Coffee gourmets claim that alternating coffee and water prolongs the aftertaste of your favorite drink. But doctors see considerable health benefits in the widespread Eastern custom.
The way we prepare and drink coffee reflects the pace of our lives and individual aesthetic and taste preferences. European variants of fast machine “doping” have practically turned the art of drinking coffee into an attempt to catch up with the fast passing time. According to coffee gurus, the only way to enjoy hot espresso while maintaining a balanced aftertaste for a long time is to take a few sips of chilled water before drinking it. The tasteless, cool liquid will “clean up” the receptors responsible for receiving proper pleasure. But there is another, medical aspect to understanding why you should definitely drink a glass of cool water after coffee.
Water after coffee - why?
The European tradition of serving a glass of water with coffee originated in Vienna, around the 19th century, and absolutely did not involve the use of this water.
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The fact is that Viennese coffee, which was very loved by European aristocrats of that time, adds whipped cream, which forms a dense foam on the surface of the drink. After stirring the drink, the noble ladies were faced with the question of a dirty spoon: you can’t put it on a saucer, etiquette doesn’t dictate it, and you can’t even lick it, it looks terribly inelegant.
A glass of water solved this problem: the spoon was dipped into the water, and then they calmly continued to enjoy the coffee drink.
What should the water be like?
You are allowed to consume any liquid based on personal preference. Bottled, non-carbonated mineral water, purified through a filter, with gas, or spring water are suitable. It is important that there are no impurities, it is not chlorinated, and has no foreign odors or tastes. Professional baristas prefer to use soft water, which does not produce sediment, is better absorbed by the body and helps to reveal the flavor subtleties of brewed coffee.
To highlight the aroma and taste of an invigorating drink, follow these rules:
- The water temperature should not be too low, approximately +10 °C is a suitable option. Using excessively cold liquid can lead to problems with tooth enamel, which reacts negatively to sudden changes in the temperature of foods and drinks.
- On a hot summer day, it is advisable to serve coffee with a glass of cold water with a slice of lime or a circle of lemon. Citrus, refreshing taste will help avoid dehydration and quench your thirst faster.
- For flavoring, you can add orange zest or fresh mint leaves. But watch the amount of additional ingredients so as not to get too strong a taste.
- Regardless of what you drink along with the invigorating drink, drink the liquid in small sips, as if savoring it, while rinsing your mouth.
- Mineral water or any other variety is usually served in a tall glass, one-third full.
Water quality
The best water to serve with coffee is boiled, purified in bottles or spring water that does not contain chlorine. It should be cold, but not cold, with a soft, neutral taste. Too cold a liquid, especially with ice, drowns out the sensitivity of taste buds, creating a significantly sharp temperature difference.
Many people like to drink coffee and then take mineral water. It has its own taste, which influences the perception of the drink. The contrast between them still remains, expressing the caffeine content more strongly.
To flavor the liquid, you can add a slice of lemon, orange zest, fresh mint leaves and leave for a little while. The ingredients should be dosed, otherwise the taste will be too strong, interrupting the desired aroma.
Four reasons why you should drink coffee with water
- Espresso, brewed according to all the rules, is a rich, aromatic drink. In this case, taste buds quickly stop responding properly to stimuli. Accordingly, the taste of coffee is not felt properly after just a few sips. Therefore, it must be washed down. Just one sip of the tasteless liquid helps cleanse the receptors. You can feel the bouquet of rich espresso shades again. As a rule, this is how they drink high-quality drinks prepared in compliance with all the technical features.
- Another reason to drink water after coffee is that cool liquid reduces the effects of caffeine. The concentration of the alkaloid decreases, and due to this it is possible to avoid sudden changes in blood pressure and normalize the heart rhythm.
- This combination of drinks, which are drunk alternately, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the teeth. Coffee is known to change the shade of tooth enamel - a brown coating appears on it. Thanks to water, the coloring pigment is not absorbed and is easily washed off.
- In addition, in hot weather, this way you can not only get a boost of energy, but also refresh yourself . Espresso helps to tone up, and cool water cools down. To achieve the most vibrant refreshing effect, it is recommended to drink it at the end of your coffee meal. This is exactly what was practiced in Greece.
Why is it common to serve water with coffee?
People drink coffee with water for a variety of reasons. So, Turks do this to cool down a little in the heat, Europeans do this to reduce the strength of their favorite drink and quench their thirst. Gourmets prefer to combine liquids to fully enjoy the taste of the “elixir of life.” Water cleanses the taste buds well, preparing them for new sensations. Doctors recommend drinking coffee drinks with water to:
- reduce the level of caffeine exposure to the body;
- neutralize the effect of theobromine, a substance that relaxes and puts you to sleep;
- preserve the whiteness of tooth enamel from coffee plaque;
- protect yourself from overheating in hot weather;
- lower blood pressure and normalize heart rate.
