This “Coffee” Is Nuts!

Coffee producers do not have to lose sleep. The articles coming out about a pistacihio substitute for coffee are overlooking some key factors behind the growing popularity of the real thing. Red Orbit news is one source which reported on the original Telegraph article, mentioning a few pros of the nutty brew. We’ll also consider some cons. The Telegraph reported that a certain tree with a smaller than usual pistachio nut grows in Turkey, in the wild so far. After a sample of this nut was roasted and brewed, it produced a suitable drink with a great aroma. Guess what, it had a flavor that was…. wait for it ….. nutty. Besides being drinkable the main benefit is that the nuts contain no caffeine. Because pistachio has the same chemical signature as coffee, scientists think it could be made to taste and smell like the real thing. There are some problems with this picture. The number one problem brought out in the article, is that, though the nut could be brewed like Turkish coffee and taste relatively good, it failed as an espresso. It turned into an oily paste, which could be a hard sell in trendy coffee bars. There are more cons that weren’t mentioned. A biggie is that coffee has won over many a consumer because it has zero calories and zero fat content. Pistachios, being nuts, have a high fat and calorie content. The scientists haven’t disclosed the fat and calorie content of the nutty brew, but can it match the low numbers of coffee? Granted, nuts have health benefits, but so does coffee. If you want the nut’s benefits, munch on a few with your coffee drink. While the article states that pistachios should be cheaper than coffee, this has yet to be proven. Normally, pistachio nuts are not so cheap, even in places like Arizona, where they grow. The type which is being examined for a zero-caffeine beverage grows mainly in Turkey, and we aren’t told the estimated quantity. If you ratchet up the demand by creating a popular drink, the nuts will become pricier. Can the volume of available nuts meet the potential demand? There are enough problems to overcome before the pistachio drink can even begin to compete with genuine coffee. Other coffee substitutes, such as chicory and other herbal varieties, haven’t put any dent in coffee demand, which keeps increasing. Somehow, there seems no reason for coffee producers or suppliers to lose sleep. Brew on, with beans, not nuts. And speaking of espresso, here are some of our newest......