Carrot Chickpea Salad

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Carrot Chickpea Salad

Course Side Dish
Keyword Palestinian Products

Ingredients

  • 4 cups grated carrot
  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 7 Equal Exchange Medjool Dates pitted and chopped
  • 4 scallions white and green parts, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. Equal Exchange Olive Oil
  • 2 limes zest and juice of
  • ¾ tsp. ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup shelled roasted pistachios coarsely chopped
  • ½–¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

  1. Add the carrots, chickpeas, dates, scallions, and cilantro to a large bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, lime zest and juice, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the carrot mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle in the pistachios and feta cheese and toss gently.

Celebrando el cinco de mayo con mole poblano de comercio justo

Traducido por Mercedes Paloma Lopez Mancillas, de la Oficina Regionál del Suroeste de CRS en San Antonio, Texas y por Scarlett de la Vega Ochoa, Oké Banana (Equal Exchange’s fairly traded bananas), West Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

(Read the English-language version here.)

 

Pollo en Mole Poblano es un platillo tradicional Mexicano con pollo cocido en una salsa oscura, picante, y con una base de chocolate. Esta primavera, los empleados de Equal Exchange y nuestros aliados de Catholic Relief Services, preparamos tres cazuelas de mole – cada una ligeramente distinta – con ingredientes orgánicos y  de comercio justo. El veredicto fue unánimo: ¡qué rico!

Amamos cocinar casi tanto como amamos compartir relatos. Debajo, lea más sobre nuestros distintos trayectos con el mole. Luego, ¡intente este auténtico platillo Mexicano en su propia cocina!

El Mole de Nuestro Libro de Cocina Favorito

Nos unimos, Sandy Davis, Kate Chess, y Peter Buck, trabajadores-propietarios de EE; para hacer mole en la cocina de la sede de Equal Exchange, en Massachusetts. Utilizamos Chocolate Amargo Extremo, Almentras Naturales, y Aceite de Olivo Palestino. Usamos como referencia el muy usado libro de Peter, The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking por Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, y adaptamos generosamente la deliciosa receta de 50 años para que cumpliera con nuestras necesidades.

Trabajadores-propietarios de EE en la cocina.

Así es como hicimos nuestra versión:

Primero, cortar dos pollos grandes en porciones individuales. Cubrir con agua y llevar a ebullición. Hervir a fuego lento por una hora, luego drenar y secar. Guardar dos tazas del caldo de pollo. Calentar tres cucharadas de Aceite de Olivo Extra Virgen Orgánico en una sartén para freír. Dorar el pollo en el aceite y pasar las piezas a una cacerola grande u horno holandés.

Después, preparar y combinar los ingredientes para la salsa. Empezar con 14 chiles secos: (6 ancho, 4 pasilla, 4 mulato – o si no están disponibles, usar sólo ancho). Remover los tallos y semillas de los chiles, romper en piezas y transferir a un tazón grande. Hervir suficiente agua para cubrir los chiles. Echar el agua caliente sobre los chiles y remojar por una hora.

Mientras se remojan, picar dos cebollas medianas y cuatro dientes de ajo. Pelar, desgranar, y picar una libra (medio kilo) de jitomates. Blanquear y pelar una taza de Almendras Naturales Orgánicas. Combinar la cebolla, ajo, jitomate y almendras con media taza de Pasas Flame Orgánicas Equal Exchange (disponibles a granel en muchas tiendas de alimentos naturales), media cucharadita de clavo molido, canela molida, y semilla de cilantro molida; media cucharadita de anís, y dos cucharadas de ajonjolí. Agregar dos o tres ramas de cilantro fresco y tortilla de maíz en trozos. Utilizar una licuadora eléctrica para moler todos los ingredientes hasta que quede como un puré espeso.

Ahora, cocinar el puré. Recalentar el aceite en la sartén. Saltear el puré en el aceite caliente por cinco minutos, moviéndolo constantemente. Agregar las dos tazas de caldo de pollo que se reservaron al hervir el pollo, y una onza y media (14 gramos) de Chocolate Amargo Extremo Orgánico (88% cacao). Mezclar hasta que el chocolate se derrita. El puré debe estar más denso que la crema espesa.

Finalmente, vaciar la salsa sobre el pollo en el horno holandés y cocer cubierto, a fuego muy bajo, por 30 minutos. Espolvorear con dos cucharadas de ajonjolí y servir con tortillas, arroz, y frijoles.

¡Buen provecho!

