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| A shot extracted from half espresso/Redespresso |
The 15.02.2012 started a new adventure, because I received a package from Tekompaniet (a swedish tea supplier), the generous delivery contained two bags of 250 g. Redespresso, a serving spoon, a Redespresso filter basket and a magazine of the products offers by Tekompaniet. I´d only used one bag of the Redspresso powder, due to the capacity of the bag, but for a week ago I found the second bag in my kitchen closet and went experimenting.
First off, if you want to read some off the Redespresso reviews, click the links below;
Redespresso?
The adventure started back in 2005, because of Carl Pretorius´s habit of drinking too much espresso. Carl was supposed to take a coffee break, but one day he went in the kitchen searching for alternatives for an espresso shot, at that time the rooibos tea was fairly close to the espresso machine and he started experimenting. The course was set, he didn’t want a decaf or tea, but something with the health benefits of the tea. He found the right quality of rooibos tea and the right grind setting for the espresso shot and started serving for friends. The feedback was positive and this lead the rooibos cappuccino went on the menu, at some of Carl’s friends who owned a coffee shop. Redespresso was hereby introduced to the café environment and the awards started roiling in, actually the firm won five awards in just five years. Three of the awards was for the invention, including the first South African tea company to earn coffee´s highest honor at The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) by winning the Best New Product (Specialty Beverage Award 2008/09). In the same year, Tea Expo 2009 voted Redespresso as a Top Ten Best New Product, cause of their use of tea in untraditional way. In other words, this company have grown exponentially both in size and in reputation.
Red espresso consist purely of African rooibos tea and is patented grinded fine enough to be used in your own espresso machine for a nice shot of red espresso. If you don’t know what rooibos tea is, here is an explanation; Rooibos is definitely not coffee/espresso, as you might expect, it’s a tea extract and is sometimes known as bush tea or red tea. It’s originally grown in South Africa and holds no caffeine, but contains an antioxidant level that far exceeds tea or coffee. Therefore a con of this brewing is that its healthier, cause of the ten times more antioxidants than in normal rooibos tea. Quote Redespresso article
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| The divided puck from a standard filter basket |
The general idea was too create an espresso based drink, which didn´t contain a high level of caffeine, but instead where a drink that you could enjoy multiple times a day with an improved taste compared with a traditional cappuccino.
The answer came using my 18 g. VST filter basket, which I filled with 9 g. of ground espresso coffee as a bottom layer and poured 9 g. of Redespresso powder on top, with a following tamp. When I received the package from Tekompaniet it contained a special Redespresso filter basket, with fewer holes, so it could keep the resistants - therefore the idea was to press the ground espresso coffee in the bottom and thereby create resistance in a normal filter basket.
"The thought of this was to create an espresso drink with low caffeine with antioxidants and a coffee flavor in symphony with the fruity flavors from the Redespresso powder. It was a brilliant success!"
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| The top foam layer of the final drink |
Taste and flavors
You might wonder whats so special about this particular drink compared with ordinary cappuccinos etc., and the answer is simple - the full silk bodied texture combined with a traditional coffee flavor spiced with all the fruitiness from the Redespresso powder is truly amazing. The Diviso cup holds a very rich flavor, where the first flavors of traditional coffee appears, hereafter achieves the Redespresso signature by the taste off sweet herbs along with a lot of varies red berries.
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| Delicious brown-redish edge of the top foam layer |
Redespresso contribute
The Rooibos grounded tea is very sweet and contains a lot of delicate flavors of herbs and black tea without a single note of bitterness. When brewed straight as an espresso shot, its extremely creamy and pleasant to drink - first off the taste is quite astonishingly, because you are left wondering what flavors you have tasted. Its therefore hard to narrow down the different notes that appear in this drink, because of the flavors being combined in a truly fusion.
In my world it was nothing less a revolution, a completely new paradigm between the world of coffee and tea. I have tasted all of these exact flavors before, but not in such a concentrated, creamy and silky way. I still wonder how ground rooibos tea can give away such deep, completed and attractive flavors - but its working.
Nevertheless joined with half amount of freshly ground espresso coffee, the ground rooibos simply lifts the flavors of the cup and gives away a beautiful, creamy and silk textured body.
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| The result next to the divided pucks |
Name of the drink
The name originates from the italian word "Diviso", which plainly means "divided" - because of the separation of normal ground espresso coffee and Redespresso powder in the puck - which harmonizes in both flavors and texture of the shot.
* This is a world premiere of the Diviso and you will therefore not be able to purchase it at any coffee bar - but join and spread the word about this wonderful drink. If you haven´t tried the Redespresso powder, order a package here.
// Hendrup
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