Yokitomo Shimotai, a Japanese man, has invented a caffeine-free version of coffee made from garlic. Loaded with health benefits, this drink can be used as an alternative for coffee-bean coffee which contains caffeine, an unhealthy component.
An invention made thirty years ago
It was a cooking blunder that happened 30 years ago which triggered the idea of making coffee with garlic in the mind of Yokitomo Shimotai. Kyodo News reported that during his young age, Shimotai burned steak and garlic while waiting at a coffee table in Aomori Prefecture. Due to curiosity, Shimotai mixed the scorched garlic in hot water, and surprisingly, it tasted like coffee.
Shimotai kept aside his idea of making coffee with garlic till his retirement. After saying 'Adios' to his professional career, the Japanese man spent lots of time in conducting researches for making coffee with garlic. After repeated trial and errors, Shimotai finally made a recipe which gave the full essence of coffee.
In the process, Shimotai used an electronic furnace to roast the garlic, and finally mashed it up for mixing it with hot water to make a perfect cup of coffee. In 2015, he took the patent of this method. Shimotai also opened a garlic coffee-making workshop in Iwate Prefecture.
Garlic coffee: An unusually tasty experience
In a recent talk with Kyodo News, the 74-year old man confidently said that this is probably the first drink of its kind in the world. Shimotai added that this coffee is very much preferred for people who wish to drink it at night, as it does not contain caffeine. This drink is also recommended for pregnant women, as a high amount of caffeine is not that great for carrying ladies.
Even though the drink contains garlic, it will not produce bad breath, as the garlic is thoroughly roasted before using.
The garlic coffee has fetched positive reviews from users, and it is now available in two souvenir shops in Aomori Prefecture. Shimotai has priced a packet needed to make one cup of garlic coffee at 3.90 Singapore dollars.