¡Nos divertimos mucho haciendo este platillo y recomendamos como un ejercicio de vinculación, la colaboración en esta complicada receta y sus varios ingredientes! Pero, ¿qué tal quedó? Nuestra compañera de trabajo, Scarlett de la Vega Ochoa dijo, “¡Este mole está bueno – y eso que soy de Puebla!”

El Mole Millential Mexico-Americano

Sergio López es un Gerente de Relaciones con sede en San Diego, California, en la Oficina Regional del Oeste de CRS. Intentó una sabrosa receta de mole que encontró en Internet. Sergio utilizó Almendras Naturales Orgánicas de Equal Exchange y nuestro Cocoa Horneado Orgánico, versátil y de alta calidad.

Aquí está su historia:

Si bien mi esposa y yo crecimos en hogares mexicanos, no siempre nos enseñaron cómo cocinar la sorprendente comida reconfortante de nuestra infancia. Parte de nuestro camino como “adultos” ha sido reclamar las partes deliciosas de nuestro crecimiento para que algún día podamos pasárselas a nuestros hijos y nietos.

Con este espíritu, recientemente decidimos darle un toque de comercio justo a la receta tradicional del mole. Fue la primera vez que cualquiera de nosotros hizo la salsa de mole desde cero y me alegra decir que ¡no decepcionó! Una mitad de pollo cubierto con una salsa de seis tipos diferentes de chiles, verduras asadas, Almendras de Equal Exchange  y Cocoa Horneado de Equal Exchange servido con una cama de arroz hecha para un plato delicioso y ético que estaremos ansiosos por compartir con la familia y amigos en los próximos años.

 

A smiling man holds a bowl of mole prepared with fair trade ingredients.
¡La familia de Sergio prepara su primer mole!

Aquí está la receta que utilizó Sergio:

 El Mole Secreto de la Familia

Norma Valdez es Gerente de Relaciones en la Oficina Regional del Suroeste de CRS en San Antonio, Texas. Probó la receta secreta familiar de su tía abuela, una herencia de cinco generaciones. Al igual que Sergio, Norma también utilizo Cocoa Horneado Orgánico y Almendras Naturales Orgánicas de Equal Exchange –  gran diferencia de los cacahuetes (mani) que exige la receta. Norma tiene instrucciones estrictas de no compartir su receta. ¡Es un secreto!

Pero ella compartió la historia:

Mi Tía Bessie fue querida por todos, muy de familia y amaba cocinar; nunca podrías ir a su casa sin comer. Aprendió esta receta mientras vivía con su bisabuela en Puebla, México.

Tía preparaba este mole para todas las ocasiones especiales, como bodas, bautizos, quinceañeras, eventos relacionados con la iglesia, al igual que lo hizo su bisabuela. La cantidad más pequeña que haría serían seis pollos enteros. Más tarde, cuando ella y mi Tío se jubilaron, comenzaron a hacer su mole para otras personas, pero cobraban. Protegía celosamente su receta porque había otra señora en el vecindario que también preparaba mole para ocasiones especiales  y cobraba.

Ella no le enseñaba a cualquiera como prepararlo. De hecho, no conozco a ningún miembro de la familia a quien ella le haya enseñado excepto a mí. Pero cuando vio que realmente me encantaba cocinar, e incluso tomé clases y cociné para ella, realmente quería que aprendiera a cocinar su mole.

Ella me dijo que cuando ella aprendio, era un evento de todo un día, porque tenían que preparar a las gallinas, es decir, matarlas y limpiarlas. A ella nunca le gustó esa parte, pero vivieron en una granja y en aquel entonces no había carnicerias como los que tenemos hoy.

Nunca antes había utilizado almendras- la receta de Tía exige cacahuetes (maní) – pero salió bien. No tan bueno como el de mi Tía Bessie, pero estuvo bien, incluso mi sobrino y mi sobrina que solo comen el mole de Tía Bessie estuvieron de acuerdo. El cacao también fue favorable en la receta. Utilice menos, porque era una buena calidad de cacao.

 

Norma y su madre están listas para comer.

¿Tienes una receta de mole favorita? ¿Alguna vez has intentado cocinar un plato especial con ingredientes de origen ético? ¡Cuéntanos en los comentarios!

