[1] Vietnamese iced coffee. A swirl of sweetened condensed milk makes it as sweet as you like (photo © Demi Deherrera | Unsplash).

[2] You can drink Vietnmese coffee hot, of course (remaining photos © Fat Miilk).

[3] Three of the four blends of Fat Miilk beans.

[4] A phin is the Vietnamese equivalent of the pour-over cone for American drip coffee.

[5] These charming phins are available in four colors, to match the colors of the bean packages.

[6] You can use any brand of sweetened condensed milk, but we like the Longevity brand from Vietnam. It’s made with whole milk for extra creaminess, and as a result, lightens coffee much better than most other brands. It also has a fuller flavor, more distinctly “condensed milk” than American brands (photo © Sun Hing Foods).

October 1st is International Coffee Day, and we’ve got an international brand for you: Fat Miilk, from Vietnam. Unlike the arabica coffee beans used in most of the coffee consumed in the U.S., Fat Milk is made from the robusta varietal, a bean with twice the caffeine and twice the antioxidants. The result is “coffee more robust than your everyday joe,*” says the brand. The beans are sourced ethically and directly from Vietnamese farmers.

Vietnam is the world’s number-one producer of robusta beans, and it’s the coffee drunk throughout Vietnam.

If you’ve never had robusta, you’re in for a special taste experience: nutty, chocolatey, bold, and full of character.

The strong and robust flavor is best achieved by dripping the coffee, through a device called the phin drip (photo #4).

The company’s goal is to introduce Vietnamese coffee culture, tradition, and flavor to the U.S., and to show that robusta beans, which are often portrayed as inferior to robusta beans, deserve a place in our own coffee culture.

One of the founders knows Vietnamese coffee as well as anybody: Her family has a coffee farm in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
 
 
THE FAT MIILK LINE

There are currently four roasts:

 
Buy them online at FatMiilk.com.

The line is also available at stores in Chicago, Missouri and New York.

Here’s a store locator.
 
 
HOW TO BREW A CUP OF FAT MIILK

You can purchase whole or ground beans and brew them as you currently brew coffee. But the best Vietnamese coffee brewing employs a combination of drip (pour-over) and French press methods.

And before we get into the details, let us say that these are a terrific gift for coffee lovers.

Traditional Vietnamese brewing uses a device called a phin, which sits on top of the cup.

 
Every element is carefully crafted to honor a treasured member of the family.

Ah, if only we Americans waxed poetic about our own beloved family members.
 
 

> The History Of Coffee
 
> The Different Types Of Coffee
 
> The Different Types Of Espresso

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*Cup of Joe, or Joe for short, was named after Admiral Josephus “Joe” Daniels (May 18, 1862 – January 15, 1948), Chief of Naval Operations, who outlawed alcohol on board ships and ordered coffee as the beverage of service. The term, “Cup of Joe” followed; and because sailors wanted their cup of joe hot, Hot Joe was shortened to Hojo. But according to Snopes, this is a myth. Read the Snopes article for three other theories.

Josephus Daniels was a newspaper editor and publisher from North Carolina who was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to serve as Secretary of the Navy during World War I. He was also a close friend and supporter of President Franklin Roosevelt and served as his Ambassador to Mexico from 1933 to 1941. Daniels banned alcohol from United States Navy ships in June 1914. This led to the folk etymology that a “cup of joe,” referring to a cup of coffee derives from Daniels’ name. However, this appeared to be a myth, rather than the truth.
 
 
  

Sixty-two percent of Americans drink coffee every day [source]. So de facto, millions of Americans will be celebrating National Coffee Day, September 29th. (International Coffee Day is October 1st).

There are more fun coffee stats below. But first, in honor of fall, let’s give some time to the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

The drink is available in 50 countries worldwide, and an estimated 424 million have been sold. That’s an estimated $1.4 billion in sales since its launch in 2003!
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

The PSL was conceived on a spring day in 2003 by a Starbucks product development team. The team had developed the recipes for seasonal favorites such as Eggnog Latte and Peppermint Mocha, and were looking for a new beverage to add to the fall lineup.

They brought in kitschy fall decorations and pumpkin pies, and began to explore ideas for a pumpkin-inspired espresso beverage. They would sample a forkful of pumpkin pie, followed by a sip of hot espresso. Slowly they teased out which flavors from the pie best complemented the coffee.

Over the next three months, the team tasted and re-tasted different versions of the beverage. They settled on a recipe that used pumpkin spice sauce with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, made with espresso and steamed milk. The drink was topped off with whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie topping.

In the fall of 2003, the beverage was introduced at 100 Starbucks stores in Vancouver and Washington, D.C. It was an immediate hit. A new fall tradition was begun.

One of the original name ideas was Fall Harvest Latte. Then we’d have had an FHL instead of the PSL. By the way, PSL was the original beverage code for Pumpkin Spice Latte, written by baristas on the cups. It soon became the drink’s nickname [source].

In the fall of 2004, Pumpkin Spice Latte rolled out across the company’s U.S. stores. It is now available in nearly 50 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It’s Starbucks’ most popular seasonal beverage.

