Cold Brew Capomo

Capomo can be prepared in many ways, but as I daydream of Summer, I find myself experimenting with the Cold Brew Technique.  It takes a bit of forethought, but the results are well worth the effort. If you want your Capomo sweetened, the easiest way is to consider your sweet tooth first thing.  Just remember, Dessert Comes First!

For honey, add a teaspoon (or several) of this favored bee nectar into room temperature water and stir.  Honey dissolves easily into room temperature water, but sugar crystals are not so smooth and need to be heated.  For sugar, I suggest making a Simple Syrup by adding 1 part hot water to 1 part sugar.  You can store your Simple Syrup in the refrigerator and add to finished Cold Brew Capomo, to taste.

Next, measure approximately 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons into a pint jar (1 to 2 heaping teaspoons to a cup).  I tend towards the heavy side of things because I like my Capomo dark and strong, but this is also up to particular taste.

Add your water...

And simply put your Capomo on the counter top or in the refrigerator to steep overnight.  Don't worry if you forget about it, longer always equals stronger.  As with coffee, when the Capomo is not exposed to heat, the flavor profile provided by the plant is notably sweeter and stronger. This creates a potent concentrate to the tastebuds of some, and can be watered down, thus stretching your Capomo supply out a little longer.  And speaking of coffee, using half Capomo grounds and half coffee grounds yields an energizing drink that tempers the typical spike and crash effect.

I recommend a good 12 hour steep, however you can experiment and decide for yourself if you like the results.  When you are ready, simply strain the grounds over ice and add cream!  For the purist among us, Cold Brew Capomo is also a delight black!

Enjoy!

Capomo - Nature's delicious Superfood Coffee Alternative

Greetings from the momentarily sunny Seattle, in the Evergreen state of Washington, USA.  We here at Tattva’s Herbs are delighted to introduce you to the yummiest coffee alternative this side of the Cascades, and certainly beyond.  Capomo, or the Maya Nut, is the fruiting seed of Brosimum alicastrum, a giant tree in the fig family.

Indigenous to tropical rain forest from Mexico to Brazil, including the Caribbean islands of Trinidad, Cuba and Jamaica, Capomo nuts are hand gathered from the forest floor by local indigenous women.  While sun-drying on the roof for 3 weeks, Maya Nut Producers walk on them to crush the hard outer layer.  Next, our coffee roaster roasts the dry, crushed nuts, yielding bold and complex layers of coffee-like flavor with notes of cinnamon and chocolate.  Here at Tattva’s, we enjoy this delicious drink all through the day.  In the morning, we brew Capomo with coffee, adding a heaping serving of nutrients to a reduced serving of caffeine.  After lunch, Capomo brew both enlivens and relaxes the afternoon work load.  And what a treat to enjoy a steaming hot cup of “coffee” after dinner!  Our slow-roasted Capomo tastes most like our beloved morning ritual cup when simmered on the stovetop for 10 to 40 minutes, according to desired strength.  You can also brew Capomo in a traditional drip coffee maker, percolator, cold steep, or any way you choose.  Add your choice of milk and sweetener or drink it straight up black!

While this super food does not contain a single drop of caffeine, it does contain tryptophan, a naturally occurring amino acid that aids in both relaxation and a sense of well-being.  In stark contrast to caffeine, it is not stimulating to the central nervous system, so there are no jitters and no crashes.  As a superfood, Capomo serves to build health and energy levels naturally over time, so the more you drink it, the better you feel.  It is one of the richest plant sources of amino acids and protein and is high in fiber, potassium, iron, zinc, vitamins A, B, C and E.  Calcium and magnesium are perfectly balanced in the Capomo nut, making it an easy to absorb food source of these integral minerals.

The Maya Nut tree was the staple food to indigenous peoples all through its habitat, but over past years has fallen out of recognition.  The Maya Nut Institute, a non-profit public charity devoted to “find balance between people, food and forest,” exists to bring knowledge of this bounty back to the people.  Since their 2001 inception, more than 600 rural and indigenous women have established 25 fully autonomous Maya Nut businesses with a strong emphasis on both education and re-forestation.  The Maya Nut Institute’s reforestation partners have planted over 2,000,000 trees in Haiti, Columbia, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico.  So why would an entire non-profit organization devote all its work to a single species of tree?

The Maya Nut tree compels humans in many ways, but most notably, one Maya Nut tree can produce as much as 800 pounds of food in a given year, and live to over 100 years. Though native to the rain forests, it thrives in a wide range of ecosystems, making it an important climate-change resistant food source.  The fruit is eaten by avian and mammalian animals, the seeds used by people for both food and medicine; even the leaves can be steamed and eaten like spinach!  Check out our friends at the Maya Nut Institute.

Click here to try a bag of this delicious drink today!