Mole Poblano with a Fairly-Traded Twist

 

 

Pollo en Mole Poblano is a traditional Mexican dish of chicken simmered in a dark, spicy, chocolate-based sauce. This spring, Equal Exchange employees and our partners from Catholic Relief Services prepared three batches of mole — each slightly different — with fairly-traded and Organic ingredients. And the verdict was unanimous: ¡Que rico!

We love to cook almost as much as we love sharing stories. Read about our various mole journeys below. Then try out this authentic Mexican platillo in your own kitchen!

 (¡En español aqui!)

The Favorite-Cookbook Mole

Three employees in Equal Exchange aprons prepare mole with fair trade almonds and tomatos.
The EE kitchen team.

Here’s how to make our version:

 

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Pollo en Mole Poblano

EE worker-owners Sandy Davis, Kate Chess and Peter Buck teamed up to cook some mole in the kitchen at Equal Exchange’s Massachusetts headquarters. We used fairly traded Extreme Dark Chocolate, Natural Almonds and Palestinian Olive Oil. We referred to Peter’s much-used copy of Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz’s The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking, generously adapting Lambert’s delicious 50-year-old recipe to meet our needs.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Almonds, Chicken, Chili, Chocolate, Mole
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken breasts, or your favorite chicken pieces
  • 2 cups chicken stock, reserved from simmering
  • 3 Tbsp Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 14 dried chili peppers: 6 ancho, 4 pasilla, 4 mulata (or all ancho, if the others aren't available)
  • 2 medium onions
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound tomatoes
  • 1 cup Organic Natural Almonds
  • 1/2 cup Organic Flame Raisins
  • 1/2 Tbsp cloves
  • 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 Tbsp coriander seeds, ground
  • 1/2 tsp anise
  • 4 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2-3 sprigs coriander, fresh
  • 1 corn tortilla
  • 1.5 oz Organic Extreme Dark Chocolate

Instructions

  1. First, cover the chicken with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for an hour, drain and dry. Reserve two cups of the chicken stock. Heat Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a frying pan. Brown the chicken in the oil and put the pieces in a large casserole or dutch oven.

  2. While the chicken simmers, prepare and combine the ingredients for the sauce, starting with the dried chilies. Remove the stems and seeds, tear chilies into pieces and put them in a large bowl. Boil enough water to cover them. Pour the hot water over and soak them for about an hour.

  3. As the chilies soak, chop the onions and garlic. Peel, seed and chop the tomatoes. Blanch and peel the almonds. Combine the onions, garlic, tomatoes and almonds with half a cup of Equal Exchange Organic Flame Raisins (available in bulk at many natural food stores) and with the cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds,  anise, and two tablespoons of the sesame seeds. Add the fresh coriander and the torn-up corn tortilla. Use an electric blender to grind all the ingredients into a coarse purée.

  4. Now, cook the purée. Heat the oil again in the frying pan. Saute the purée in the hot oil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken stock you reserved when you cooked the chicken, along with the Organic Extreme Dark Chocolate (88% cacao). Stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted. The purée should now be thicker than heavy cream.

  5. Finally, pour the sauce over the chicken in the dutch oven and cook, covered, over the lowest possible heat, for 30 minutes. Sprinkle it with the remaining two tablespoons of sesame seeds and serve with tortillas and rice and beans.

¡Buen provecho!

We had a lot of fun making this dish and recommend collaborating on a complicated, multi-ingredient recipe as a bonding exercise! But how did it actually taste? Our coworker Scarlett de la Vega Ochoa said, “That’s good mole–and I’m from Puebla!”

 

The Mexican-American Millennial Mole

Sergio Lopez is a San Diego, California-based Relationship Manager in CRS’s West Regional Office. He tried a tasty mole recipe he found on the internet. Sergio used Equal Exchange’s Organic Natural Almonds and our high-quality, versatile Organic Baking Cocoa.

Here’s his story:

While my wife and I both grew up in Mexican households, we weren’t always taught how to cook the amazing comfort food of our childhoods. Part of our “adulting” journey has been reclaiming the delicious parts of our upbringing so that we can one day pass them on to our children and grandchildren.

In this spirit, we recently decided to give a fair trade twist to the traditional mole recipe. It was the first time either of us made the mole sauce from scratch and I’m glad to say that it didn’t disappoint! A half chicken smothered in a sauce of six different types of chilies, roasted vegetables, Equal Exchange Almonds, and Equal Exchange Baking Cocoa served with a bed of rice made for a delicious and ethical dish that we will be looking forward to sharing with family and friends for years to come.

A smiling man holds a bowl of mole prepared with fair trade ingredients.
Sergio’s family prepares their first mole!