It has become more than a fall tradition. This year, Starbucks introduced the PSL in August!

Did you know there is no pumpkin in Pumpkin Spice Latte?

The flavor is created from pumpkin pie spices, a blend of all or some of the following: allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.

In fact, most pumpkin spice syrups do the same thing.

But we did find a syrup made with real pumpkin puree!
 
 
PINK HOUSE ALCHEMY, ALL-NATURAL SYRUPS

Pink House Alchemy is an artisan maker of syrups, bitters and shrubs.

Their Pumpkin & Butternut† Spice Syrup has the familiar autumn aromas and flavors.

[1] For National Coffee Day, we’re celebrating with something more festive than black coffee.

[2] There is no pumpkin in a Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s flavored with pumpkin pie spices (photo © Starbucks).

[3] Pumpkin Butternut Spice Syrup from Alchemy House actually is made with real pumpkin puree (photo © Pink House Alchemy).

It’s a great gift for anyone who has ever said, “I need a pumpkin spice latte!”

Just to give a shout-out to the other flavors: Blackberry Sage, Cardamom, Dark Cherry Grenadine, Ginger, Hazelnut, Herbalicious (lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme), Hibiscus Rose, Lavender, Mexican Chile, PH Delight (cinnamon, honey, vanilla), Sarsaparilla, Simple Syrup, Strawberry, Toasted Caramel, Tonic Syrup (to pair with gin cocktails), Vanilla Bean and Winter Mint.

Use any of them in cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks hot and cold, to make sodas and flavored seltzers, as a dessert syrup, even to toss with popcorn.

Check them out at PinkHouseAlchemy.com.

________________

*Squash (of which pumpkin is one) are fruits, not vegetables. Here’s the difference between fruits and vegetables.

†In case you’re wondering why a syrup made of purée is clear, not cloudy, it undergoes a proprietary filtration process.

‡Why butternut squash? Much of the canned pumpkin in stores is not pumpkin at all. It’s a blend of other winter squash types, including Boston Marrow, butternut, Golden Delicious, and Hubbard. These squash varieties are less stringy than pumpkin, with more natural sweetness and deeper color than pumpkin.

[1] Yes, it’s ice cream with caviar—or to be precise, unsweetened Greek yogurt gelato (photo © Pointy Snout).

[2] Use 5% Greek yogurt to make ice cream: It’s whole milk yogurt (photo © FAGE USA).

[3] Artisan ice cream cones from The Konery (photo © The Konery).

[4] Smoked salmon and caviar “tacos,” with diced tuna, sushi rice, and nori [dried seaweed sheets]* (photo © L T Bar & Grill | Hackensack, NJ).

July 18th is National Caviar Ice Cream Cone Day, but we didn’t want to wait that long to share this photo of a caviar-topped ice cream cone. It was developed at the behest of Pointy Snout Caviar, and it sounds delicious.

The “ice cream” is gelato made from plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt by Chef David Standridge of Cafe Clover in New York City (alas, closed due to the pandemic).

The artisanal cone was made by Jeff Thompson, Executive Chef at the Wheatleigh Hotel in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

And to top it off, sustainable caviar from Pointy Snout.

Is our mouth-watering? You bet!

We’re getting ready to put some Greek yogurt into our ice cream machine and order some groovy artisanal cones from The Konery.

We’ll enjoy them with vodka, or maybe Champagne.

If your budget doesn’t allow sturgeon caviar for your food fun, here are 16 types of more affordable caviar, along with the history of caviar.

And while we’re at it, here’s:

 
 
FUN CAVIAR RECIPES

 
 
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*The other “taco” is diced salmon topped with sliced avocado and cilantro.

Until now, we were not the target customer for an energy drink. While many of our generation gulped the newly-arrived-from-Austria Red Bull, the flavor was unbearable to our sophisticated palate. That was around 1990. Many energy drinks have come and gone since. Red Bull remains the best-selling energy drink in the world, with 7.9 billion cans sold in a year as of 2020 [source].

Energy drinks are packed with sugar, so the category is now introducing zero calorie (no added sugar) versions.

 
They tasted a lot better than other no-sugar energy drinks, but still had those “energy drink” undertone flavors that stopped us from gulping the can. We only sipped as much as we thought we might need to keep us awake for a late dinner date.

Last week a box of True North Energy Seltzer appeared on our doorstep. It was a double surprise: Finally, we found our energy drink!

And True North Energy Seltzer is our Top Pick Of The Week.
 
 
1. TRUE NORTH PURE ENERGY SELTZER

Ah, another 12 ounce (375 ml) slim can, but this time, tasting great!

The True North Company has two lines. The original line is True North Pure Energy Seltzer. It’s made in six flavors: Black Cherry (photo #1), Cucumber Lime (photo #2), Grapefruit Lemonade, Mandarin Yuzu, Peach Pear and Watermelon.

This is our kind of energy drink because it tastes just like flavored seltzer, untouched by sweeteners of any kind. The flavors are all-natural.

These seltzers also have what the brand calls “the added benefit of an immunity blend,” antioxidants and immune boosters.

The seltzers are fortified with vitamin C, vitamins A and C; a B-complex of B3, B5, B6, and B 12; and Zinc. Zero calories!

