If you're an environmental buff who also happens to love a good cup of joe, you likely have a reusable coffee cup you fill up instead of getting a paper one every time, or you might strategically purchase fair trade coffee. But there's a new innovation that's leading the way for sustainability in coffee production: Coffee flour. So what is coffee flour, exactly? Does it come from actual coffee? And if you're like me, you're probably pondering the most important question of all: Where can I get my hands on it?
According to the Huffington Post, coffee flour helps make use of a part of the coffee plant that usually goes to waste: The fruit. The coffee that we drink is made from roasted coffee beans, which we grind before putting them through our coffee machines; however, early in the process, the seeds that make up coffee beans are actually separated from the coffee fruit. This coffee fruit is usually considered waste and just winds up left in piles to rot — not the most efficient way of using the coffee plant.
Coffee flour, however, changes the game entirely, using the previously discarded coffee fruit to make flour. And even better, as Coffee Flour founder and CEO Dan Bellieavu explains in an interview with the Huffington Post, this process not only helps the environment, but allows creates more jobs and opportunities for local farmers. Pretty amazing, right?
So, now that we know the premise of this super cool innovation, let's examine how it breaks down:
What Is Coffee Flour?
Coffee flour comes from the process of drying out coffee fruit. Once it's dried and milled, you can use it as you would any other kind of flour: You can make pasta, muffins, soba noodles, bread, or anything else with it.
What Does It Taste Like?
According to Belliveau, coffee fruit, which then becomes coffee flour, has a very earthy flavor. It also has a natural sweetness, which makes it great to blend with chocolate. There is a bit of acidity in it, too, which gives it a unique, rounded taste that isn't too heavy one way or the other.
Is It Nutritious?
As Belliveau explains, coffee flour is, indeed, nutritious! Coffee flour is high in fiber and a good source of protein, as well as being gluten-free. Specifically, Belliveau says that coffee flour has 50 to 55 percent fiber and about 10 percent protein, which is pretty darn impressive.
Is There Caffeine In It?
Yes, but only a small amount — according to the Coffee Flour FAQ, it's "about equal to the amount of caffeine in dark chocolate," or roughly 12 mg per ounce. They're working on developing a decaf version, too.
Where You Can Purchase It?
Like many innovations, coffee flour isn't available yet everywhere. Luckily though, you can find a list of retailers on the Coffee Flour website. And yes, thankfully, you can even purchase some online.
For more information, you can check out the full video below, courtesy of the Coffee Flour website:
Images: d3sign/Moment/Getty Images; Giphy (5)