 

Here’s the recipe Sergio used:

The Family Secret Mole

Norma Valdez is a Relationship Manager in CRS’s Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas. She tried her great aunt’s secret family recipe, handed down for five generations. Like Sergio, Norma also used Organic Baking Cocoa and Organic Natural Almonds from Equal Exchange — a big departure from the peanuts the recipe calls for. Norma is under strict instructions not to share her recipe. It’s a secret!

But she shared the story:

My Tía Bessie was loved by all, very family-oriented and loved to cook; you could never go to her house without eating. She learned this recipe while living with her great-grandmother in Puebla, Mexico.

Tia made this mole for all special occasions, such as weddings, baptisms, quinceñeras, church related events, just like her great-grandmother did. The smallest amount she would make was six whole chickens. Later on when she and my Tío retired, they started making her mole for other people, but charged for it. She guarded her recipe more closely because there was another lady in the neighborhood who also made mole for large occasions, and charged.

She wouldn’t teach just anyone how to make it. In fact, I don’t know any family member she taught this to except me. But when she saw that I really loved to cook, and even took classes and cooked for her, she really wanted me to learn how to cook her mole.

She told me that when she learned, it was a whole day event because they had to prepare the chickens, meaning kill them, and clean them. She never liked that part, but they lived out on a farm and back then there were no meat markets like what we have today.

I have never used almonds before—Tía’s recipe calls for peanuts—but it came out OK. Not as good as my Tia Bessie’s but it was good, even according to my nephew and niece who only eat Tía Bessie’s mole. The cocoa was also good in the recipe.  I used less, because it was a good quality of cocoa.

A younger woman and and older woman enjoy mole. A sign reads "Cocina de Norma."
Norma and her mother are ready to eat.

 

Do you have a favorite mole recipe? Have you ever tried cooking a special dish with ethically-sourced ingredients? Tell us about it in the comments!

 

On May Day, Help Change the Food System

Welcome to the Food Revolution.

Happy May Day! International Workers’ Day is near to our hearts here at Equal Exchange. After all, we’re one of the largest worker-owned co-operatives in the U.S., and May 1st is our birthday. There’s no one we’d rather celebrate with than YOU, our discerning customers and passionate advocates.

 

Why the Party?

Around the world, the first day of May is known as Labour Day or Workers’ Day. It’s a day for street demonstrations, speeches and parades. The holiday isn’t as well known here in the U.S. (where our less-radical Labor Day falls in September). But, in fact, the first May Day in history happened here in the U.S.

On May 1st, 1886, tens of thousands of people walked off their jobs to advocate for an 8-hour workday. In Chicago, the demonstrations began peacefully, but the size of the crowds swelled. A few days later protesters clashed with police in Haymarket Square, where an anonymous bombing led to a riot. Seven anarchists were later sentenced to death for “conspiracy,” though evidence showed that none of them had thrown the bomb.

A man shouts as a crowd of civilians and police officers with raised clubs flee an explosion.
A contemporary depiction of the Haymarket Riot from Harper’s Magazine.
Four years later, the Second International, an organization of socialist and labor parties, called for a coordinated international demonstration for workers everywhere to commemorate the Haymarket Affair and keep up the push for a shorter workday. Eventually they got it. And ever since, May Day has been a time to organize for a better world.

 

Spring to Life

May Day lines up with Beltane, a festival of fertility and rebirth. At this time of year, ancient Europeans would typically revel in the return of warmer weather with dances, singing and cake. After three back-to-back March nor’easters here at our Massachusetts headquarters, we’re totally feeling that!

May Day flowers growing in planters made from burlap coffee sacks printed with the Equal Exchange logo
The EE Green Team planted these flowers in old coffee bags!

Plus, here’s another reason for cake: 2018 marks Equal Exchange’s 32nd birthday. We, the Worker-Owners of EE, own our company. Unlike many players in the rapidly-consolidating natural food and specialty coffee industries, we’re not beholden to anyone but one another. And it’s going to stay that way.

Every May, at our Annual Meeting and Party, we celebrate co-op togetherness and think of the future.

 

Our Action Plan

Since the beginning, Equal Exchange has worked with farmer partners to create direct supply chains. Our goal of connecting consumers to small-scale, democratically-organized producers remains the same. But the food system around us has changed in the last thirty years. And not always in the ways we hoped to see.