We order it by the case from Amazon. Alas, there’s no mixed case; but maybe the brand will read this and offer one.

Here’s more about the line.
 
 
2. TRU: FUNCTIONAL SELTZERS

For people who want a functional drink, and a little sweetness in their seltzer, there’s the new Tru line.

Functional foods and beverages are everyday foods enhanced (fortified) with supplemental nutrition. The goal is to provide a health benefit beyond normal satiation and nutrition. Here’s more about them.

Five of the Tru flavors are enhanced with different formulations of natural caffeine, vitamins and antioxidants. They all do the same thing: give you energy.

The sixth does the opposite: It helps you have a better night’s sleep. Call it the anti-energy seltzer.

The line is:

 
Select the formula you need*:

 
Then, there’s a variety to help you go to sleep:

Here’s more about the line.
 
 
GET YOUR TRUE NORTH ENERGY SELTZER

Head to DrinkTru.com.

It’s also available on Amazon.

Whether Original or Tru, try True North. You’ll have energy that also counts as hydration.

And you don’t have to make coffee!

[1] True North Pure Energy Seltzer provides a bigger boost than coffee, in our experience (all photos © True North Energy Seltzer).

[2] It comes in 6 flavors: Black Cherry, Cucumber Lime, Grapefruit Lemonade, Mandarin Yuzu, Peach Pear and Watermelon.

[3] True North’s functional line, Tru Energy Wake Up Blend provides the boost to start your day (all photos © True North Energy Seltzer).

[4] Defend (for immunity), Focus (for concentration) and Rescue (to detox after over-consumption of alcohol) energy seltzers.

[5] Power (workout blend) and Dream, the one seltzer that gives you sleep, not energy.

[6] The family of Tru flavors.

*The Nibble does not offer health advice and does not claim expertise in knowing the efficacy of functional foods. We rely on the information provided by the brand.

[1] Today’s featured recipe: corned beef hash with a fried egg. There are 12 more recipes below (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] You don’t need an egg on top. You can serve the hash with grits or mashed potatoes; or use it to stuff a baked potato. Or serve it with steamed cabbage, glazed carrots, or other favorite veggies.

[3] Want something less free form? Make corned beef hash patties. Here’s the recipe.

[4] Brisket turned into corned beef (photo © Omaha Steaks).

[5] Substitute chorizo for the corned beef and sweet potatoes for white potatoes, and you’ve got sweet potato chorizo hash. Here’s the recipe (photo © Betsy’s Life).

[6] If you have leftover beef, how about a beef and bacon hash? Here’s the recipe (photo © Lodge Cast Iron).

September 27th is National Corned Beef Hash Day, a dish that our family has served for at least three generations—mostly for weekend breakfasts, topped with a fried or poached egg.

We’ve got several corned beef hash recipes below, and some non-corned beef hash recipes as well. But first: What is corned beef?

Corning refers to curing or pickling the meat in a seasoned brine. Typically, brisket is used to make corned beef.

The word refers to the “corns” or grains of kosher (or other coarse) salt that is mixed with water to make the brine. The dish has many regional variations and seasonings.

Irish immigrants adapted corned beef from their Jewish neighbors on New York’s Lower East Side as a cheaper alternative to Irish bacon, precipitating the now-traditional Irish-American dish, corned beef and cabbage.

Smoking a corned beef, and adding extra spices, produces pastrami.

> Here’s the history of corned beef hash.
 
 
RECIPE #1: ONE-POT CORNED BEEF HASH

This recipe for corned beef hash is made in one pot and uses raw Idaho potatoes rather than cooked potatoes. However, you can make it with already-cooked potatoes as well.

Just melt both tablespoons of butter in the skillet, and add the onions, potatoes and corned beef at once, continuing with instructions as directed from step 4.

Either way, it’s a delicious way to use up any leftover corned beef you have, and makes a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner when served with sunny-side-up or fried eggs.

Poached eggs work, too; and while scrambled eggs won’t provide a runny yolk to drip into the corned beef, they’re just as tasty.

Don’t forget the toast.

Ways to serve corned beef hash without eggs:

 
This recipe was developed by Elizabeth Lindemann of Bowl of Delicious for the Idaho Potato Commission.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MELT 1 tablespoon of butter in a large lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until it’s softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

2. ADD the potatoes and water or cooking liquid from the corned beef. Season with salt and pepper (if using the cooking liquid, you will need very little, if any, salt). Stir, bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.

3. UNCOVER and simmer for 5 more minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. STIR the corned beef into the skillet, along with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Turn the heat up to medium high. Cook for about 3 minutes without stirring, until the bottom of the hash begins to brown.

5. STIR to flip the hash around and cook for another 3 minutes or so without stirring, until most of the hash has a good amount of browned, crispy bits (about 10 minutes total). If it starts to cook too quickly or burn, add a bit more butter and/or turn down the heat.

6. TURN off the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

7. SERVE with sunny-side-up or fried eggs, with extra parsley for garnish, if desired.

 
12 MORE CORNED BEEF HASH & OTHER HASH RECIPES