Mersin produces locust bean coffee
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Anatolia News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 11, 2009 00:00
MERSİN - The locust bean, known for its many attributes, such as being an aphrodisiac, keeping cholesterol in check, helping bone growth in children and preventing osteolysis in the elderly is also popular in the food industry and consumers in its flour form.
Mehmet Ali Öztürk, general manager of a firm from Mersin Tarsus Organized Industrial Site, spoke to the Anatolian News Agency and said Turkey was the fourth country to cultivate locust beans in the world.
Öztürk said Turkey undertakes 10 percent of the world’s cultivation and in recent years, flour was being manufactured from locust beans alongside its known commercial formats, such as fruit, syrup and nectar.
Locust bean flour is in demand by manufacturers of bakery products and the chocolate industry, as it tastes like cocoa, according to the general manager, who also added its most recent use was as instant coffee.
Öztürk said the flour was being manufactured hygienically using traditional windmills, without adding caffeine, cholesterol building products or gluten to it. "People suffering from Celiac Disease are sensitive to gluten found in wheat, barley, rye and avena, therefore, they have to keep away from bread, pasta, cake, pastries and biscuits. However, they can consume products baked with locust bean flour without a problem."
No caffeine
Öztürk also said locust bean flour featured natural sugar, "Instant coffee includes caffeine, oil and (industrial) sugar which make it unfavorable among people on diets and by diabetics but as locust bean flour includes none of these ingredients, it is in demand." Öztürk said nowadays people care more about their health, therefore, locust bean flour may replace instant coffee in the future.
Öztürk also said they were exporting locust bean flour they had manufactured to Great Britain, the United States and the Middle East.
Öztürk said Turkey undertakes 10 percent of the world’s cultivation and in recent years, flour was being manufactured from locust beans alongside its known commercial formats, such as fruit, syrup and nectar.
Locust bean flour is in demand by manufacturers of bakery products and the chocolate industry, as it tastes like cocoa, according to the general manager, who also added its most recent use was as instant coffee.
Öztürk said the flour was being manufactured hygienically using traditional windmills, without adding caffeine, cholesterol building products or gluten to it. "People suffering from Celiac Disease are sensitive to gluten found in wheat, barley, rye and avena, therefore, they have to keep away from bread, pasta, cake, pastries and biscuits. However, they can consume products baked with locust bean flour without a problem."
No caffeine
Öztürk also said locust bean flour featured natural sugar, "Instant coffee includes caffeine, oil and (industrial) sugar which make it unfavorable among people on diets and by diabetics but as locust bean flour includes none of these ingredients, it is in demand." Öztürk said nowadays people care more about their health, therefore, locust bean flour may replace instant coffee in the future.
Öztürk also said they were exporting locust bean flour they had manufactured to Great Britain, the United States and the Middle East.