutrients: in a single cup we will find riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), manganese, potasium, magnesium and niacin. All of it just in a cup of coffee! If we add the nutrients of milk, we have a perfect combination.

It contains substances with antioxidant properties: It is ranked number 6 on the list of the 50 most antioxidant foods. It is a list generated by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Some of the antioxidants it contains are polyphenols, these are bioactive compounds that provide us with many benefits for our health. They help us fight free radicals, increase the activity of vitamin C, delay the development of cataracts…

Coffee improves digestion thanks to its ability to generate gastric juices and saliva, essential elements for a good digestion. So, if we feel like having a coffee after a meal, our digestive system will thank us.

It helps prevent Alzheimer’s: How is that possible? When caffeine enters our body, it becomes a soldier that confronts the cognitive deterioration and oxidation that our cells suffer. Furthermore, if we consume coffee regularly, it can help us have a better connection between the neurons in our hippocampus. One of the structures of our brain, which is mainly responsible for memory. This discovery comes from a study carried out at John Hopkins University in Baltimore (United States).

It helps keep the body active: Another effect that coffee produces on our brain is the activation of various aspects of its functions, this is due to caffeine. At the same time, it blocks adenosine, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for increasing our sleep. This action triggers a series of effects that result in us finding ourselves on alert mode, more awake and with much more energy.

These are some of the properties that coffee gives us, we can continue enjoying it in our morning coffee, or have a go with a recipe. Have you seen how to make Fair Trade tiramisu?. We also suggest our new single-origin coffees, Guatemala with aroma of cocoa and caramel, with notes of red fruits, and Perú with aroma of cocoa and fresh grass and a subtle floral touch, two different and irresistible coffees.

Share with us your coffee break on our social media: Twitter, Instagram y Facebook using #AlterNativa3

Find out more about our specialty coffees

Posted on 31 de October de 20232 de November de 2023 by factoria

It has been hard work, but it was totally worth it. Finally, we can show you our new range of specialty coffee , in which we have invested all the time, love and passion in the world. We are positive you will enjoy it as much as we have, finding the perfect combination so that each cup is a unique experience, while supporting fair and sustainable trade.

**What is specialty coffee?**

You’ve probably heard about specialty coffee, but it’s also likely that you don’t know what it is exactly. You assume that it is better than the one that is usually marketed and catches your attention more, but you do not have the keys to choose it over the others. Don’t worry, it’s normal, and that’s why in this post we try to shed some light to help you get to know it better.

The Specialty Coffee Association definition

Based the more theoretical part, we draw on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), an association that aims to foster global coffee communities that support activities to make coffee a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous activity for the entire value chain.
This association has established the parameters to determine whether a coffee can be considered specialty or not. These combine quality standards in which the coffee must receive a score of at least 80 out of 100, and the need for the process from harvesting until the coffee is served in the cup meet specific characteristics.

Coffees that are committed to sustainability and that you will enjoy with all 5 senses

You can see that labeling as “specialty coffee” is not easy, but at AlterNativa3 we have always opted for top quality products that, at the same time, take care of the environment.
And, if coffee is as essential to you as it is to us, and you enjoy it in the same way, believe us when we tell you that these are really worth it. Its color, its smell, its texture, its flavor… will make you travel to different parts of the world from the moment you open the package until you take the last sip. With the added bonus of knowing that by consuming them you are contributing to fair and sustainable trade.

Discover our new specialty coffee

We have strived for this new range of specialty coffees. In addition to all the external requirements that we had to meet, our own standards entail that each of our products have to be top quality ones. But we did it, and we couldn’t be happier to share it with you.

Four varieties of coffee, four origins and destinations

So that you too can really enjoy good coffee; so that, in addition, you know that by doing so you are adding to the planet; so that you can be part of this project, of this family, that shares passion, not only for the product, but also for the process. So that you take care of yourself knowing that you are also taking care of the other people. So that you stop your day-to-day life and in that moment you take a break, you give yourself the pleasure of enjoying what you really like.
Our range consists of four types of coffee, all of them available in bean and ground formats. Each one of them will make you travel to a different part of the world, with aromas and flavors that will awaken all your senses.

