QUEENS COLLEGE
FOOD, NUTRITION AND HEALTH
GRADE 11
TOPIC: BEVERAGES
Definition of Beverage
A beverage is any hot or cold drink.
Examples: water, milk, juice, coffee, tea, cocoa, alcoholic or carbonated
drinks.
Purpose: complement meals, provide nutrients, fulfill social needs.
Types of Beverages
Hot Drinks
▪ Tea
▪ Coffee
▪ Hot Chocolate
Cold Drinks
• Iced Tea
• Fruit Drinks
• Carbonated Drinks (Sodas)
• Milkshakes
TEA
Origin
• From the camellia bush, grown in tropical areas (China, India, Sri Lanka,
Japan, Kenya, etc.)
• Best teas come from unopened leaves.
• Tea is graded by leaf size, growing area, plant variety, and season.
Caribbean View
• Any hot drink (e.g., cocoa, coffee, green/herbal tea) is often referred to
as tea.
Nutritional Value
• Low nutritive value, unless milk/cream and sugar are added.
• Contains fluoride and trace minerals.
Types of Tea
• Black Tea: Withered, rolled, fermented, dried; golden color and strong
flavor.
• Green Tea: Steamed, rolled, dried; greenish-yellow color; bitter; rich in
antioxidants.
• Oolong Tea: Partially fermented; flavor between black and green tea.
Herbal Teas
• Caffeine-free, made from herbs, leaves, roots, bark, flowers, etc.
• Popular herbs: mint, ginger, lemongrass, chamomile, cinnamon,
ginseng.
• Caribbean "bush teas" can be medicinal or herbal. Often used for
colds, digestion, or energy.
• Caution: Some herbs can affect urine tests (especially for diabetics).
• Often sweetened with sugar; sugar adds energy value (e.g., mauby
drink).
Preparation Methods
• Infusion: Hot water over herbs, stand for 5 mins.
• Decoction: Bark/roots boiled in water.
Processing of Tea
• Steps: withering → rolling → fermenting → firing → grading → selecting →
blending → packing.
• Tea can be loose or in bags.
• Must be stored in an airtight container to retain flavor.
Qualities of a Good Cup of Tea
• Subtle aroma
• Clear and bright appearance
• Deep amber liquid
Best Material for Brewing: Glass, ceramic, or porcelain (metal gives a
metallic taste).
Preparation:
▪ Use soft, freshly boiled water.
▪ Use ½–1 tsp loose tea or one tea bag per cup + one for the pot.
▪ Steep for 3–5 minutes (longer causes bitter taste due to tannins).
Serving Options: With milk/cream, sugar, lemon, lime, or spices like cloves.
Cups: Smaller and deeper to retain heat.
Iced Tea: Brewed, strained, and sweetened cold tea.
Nutritional Note: Tea can bind iron and hinder absorption. Consume 2 hours
before/after iron-rich foods. Include vitamin C to enhance iron absorption.
COFFEE
Origin: From tropical climates (Jamaica, Central/South America, Africa).
Processing: Pulp removed → beans cured, sized, graded, blended, roasted,
ground, packed.
Constituents
Volatile compounds: Aroma
Caffeine: Stimulating
Acids: Chlorogenic, caffeic, citric, tartaric
Others: Carbon dioxide, color compounds
Types of Coffee
By Origin: e.g., Blue Mountain (Jamaican), Columbian.
By Grind: Finer grind = better flavor.
Instant Coffee: Powder made by dehydrating brewed coffee.
Decaffeinated Coffee: ≤ 0.1% caffeine, removed from green beans.
Coffee Preparation Qualities
• Pleasing aroma
• Amber to deep brown color
• Mellow, not bitter
• Slightly astringent, not flat
Storage & Brewing Tips
• Store in a tightly sealed container.
• Best brewed in stainless steel, enamel, glass, or porcelain (not
tin/copper).
• Use 2 tbsp coffee per ¾ cup cold tap water.
• Brew at 185–203°F (85–95°C).
• Avoid over-brewing or reheating (causes bitterness).
Coffee Makers
Cafetière (French Press): Coffee steeped then separated using a plunger.
Drip Coffee Maker: Water drips through coffee in a filter basket.
Percolator: Water cycles through coffee grounds; brew 6–8 mins.
Vacuum Coffee Maker: Heat forces water up, cooling creates vacuum pulling
coffee down.
Coffee Preparation Methods
Percolated Coffee: Brewed for 6–8 mins using cycling hot water.
Drip Coffee: 4–6 mins; hot water passes through grounds in filter.
Steeped Coffee: 2–4 mins; coffee grounds steep in hot water, then strained.
Vacuum Coffee: Water rises due to heat, falls back due to vacuum pulling
brewed coffee.
Serving Coffee
Served black or with cream and sugar.
COCOA AND CHOCOLATE
Origin: From cocoa tree; grown in West Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Trinidad, etc.
Processing: Involves fermentation, drying, roasting, shelling, and grinding
nibs into paste.
Types
Baker’s Chocolate: Unsweetened, molded chocolate liquor.
Sweet Chocolate: With added sugar/flavorings.
Milk Chocolate: Includes milk and more flavorings.
Substitution: 3 tbsp cocoa + 1 tbsp fat = 1 oz chocolate.
Nutritive Value: Contains starch and iron, traces of caffeine and tannin.
Cocoa Preparation and Storage
• Cocoa and chocolate contain starch, which should be cooked before
adding milk.
• Combine sugar and water, boil for 2–3 mins, then add milk.
• This results in a smoother, better-tasting product.
• Store cocoa and chocolate away from moisture/heat to avoid greying or
lumping.
FRUIT BEVERAGES
Fruit beverages come in different types based on juice content:
Classification
• 100% Juices: Pure juice
• Juice drinks/blends: 10–100% juice, may have sweeteners, flavours,
nutrients.
• Juice blends: Two or more fruit juices.
• Fruit-flavoured drinks: No real juice.
• Juice concentrates: Water removed, used to make juices or juice
drinks.
•
CARBONATED DRINKS
• Flavoured syrup + carbonated water.
• High sugar and may contain colourings, caffeine, etc.
HOMEMADE JUICES
• Made from fresh fruits/vegetables (e.g., mango, guava, tomato).
• Water, lime/lemon juice may be added for flavour.
• Syrup can be added as sweetener.
Preparation of a Syrup
• Syrup = 2 parts sugar + 1 part water (boiled till sugar dissolves).
• Can be light, medium, or heavy.
• Used to sweeten fruit juices.
LOW-CALORIE OR DIET DRINKS
• Made without sugar – low or negligible energy value.
• Includes flavoured/mineral waters.
• May contain salts (sodium, calcium, magnesium).
• May use nutritive or non-nutritive sweeteners.
Note: Always check labels for content information.
