Olive oil in your coffee!

If you don't have time to read all of the information below but are curious, here's the short version: olive oil in your coffee gives a silky smooth, enhanced coffee flavor, provides a slow release of caffeine, reduces stomach upset, is good for your health, helps with weight loss, can aid digestion, improves your brain function, and helps prevent inflammation.

In the news

In May 2023, it was world news. Just about every news site and social media outlet had picked up the news that you can order Starbucks coffee with a nice splash of extra virgin olive oil. Huh? Why would you want that?

Is olive oil in your coffee new?

Yes and no. The idea of ​​adding fat to your coffee is certainly not new. Members of the Oromo tribe in Ethiopia have been rolling coffee cherries in fat and eating them that way for extra energy since the 10th century. Later, it was a small step to adding fat to your coffee.

In the 2000s, bulletproof coffee was a health trend. It's black coffee with butter, coconut oil, and/or MCT oil. Bulletproof Coffee was invented by Dave Asprey while he was in Tibet. During a trek at 18,000 feet, he staggered into a guesthouse, exhausted, while it was -10 degrees Celsius outside. He was given a cup of "yak" butter tea, which literally rejuvenated his mind and body. He was very impressed. But traditional yak tea is made with black tea and rancid butter made from yak milk. That taste isn't for everyone. Yak!

From tea, it's a small step to coffee, and thus, bulletproof coffee was born. But butter isn't necessarily good for you. So, is it a good idea to replace the butter with a delicious, healthy extra virgin olive oil? Or is it just a Starbucks marketing ploy?

It's definitely a good idea, not just a marketing ploy and certainly not yuck!

1. Taste

A good extra virgin olive oil accentuates the beautiful flavor of coffee. This is because the taste and aroma of coffee and olive oil complement each other at the molecular level. Just as chocolate tastes wonderful with coffee and enhances its flavor, so does olive oil.

Coffee with extra virgin olive oil is rounder and smoother, while the rich, full flavor of the coffee and the aroma of the beans are more pronounced. The olive oil takes away some of the bitterness of the coffee and adds a silky texture to your coffee.

Coffee is often drunk with sugar and cream. This is to mask the bitter and often somewhat sour taste of coffee. Olive oil has a similar effect, although the taste is naturally different from coffee with milk and sugar.

2. Slow release caffeine

Adding olive oil to your coffee creates a built-in slow-release mechanism for caffeine. Normally, when you drink coffee, the caffeine is released into your system immediately, causing a spike and can make you feel jittery. When you add olive oil to your coffee, the fat in the olive oil breaks down into micelles, or tiny droplets, that bind to the caffeine molecules. Because fat takes longer to be processed by your body, the olive oil allows the caffeine to be released more slowly and steadily into your system. Voilà! You get the energy boost of caffeine without the harsh spike and crash.

3. Healthy

Coffee naturally contains antioxidants and various nutrients such as caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and trigonelline. These can help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of certain diseases. Adding olive oil to your coffee allows the body to better absorb and utilize these nutrients.

Since extra virgin olive oil itself is packed with antioxidants, it also complements coffee by further increasing the antioxidant capacity of the coffee.

These antioxidants help reduce damage to cells by free radicals and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

4. Losing weight

Another benefit of olive oil in coffee is that it can aid weight loss. Hunger is a result of lower blood sugar levels and the absorption of glucose from the blood by cells.

Olive oil prevents blood sugar levels from crashing and suppresses glucose absorption for a longer period. Olive oil is a source of healthy fats that help the body stay full and control appetite. Adding olive oil to your coffee can help you feel fuller longer and reduce hunger between meals.

A study conducted by the Technical University of Munich has shown that even the smell of olive oil can help control appetite. A focus group showed higher blood levels of the satiety hormone serotonin and a lower daily calorie intake after consuming olive oil.

5. Olive oil can also improve digestion.

It contains a high level of monounsaturated fats, which are easier to digest than other types of fats. Furthermore, using olive oil in coffee can help reduce heartburn and indigestion, allowing the body to better absorb nutrients.

6. Improved cognitive function

Coffee is known to improve brain function and increase alertness, while olive oil can help reduce inflammation in the brain and protect neurons from damage. By combining these two ingredients, you can create a powerful drink that improves brain function and makes you more alert and sharp.

7. Reduce inflammation

Furthermore, the olive oil in coffee can help reduce inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is linked to various health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Olive oil contains compounds that help reduce inflammation in the body, while coffee is rich in antioxidants that help protect the body from harmful free radicals.

Conclusion

Extra virgin olive oil in your coffee isn't (just) a Starbucks marketing ploy. It's amazing!

How do you do that then?

Do you simply add a splash of extra virgin olive oil to your coffee, stir, and you're done? Yes. That's the easiest way. Experiment to see what works best for you. For me, it's a black espresso with a generous teaspoon of strong Italian extra virgin olive oil.

Frothing milk with olive oil

In the morning, I prefer a cappuccino. If you add a dash of extra virgin olive oil to your milk and then froth it, you get an unexpected, velvety foam with hints of chocolate. Perfect for a fantastic cappuccino or latte.

Froth oat milk!

Many people prefer oat milk in their coffee. The downside is that it doesn't froth as well. Tip: add a dash of olive oil and it froths much better! So now you can enjoy a delicious cappuccino with oat milk!

Which olive oil can you use?

All good extra virgin olive oil! Of course, all the olive oil listed on theolivelabel.shop.

You can experiment with this at home too. Try different varieties, from a mild Portuguese variety like Caixeiro Organic to an intense Italian one like Oilala Organic Monovariety Coratina, and find the one you like best.

So dive into your kitchen and experiment with what you like best. Mix and match black coffee with olive oil, coffee with sugar and olive oil, coffee with milk and olive oil, coffee with milk and sugar and olive oil, a latte with olive oil, and so on.

Do you like spicy?

A little chili pepper can do wonders for your coffee!
Try coffee with a dash of spicy chili pepper olive oil for a coffee with an extra kick.

I'm sold. Olive oil and coffee are a match made in heaven.

P.S. Try a spoonful of pure extra virgin olive oil with your next piece of chocolate. The olive oil enhances the flavor of the chocolate and will make you feel fuller, so while you're enjoying it, you'll be less likely to want to eat the whole bar.