Ethiopia Sidamo single-origin coffee

Coffee from Sidamo, Ethiopia, is a coffee with light acidity and a notable, fruity aroma. With an intense flavor with floral notes of jasmine and bergamot, it will make you travel to the cradle of coffee and, specifically, to Sidamo, an area with abundant rain, optimal temperatures and fertile soil.

Both thebeans format and theground formathave a medium-low roast and an SCA score of 85.

Sumatra Raja Gayo single-origin coffee

Raja Gayo is a mountainous area, at 1,200 meters above sea level, in the north of the island of Sumatra. It is characterized by having high altitude coffee, always planted in the shade, interspersed between fruit trees, which are mainly organic.

Our Sumatra Raja Gayo coffee has a luxurious entry into the mouth with a velvety body and aroma of spices, tobacco and noble woods. Its acidity is pronounced and it has a long aftertaste.

Both the beans format and the ground format have a medium-low roast and an SCA score of 84.

Colombia Cauca single-origin coffee

Colombia Cauca coffee is an intensely fragrant coffee, with notes of tropical fruits and red fruits. It maintains an outstanding balance between its sumptuousness in the mouth and its aroma. It comes from Cauca, the leading Colombian department in the production of high-quality coffees.
Both the beans format and the ground format have a medium-low roast and an SCA score of 83.

Brazil Santos single-origin coffee

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world. The most appreciated variety of Arabica grown there is the “Santos”, with soft characteristics, exquisite flavor, fine quality and creamy appearance. It is known by the name Santos, since this high-quality coffee, grown in Minas Gerais, is shipped through the port of Santos.
Our Brazil Santos coffee has outstanding sweetness, medium acidity and caramel flavor. With a silky and broad palate, with a pronounced aftertaste.

Both the beans format and the ground format have a medium-low roast and an SCA score of 81.

<b> Which one catches your attention the most? Which will be the first one you will try? The four new varieties of specialty coffee are now available in our online coffee, cocoa and sugar store!
!

Single-origin coffee: what is it?

Posted on 30 de October de 2023 by factoria

Single-origin coffee: what is it?

Recently, we have told you about our single-origin coffees. But, if you haven’t tried them before, you may wonder what exactly a single-origin coffee is. What specifically sets it apart from any other coffee?

Don’t worry because, in this article, we will answer your questions!

What makes a single-origin coffee different?

Very simple: when we talk about single-origin coffee, we are referring to a bean that comes from a country, a region, or a specific producer. There are no blends, so you can fully enjoy coffee from a specific area.

Just as when buying a wine, you may want a Denomination of Origin from a specific country or region for the nuances that characterize the area, you may like Colombian coffee more for its flavor and aroma. Or because you just feel like it at that moment.

When purchasing single-origin coffee, you can genuinely enjoy the flavors and aromas of a particular region. As for AlterNativa3, we focus on green beans from certain countries that are already well-known for their coffee-growing tradition. We will talk about this later.

Why single-origin coffee?

You must keep in mind that there are many factors that determine the flavor and aroma of a coffee. Apart from the treatment given to the beans, the altitude, the weather, and many other factors will influence its characteristics.

Therefore, if you try all the single-origin coffees available in our range, we are sure that you will be able to detect several nuances. Beyond the work of the cooperatives, you can be confident that each coffee has the character of the area imprinted on it.

We can see it this way: each country, each area is different, and coffee is not less important! If you like to try new things and you want to discover the history of coffee plantations in different areas of the world, single-origin coffee is for you.

Check all the options available at our online store. Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Chiapas and Nicaragua: which one would you choose?

COCOA FARMING AND CHILD EXPLOITATION

Posted on 20 de October de 2023 by factoria

Autora: Eugenia González.

It is very likely that some of the products that are commonly consumed promote child exploitation and slavery. Are you aware of it? Here I give you some tips to avoid this situation and promote change.

What do your consumption habits say about you?

I was once told that every time I buy a product, the manufacturer interprets my action in a very specific way: “she likes my product.” The logical consequence?Let’s manufacture another product. And do it the same way all over again.

Well, when I buy a chocolate bar that promotes child labor in Africa, the manufacturer interprets my action in a very specific way: “she likes my product.” The logical consequence? Let’s make another one. And do everything exactly the same way all over again.