More people than ever before recognize the concept of fair trade. That should be good news, and it is! But because of consumer demand, big business wants to buy a piece of the movement. When corporate conglomerates swallow up natural food companies, the foundational principles — democratic engagement and responsible sourcing — erode. These corporations mostly care about the name, slapping a “Fair Trade” seal on products that haven’t earned it. The challenges to Authentic Fair Trade are serious. Read more about them here.

But we can push back! We believe that customers’ involvement is invaluable, which is why we’re calling for citizen-consumers to join our movement. By learning together, we’ll all figure out the best strategies for action. In partnership with small-scale farmers, we’ll defy corporate control and build up a fair and sustainable supply chain that benefits both those who grow real food and those who eat it.

 

How Will You Celebrate This May Day?

We’re proud to commemorate 32 years together in the fight. We’ll never stop sharing our challenges, or our successes. As we go up against the big guys, enduring partnerships give us strength. And new strategies give us energy.

 

Join us to work for an evolving and inclusive food system!

Take part! Join the Action Forum!

Show Your Support! Put your money behind Authentic Fair Trade products!

Keep Learning! Sign up for the EE Newsletter!

 

A worker in a plaid shirt holds up a hand-lettered sign that reads "As a co-owner of EE, I want continued Rabble-Rousing from my Coop!"
Worker-Owner River Cook shares their goal for the co-op.

 

And another thing! We’re excited to announce that Equal Exchange is hosting two Summits this year — one in Easton, MA, down the street from our headquarters, and the other in Chicago! Join Action Forum Members, Equal Exchange worker-owners, and our farmer partners for two days of workshops, planning sessions, and celebration as we work together as a community to create positive change in our food system.

Want to attend one of the Summits? RSVP here!

Food for Thought: Hot Chocolate in Art

THE ART OF LUXURY

Do you love fine chocolate and cocoa? You’re in good company. Many powerful and discerning people — from Aztecs conquerors in the New World to the Holy Roman Emperor of the Old — were all about it! Men and women have enjoyed this marvelous substance for hundreds of years. And you can tell a lot about a society from the art it leaves behind. Long-ago chocoholics honored their favorite treat with pictures, statues, and beautifully decorated serving dishes.

 

Shop Chocolate & Cocoa >>

 

Chocolate for Health?

Mesoamericans began consuming chocolate as early as 500 B.C.E. Their craftspeople created special vessels to prepare and serve it. The Maya drank their chocolate unsweetened, as a paste formed of ground cacao seeds, water, and other ingredients like cornmeal and chili peppers. Some historians believe they consumed it for medicinal purposes. An artisan in around 400 C.E  made the lidded earthenware basin pictured below, in what is today Mexico or Guatemala. The basin would have held the cacao mixture.

Art: a brown earthenware vessel for chocolate with a human head on top of the lid.
Credit: Unknown Mayan artist. De Young Museum.

 

Drink of the Gods

Maya people identified chocolate drinks with their deities. In this fascinating scene, painted in Guatemala between 670–750 C.E., the ruler of the Maya underworld sits in state, wearing his owl-trimmed hat. Behind him, one of his female attendants spills out chocolate from a drinking cup. Mayans who prepared the beverage would froth it by pouring it back and forth from a pot to a vessel like the one on which the scene was painted!

Decoration shows a figure on a throne, the Maya god L, surrounded by his attendants.
Credit: Unknown Mayan artist. Princeton University Art Museum, gift of the Hans A. Widenmann, Class of 1918, and Dorothy Widenmann Foundation.

 

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Though Maya of all social classes enjoyed chocolate drinks, elite members of society served these preparations from large urns like the one below. Modeled cacao pods ring the edge, and a cacao tree forms the knob on top of the lid. Glyphs confirm the vessel’s function as a chocolate drinking-cup.  Nobles sometimes gave them as gifts to seal alliances.

This Maya lidded figure is ringed by molded cacao pods and has pictures that are difficult to make out etched into the side. The knob os a cacao tree.
Credit: Unknown Mayan artist. Stendahl Galleries, gift of John Bourne, 2009.

 

Pay Me in Chocolate

The Aztecs mixed their cacao with vanilla, and  drank it cold. After the Aztecs took over much of Mesoamerica, the rich reserved cacao beverages solely for themselves. In fact, in Aztec society, a person of low status drinking chocolate constituted a bad omen! Subject peoples even provided chocolate as tribute. So, it makes a lot of sense that chocolate would show up in Aztec art. Sometime between 1440 and 1521, an artisan crafted the statue below, which depicts a man carrying a cacao pod. The figure is made from volcanic stone.

