If you love your coffee and are craving a touch more spice, a bit more texture, or an extra drop of natural sweetness, the following these herbs and spices are that ‘little more’ you’re looking for.
Depth and warmth
If you enjoy a rich, textured coffee with a touch of spicy warmth, add one or pairs of the below to your cup.
Cardamom adds a lovely warmth, touch of spice, and gentle, earthy aroma to your coffee. It also eases stomach and intestinal issues and contains iron, potassium, and fiber. We recommend using cardamom in spicy, earthy Indonesian coffees.
Clove is highly aromatic and adds a slightly woody / smoked spice to your coffee. We recommend adding clove to any nut- or wood-toned coffee, such as a Colombian. As an added perk, clove is also high in antioxidants and antibacterial properties.
Nutmeg adds a rich, nutty, spicy depth to coffee. Nutmeg is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, improves digestion, helps treat insomnia, and aids in alleviating depression. As a bonus, it’s great for your skin! Nutmeg pairs best with coffees that have a slight spice to them and may overpower lighter, gentler brews.
Cayenne pepper, while best known for relieving headaches and improving digestion, also increases circulation, boosts your metabolic rate, reduces hunger, and gives your coffee a warm, spicy kick. Cayenne pepper pairs best with dark, spicy coffees such as Indonesians. Given the intense heat pepper infuses coffee with, we do not recommend adding it to light, bright coffees, such as Africans.
Rosemary brings a delicate, gentle, earthy spice to your coffee. It also is packed with antioxidants and inflammatory properties. We recommend adding rosemary to a coffee with natural earth or spice tones, such as Indonesians.
Turmeric has a wonderful earthy spice taste that adds an extra layer of warmth and depth to your coffee. In addition to tasting great, turmeric also has anti-inflammatory and pain alleviation properties and improves digestion and liver function. Turmeric pairs best with coffees that have a slight spice and earthiness to them, such as a Sumatran.
Sweet tones and texture
Have a sweet tooth? These delicious, healthy add-ins are sure to kick your coffee up a notch.
Cinnamon is not only great for your heart and skin, it also brings a wonderfully bright sweetness to your coffee. Cinnamon nicely complements nearly all coffees excluding those with strong pepper notes, such as Indonesians.
Unsweetened cocoa powder not only adds a rich sweetness to your coffee, it helps fight inflammation, increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and improves cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Cocoa and chocolate powder bring a gentle yet rich sweetness to any coffee with chocolate base notes.
Star anise adds a lovely, aromatic, silky licorice flavor to your cup. Star anise also contains natural chemicals that help ward off coughs, colds, and the flu, improves digestion, alleviates cramps, and reduces nausea. Basically, this is just a perfect addition to your winter coffee! We recommend adding star anise to any coffee except spicy Indonesians.
Ginger brings a surprisingly sweet, slightly spiced, smooth flavor to your cup. It is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, helps lower cholesterol, and improves digestion. Ginger pairs best with brighter full-city roasted coffees that have a touch of sweetness, such as a Salvadoran.
If you enjoyed this entry, you may also like:
Coffee with the Queen 