Doctors also advise alternating fluids correctly to reduce the load on the kidneys and heart. The best time to drink water in this case is 20 minutes after finishing your coffee meal. But it is quite possible to reduce it. So, many Turks drink both drinks at the same time, they prefer it. Nobody knows what to do correctly. You can drink coffee with added water as your body dictates. Just take your time, enjoy every sip.
Effect of coffee and water on the body
Coffee beans contain two alkaloids, caffeine and theobromine. Entering the human body, they act alternately. At first, caffeine has an active and invigorating effect on the internal system, and after a while theobromine comes into play.
Caffeine constricts blood vessels, except in organs such as the kidneys. In the area of the excretory system, the vessels, on the contrary, dilate, causing an acceleration of renal blood flow. As a result, blood pressure rises and urination becomes more frequent. However, after thirty minutes the person again feels sleepy.
This occurs when the action of theobromine contained in coffee is activated. It disrupts blood circulation in the kidneys, causing the opposite effect. Some people, when drinking coffee, feel severe discomfort in the kidney area and an unpleasant, pulling sensation in the lower back.
Why water after coffee is a must
There are several reasons why water after coffee is necessary for proper consumption and increased benefits from it:
- For brightness of taste . The taste buds are cleansed, each sip tastes just like the first.
- To control pressure . Caffeine contained in bitter beans is known to increase blood pressure, which is why it is even recommended for people suffering from hypotension. Water helps reduce the effects of caffeine on the body and normalize your heart rate.
- Preservation of teeth color . Coffee has a negative effect on tooth enamel, making it darker. Using water can prevent or reduce this effect. After each sip, the pigment present in coffee and affecting the color of teeth is washed away.
- Reducing the amount of hydrochloric acid in the body , which makes heartburn less or helps get rid of it altogether.
How to drink correctly?
You can drink water before drinking coffee or during the process. In the first case, water allows you to remove the taste of the food you eat and prepare the receptors for enjoying the aromatic drink. Usually one or two large sips are enough. You can also drink liquid during the process: this will cleanse the receptors that are accustomed to the coffee taste. If you are at home, you can drink water at the end of your coffee to clean your mouth and rinse your teeth enamel. It's quite hygienic. But remember, such a gesture in almost any cafe in any country (and especially in the East) will be perceived by the barista as an insult, since it is believed that you only want to wash down a tasteless drink.
Which is correct?
Hot water is never served with drinks. The liquid should be cold, but not icy.
Secrets of European coffee drinking:
first take a few sips of water;
Everything you need to know about drinking water can be found in this section.
The taste of coffee and traditions of communication
Coffee has a pronounced, intense taste. The first sips of a quality drink can enchant, but then the taste buds get used to it and the aroma ceases to be noticeable. Drinking water can cleanse your taste buds, allowing yourself to experience the magic of those first sips over and over again. Thus, the tradition of drinking coffee with water allows you to greatly increase the pleasure of the drink.
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In Turkey, coffee is often drunk after a meal, which ends slowly, turning into communication between people sitting at the table. After the main course has been eaten, a few sips of water will help get rid of the aftertaste so you can enjoy your coffee more. And the opportunity to alternate an invigorating drink with water allows you to prolong the conversation, gatherings at the table, because southerners are very sociable and value the company of loved ones no less than the Slavs.
Tradition or intuition?
It is believed that the first people to be served coffee with water were the medieval rulers of the Arabian Peninsula. A portion of the foamy drink usually completed a hearty meal, consisting of a series of dishes rich in spices.
Cold water remained the only means capable of restoring the perception of taste, dulled by spices, and emphasizing the strength of the then rare decoction.
But it is quite possible that such a need is actually dictated... by the subconscious.
The inhabitants of the desert East, sweltering from the heat, who, however, did not refuse to cheer up with strong hot coffee, alternated each sip of it with cold water, cooling down somewhat and intuitively protecting their body from dehydration caused by it and the heat.
There is also a version that a glass of water was first brought along with a cup of coffee in Turkey. They use it differently here.
Residents of this country, not wanting to save time with the machine “quick-fire” that is familiar to Europeans, prepare a decoction of coffee beans traditionally - in a cezve on the sand and consume it separately from food.
Before “drinking” into the contents of a small cup with an oriental pattern, residents of Turkey neutralize the taste of the previously eaten food by drinking water first, and believe that they only want to wash down hastily prepared, tasteless coffee with water.