Statue of an Aztec man with a neutral expression on his face. He carries a huge cacao pod in his arms. Over the years, his feet have broken off.
Credit: Unknown Aztec artist. The Brooklyn Museum.

 

The Latest Fashion

Chocolate traveled to Europe from the New World via its Spanish colonizers. Members of the court of Charles V became big fans. Because of its distant origin, chocolate was strictly a luxury item. By the 18th century, Europeans prepared and sipped from delicate porcelain cups, like this one. It was made around 1720.

White china cup resembles a tea cup, but has two handles and a lid as well as a saucer, all with a red floral pattern.
Credit: The Du Paquier factory, Austria. Gardiner Museum.

 

For Adults Only

By the time chocolate reached England, it was still a drink, but Europeans began to add milk and sugar to the mix. Because of its expense — and because it made children excitable — only grown folks drank it. This silver chocolate pot was crafted in 1714-1715 and has a hinged finial to admit a swizzle stick called a molinet, used to stir the chocolate. A similar pot bought by a diplomat in 1735 cost a staggering twenty pounds and eighteen shillings!

Elaborately molded silver pot has a spout, attached lid and a handle of a metal that looks like brass.
Credit: John Fawdery, England. The Victoria and Albert Museum, gift of Thomas Hugh Cobb.

 

Today

Chocolate has been delicious for centuries. Enjoy a modern version of this treat, rich with history. Equal Exchange sells a great powdered Baking Cocoa, as well as a traditional Hot Cocoa Mix, a decadent Dark Hot Chocolate Mix, and a more adventurous Spicy Hot Cocoa Mix with cinnamon and cayenne. And all four are always fairly traded and Organic!

If chocolate doesn’t show up in our art too much anymore … well, maybe that’s something we should reconsider!

 

A delicious mug of Organic fair trade hot chocolate, with whipped cream on top.

 

Did you enjoy this post? Add yourself to our bi-weekly Newsletter list!

 

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Haiku Challenge: Read the Winners

Happy National Poetry Month! And thanks to everyone who entered our recent social media Coffee Haiku Challenge. We savored all your responses, each and every delicious haiku! But since we promised #braggingrights to a select few, we’re reposting our favorites here (in no particular order).

Brew a cup of fairly-traded coffee and prepare to be impressed, because these haiku have many good qualities. We found them to be:

 

Inspirational

Sunrise breaks the night

Morning coffee breaks the fast

Fair Trade breaks the chains

Dick Dahle

Educational

Thanks to playful goats,

Coffee beans were discovered.

Every cup is joy.

Andrew Lyons

Picturesque

crimson hued cherries,

harvesters roasters abound,

blissful hot liquid

Danielle Kocinski

Whimsical

I am a do-nut. ?

You are a cup of coffee.☕️

Start your day with me.

Sears L Barnett Jr.

Comprehensive

Coffee, java, joe.

Cuppa, brew, octane go juice.

Life force from a bean.

Viki Matson

and

Relateable

I love my coffee

My coffee awakens me

My coffee loves me

Elizabeth McNeil

 

A warm thanks to every single poet who participated!  Read more Coffee Haiku here, or by searching for #eehaiku.

Want to stay up-to-date with the latest news and deals from Equal Exchange? Sign up for our bi-weekly emails, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

 

 

Are your Values Skipping Coffee Hour?

You’re part of a social justice-minded congregation.  You believe in the importance of choosing coffee that is ethically sourced and accounting for the hard work and risks that small-scale farmers take to produce organic, high-quality coffee.

So why is your congregation still brewing coffee from the big plastic tub after services? Or maybe they serve another “ethical” coffee from one of the big-box stores, because it’s convenient to pick it up when they buy other supplies.  They may not realize that they’re also supporting a corporation that isn’t 100% dedicated to changing our food system and that the non-organic coffee is grown using synthetic chemicals and pesticides.

We want to help you make a better choice.

Shop Organic Breakfast Blend >>

We’ve made it easier than ever before to make the jump and become a fully-committed congregation that only serves organic, fairly traded coffee every week.  If there were cost barriers that prevented your group from supporting Fair Trade in the past, you can serve our 12oz Organic Breakfast Blend, (our most popular blend!) for only $0.10 a cup!

It’s possible to have affordable, high quality coffee — along with peace of mind — because you’re helping farming families stay on their own land, educate their children, and improve their quality of life.