What can you do?

I’m sure you don’t want to contribute to this situation. I am clear and, if you are like me, you will feel terrible. Cocoa, in all its forms, is one of my favorite products and is never missing at home. I love chocolate! And you, how many years have you been consuming chocolate? Do your children have some regularly? Do you always have some at home?

Honestly? It hurts to talk about child exploitation. But I have come to the conclusion that the only way to change this situation is for us to become aware of it. If we don’t speak, we are making the situation invisible, we are denying reality and we are closing the door to change.

Data made me vividly aware

Child labor exploitation affects 11% of children in the world. That is 168 million minors (data from the UNDP – United Nations Development Programme). And the crisis caused by COVID-19 only makes this situation even worse.

These are some facts to reflect on:

More than a million boys and girls work in cocoa farming in West Africa.
Between 200,000 and 800,000 boys and girls under 18 years of age are trafficked each year in West Africa.
The cocoa industry moves millions of euros in Europe.

Child labor is a violation of Human Rights:

It directly affects the development of boys and girls.
It causes physical, psychological, and emotional damage for the rest of their lives.
It perpetuates poverty for generations, since with no education it is practically impossible to climb the social ladder.

The International Labor Organization states that: “under current conditions, unless measures are taken to alleviate it, poverty could be perpetuated from generation to generation.”

What are the causes of child labor?
It is a complex issue, but it is clearly rooted in poverty and the unfair conditions of Conventional International Trade.
That is why Fair Trade, an ethical alternative to conventional trade, is a solution.

WHAT SHOULD YOU ASK YOURSELF BEFORE BUYING COCOA?
2 THINGS: WHETHER IT IS ORGANIC AND WHETHER IT IS FAIR TRADE

Is chocolate organic? When talking about organic products, the emphasis is often placed on whether they have more nutrients than conventional ones, but I prefer to focus on what they do not contain: chemical fertilizers, synthetic herbicides, industrial fungicides… An organic product does not contain chemicals and for that reason it is good for your health as well as your family’s.
On the other hand, if no harmful chemicals have been added, that means that the people involved in its cultivation or production have not been exposed to those harmful substances either.

Is it Fair Trade?

What is the real deal? Look, if a chocolate is conventional and does not have a seal certifying that it is fair trade, it is more than likely that in its cultivation, production, transportation or trading there have been children in situations of forced labor, slavery or human trafficking.
However, if it has the Fair Trade seal it means that the cooperative (association of farmers) that wants its products to be certified has adhered to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which assures us that there is no forced labor. Conditions will be implemented to ensure the well-being, safety, education and need to play of minors.
And, thanks to the “premiums” that the producers receive, the children of the community have access to education, health, drinking water… and not only the boys and girls, but also the adults. Fair Trade benefits the entire community.

Could Fair Trade be the solution?

Don’t be fooled: those of us who support Fair trade are not a handful of idealists, we are millions of consumers. Yes, we are not the majority, and the road ahead is long, but we exist and with our actions we really change the lives of thousands of people every day.

How to get down to business today?

Start replacing commonly consumed products with alternative, ethical and sustainable ones. To make sure that cocoa (or coffee, sugar, etc.) protects children, you should make sure that the product has the Fair Trade seal.
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You will find these products in some supermarkets, although it is more common to see them in organic, diet and herbal product stores.

On AlterNativa3’s website, you have a lot of options for products made with cocoa (and they are all very delicious): pure cocoa powder, instant cocoa, cocoa with superfoods, chocolate bars, single-origin chocolate, chocolate drops and toppings… And they are all organic and Fair Trade. And you are supporting a company that has been committed to change for more than 40 years.

Start with a small action. And then go ahead with something easy. But don’t stop there, keep making changes, even if it’s just one little thing each month: the drinking chocolate that your children have in the morning, that chocolate gift you bring when visiting someone, your baking chocolate option, the chocolate chips you use on your muffins…

Start with a small action. And then go on with something easy. But don’t stop there. You (and I and so many other conscious consumers) are the engine that makes change possible.

Yes, I support respecting children by buying Fair Trade chocolate

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