How to tell fortunes from coffee grounds in Turkish coffee
For Turks, the ritual of drinking coffee is, first of all, a great opportunity to tell fortunes to each other using coffee grounds. To do this, place the saucer on the edge of the coffee cup. Then rotate the saucer with the cup three times around its axis (although this step is sometimes skipped). After this, turn the cup and saucer over so that the cup faces down onto the saucer. Allow the cup to cool completely before inverting it.
Sometimes coins or rings are placed at the base of the cup to help it cool faster and filter out any bad omens.
After the cup has cooled, it is turned over and the fortune is read from the grounds flowing down the walls of the cup. If you don’t know a Turkish fortune telling specialist, don’t worry! Fortune tellers who are ready to help you in this matter can often be found in the vicinity of Istanbul cafes.
Should it be consumed before or after a coffee drink?
In order for the drink to benefit the body, give a unique sensation to the receptors and not leave a bad aftertaste, you need to drink a few sips of water before, during and after drinking espresso. Each of these actions has its own logical explanation.
Drinking water before drinking coffee is necessary in order to eliminate the remnants of previous food on the taste buds and prepare them to perceive coffee notes. Then a person will be able to enjoy the whole palette of sensations and retain a pleasant aftertaste for a long time.
During administration, you need to alternate between the drink and H2O . Even after the first sips of espresso, you cannot fully feel its taste and aroma. Therefore, to sharpen the sensations, coffee lovers are advised to drink some water.
Then the next sips will again become rich in sensation, and the invigorating property will appear even more intensely. Water also dilutes the cloying or sourness if it is present in the drink and relieves the feeling of thirst after a while.
You need to drink water (about 200 ml) after coffee about 15-20 minutes so as not to deprive yourself of the coffee aftertaste. Reasons for drinking water after espresso:
Teeth protection .
The drink leaves a yellow coating on the enamel, which is absorbed into it and spoils the whiteness of the teeth. Dentists advise drinking a little water after espresso to wash away the coffee pigment and prevent it from being absorbed. Otherwise, a subsequent negative effect on the enamel will be ensured.- Cardiovascular protection . If you drink a little cool, clean water immediately after drinking the drink, the drinks will mix in the stomach, and the effect of coffee on the heart and blood vessels will be minimized. Water protects the cardiovascular system from overload, regulates heart rate and prevents sudden increases in heart or blood pressure.
- Protection against vasoconstriction of the kidneys . If a person suffers from kidney disease, he simply needs to drink a glass of water to prevent narrowing of the renal vessels and prevent the occurrence of aching pain.
- Protection against dehydration . Having diuretic properties, coffee can have a bad effect on human mucous tissue and skin. By drinking water after espresso, a person prevents excess fluid loss.
- Eliminating aftertaste . To get rid of the cloying bitter or sour feeling in your mouth, you need to drink a glass of water.
How many liters should you drink?
From 1.5 to 3 liters - this is how much fluid, according to doctors, each of us should consume per day. Classic calculation system: 30 ml per 1 kilogram of weight, or the notorious “8 glasses”. This is the required minimum. However, in hot weather, during the heating season, as well as during intense physical activity, you need to drink an additional 2-3 glasses (for this it is convenient to keep a water bottle with you). Of course, all these are average figures, because a lot depends on the health status of a particular person, his age, lifestyle and even gender. One thing is important - you need to drink! But what exactly?
Why do they serve water with coffee?
The water that complements a cup of coffee performs a number of functions:
- Receptor cleansing.
Coffee is a rich and dense drink. Due to these properties, taste buds quickly “turn off” and stop perceiving subtle coffee notes. Alternating a sip of coffee with a sip of liquid helps restore sensitivity.
- Effect on pressure.
It is common knowledge that coffee increases blood pressure. Water consumed in parallel with coffee reduces the concentration of caffeine in the body, preventing sudden surges in blood pressure.
- Enamel whitening.
Coffee drinks contribute to the formation of plaque. To prevent the pigment from settling on your teeth, you need to drink your coffee with water.
- Help the stomach.
Due to the hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach in response to coffee entering the body, this drink should not be consumed in its pure form. Water regulates the production of hydrochloric acid, having a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract and preventing heartburn.
What drinks are served with water and when to drink it?
In the modern world, in cafes, restaurants and coffee shops, there is a tradition of bringing water to such types of drinks as:
- different types of espresso (for example, ristretto or coretto);
- oriental coffee.
There are no clear rules on how to drink coffee; usually water is consumed in one of two ways:
- take a few sips before, preparing the receptors, and drink the remaining liquid after;
- alternate each sip of coffee with a sip of water; drink it in small sips, holding it in the mouth for a few seconds, thus cleansing and preparing the receptors for a new portion, which allows you to more fully appreciate the taste.