If you already serve our coffee on occasion, now you can serve it more often. Coffee that matches your values belongs at every gathering!

Free resources to promote the flavor of justice in your cup:

Reusable Airpot Labels tell your congregation that they’re drinking organic, fairly traded coffee. Stick them front and center on your coffee pot or carafe.

Our Coffee Hour Poster says, “it’s not just coffee, it’s solidarity.” Announce to members and guests that your church has proudly made the commitment to serving 100% fairly-traded products!

Table Signs  give you multiple opportunities to show that you serve coffee from small-scale farmers and it changes lives. You can even put them next to the coffee pot to advertise that you offer bags of this delicious coffee for sale too!

Message the change using our customizable e- bulletin announcement or paper bulletin insert.

You can also show or share short videos that explain why fair trade matters.

serving Equal Exchange coffee at coffee hour

You don’t just have to take our word for it. Read why Bethesda Lutheran Church serves Equal Exchange coffee and how they’ve made it work well for everyone, on our blog.

Keep the switch simple and sustainable with these five tips for serving fairer coffee.

Five Steps to Serving Fairer Coffee

Your Coffee Can Be Fair and Delicious!

With organic and fair trade coffees so reasonably priced, there’s no reason not to brew ethically sourced coffee for every meeting, gathering and event. Start serving today with these five tips — we break it down for you!

At church, a volunteer lines up cups to be filled with organic coffee.

  1. Let the Coffee Pay for Itself

You won’t find a better price for fresh-roasted gourmet-quality coffee that’s fairly traded and Organic-certified. It’s just about 10 cents per serving, so covering the cost is easy. Consider asking folks to contribute pocket change when they pour themselves a cup!

Do you sell Fair Trade items at cost? Consider rounding up to the next dollar, and use the profits to pay for coffee to brew and serve.

  1. Order YOUR Way

Ordering coffee shouldn’t be a chore. Our speedy web store is easy to browse on your computer or smartphone.

Do you miss the personal connection? Our customer service team is happy to answer your questions and process telephone orders from 9-5 EST, Monday-Friday. Give us a call at 774-776-7366.

  1. Set Up a Reminder

Some groups order a new case when they open the last bag. It’s simple to remember!

Others keep track of how many pots they brew in a given month, and use that information to estimate when they’ll need more. Once you know how often to order, write a note to future-you in your agenda or on your calendar. Or set a digital reminder that repeats. That way, you’ll never go dry!

  1. Get Help!

Sometimes, you need a little help from your friends! Get members of your group excited about Fair Trade coffee by using our Fair Trade Talking Points and free educational resources. Many hands make light work.

Ordering and serving Equal Exchange coffee can also be a meaningful way for youth to contribute at your club, school or church. Consider getting them involved.

A woman and a teen girl laugh together as they sip mugs of organic coffee.

  1. Spread the Good News

It’s time to let people know! If you’ve ever sold our packaged coffee at a holiday sale or used Equal Exchange for a fundraiser, your community already knows how good fair trade coffee tastes! Broadcast the news by putting up signs, by sharing pamphlets, and by using Airpot Labels to show that you’re proudly brewing Equal Exchange coffee. All these materials are free! Find everything you need here, or call Customer Service at 774-776-7366.

A cup of hot organic coffe with a napkin, spoon and bag of Organic Breakfast Blend.

Extraordinary Coordinators at Bethesda Lutheran

by Diana Renn of Bethesda Lutheran in Eugene, Oregon

At our church, Fair Trade represents justice and equality.  Every time we make a purchase, we can choose whether the implications of this purchase are equal or just. When I look in a cup of Fair Trade coffee, I see a farmer overcoming poverty, her daughter attending school, her son visiting a medical clinic, and her community benefiting.

Sunday fellowship between services is a BIG deal at Bethesda Lutheran. A full spread of treats accompanies Fair Trade tea, organic Fellowship Blend coffee (made in a percolator with clear instructions on how much coffee), Decaf pillow packs, and Fair Trade sugar packets. In addition to an annual coffee budget, we set out donation baskets asking for a suggested $1.00 a month per person donation.

Pillow Packs have been a game-changer at Bethesda. Volunteers used to skimp on the amount of coffee they used. When placing my first order with Equal Exchange, Phil in Customer Service, recommended the pre-measured pillow packs. Just open the packet, pour it into the filter, and, voila! Twelve cups of coffee, brewed perfectly, every time. Both Decaf and Regular pillow packs sit next to the coffee maker so that no matter who makes the coffee, it tastes the same. Now, the comments we hear are “I love this coffee!”

We feature a Fair Trade sale every second Sunday with a display of coffee, tea, and chocolate bars. We have also added local Fair Trade Coffee Blossom honey. Whenever we introduce a new product, we make sure to serve samples. Our newest addition is Sisters’ Blend coffee. A budget-minded church member has recently come over to the “Fair Trade side” with Sisters’ Blend! She loves the taste and also that we’re helping coffee farmers.

Bethesda Lutheran fully embraces the Fair Trade mission in all that we do. We regularly remind the members of that mission through a bulletin board and newsletter articles. By serving Fair Trade products and offering them for members’ use, Bethesda remains consistently in the top 5% of faith-based users of Equal Exchange products.

What’s in your cup of coffee?

Smiling, Diana Renn stands against a cement wall in a blue dress with sun in her blond hair.

Our Quality is Top-Notch

At Equal Exchange, our concern for the quality of small-scale producers’ lives is matched only by our attention to the quality of our finished coffee. From farmers to cuppers, we’re professionals. And every choice we make contributes to the exceptional character of Equal Exchange coffees. We’re proud of how good our brews taste. And we want you to know about it!

Cultivation

Yes, Equal Exchange’s Authentic Fair Trade model makes a positive impact on small scale farmers’ livelihoods and on the health of the earth. But it also improves our finished coffee’s quality! EE coffee buyers communicate regularly with producers. Because we’ve built these direct and longstanding relationships, we stay up-to-date about growing conditions that may affect the beans. Our partners grow on land that they control, so they have a vested interest in using sustainable and organic methods, avoiding chemicals, and keeping the soil rich for many years to come. Agronomists within the farmer co-ops bring specialized technical training to bear. And the cooperative structure encourages farmers to share information about cultivation practices that improve harvest and yield.

Sourcing

In the coffee industry, international buyers dominate conversations about quality, too often leaving producers in the cold. The people who grow coffee for other companies might not know how much their crop is worth on the market or how they can produce better coffee. Our model is different! Equal Exchange works directly with producers to communicate our expectations. We pay bonuses – higher still than the high floor price for Fair Trade – when product is especially excellent.  We promote opportunities for producers to learn sensory analysis techniques. This knowledge enables farmers themselves to make minute adjustments as they grow and process their crops.

Roasting

Equal Exchange’s worker-owned coffee roasting operation is the largest in the U.S., with two machines in use. The members of our production team have a unique skill-set – they’re scientists of coffee as well as artists. Roasters observe the precise times and temperatures that keep our coffees consistent. But they also analyze on the fly, making adjustments when needed, with a goal of bringing out the innate qualities of the green bean – balancing acidity with sweetness, accentuating certain flavor notes, or enhancing mouthfeel. Roasters check each batch of coffee with a ColorTrack Laser Color Analyzer — using a rating system common across the specialty coffee industry — to scientifically test the classification of the roast. Our machines fire five days a week, which ensures the freshness of the coffee we ship out.

 

Cupping

Cupping is the analysis of a coffee based on its sensory qualities — its aroma, taste, mouthfeel, cleanliness and balance, as well as our Quality Control testers’ general impression. Our QC team cups coffee every day in an on-site lab here at our headquarters. They prepare multiple uniform samples of the coffees to be assessed, measuring out freshly-ground coffee and steeping it in water that’s just under the boiling point. Each cupper appraises the aroma of the wet and dry samples, taking meticulous notes. They also aspirate, or slurp from a spoon, in order to fully experience the flavor of the brewed coffee. Equal Exchange cups three times – a sample before import, another sample when the coffee arrives in Massachusetts, and a sample of each batch after roasting. We use internationally-recognized cupping standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

Learn more about cupping!

Proof of Our Quality

We’ve been in the business for over three decades. Our scrupulous standards ensure that the flavor profiles of our coffees are always on point and that the roasts are consistent. Equal Exchange hosts quality seminars and our worker-owners attend specialty coffee industry events whenever we can. Our gourmet blends and single origins appear on many top-coffee lists – and they’re endorsed by discerning coffee lovers like you!

Our coffee tastes better … because it IS better

Can one coffee be fairly-traded, Organic AND gourmet quality? We say yes! Each of us takes pride in doing our part to bring expertise, attention to detail and love to every cup!