# Coffee as food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [May 7, 2026, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897 "2026-05-07T19:55:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/21 "2026-05-08T12:23:43Z")
Thanks! I’ll definitely give a coffee ground rub a try. I bet it’d be great on a beef brisket. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/22 "2026-05-08T12:28:02Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Do you use actual ground up coffee beans, or instant coffee granules? It seems like actual grounds would add an unpleasant gritty texture. Maybe the cooking process softens the grounds up. Straight-up ground coffee; never had any complaints about the texture, but let me know what you think if you try it! ETA: didn’t see see **pulykamell** also stepped in with a similar response! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/23 "2026-05-08T12:32:02Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > let me know what you think if you try it! Will do, thanks! Marinades using leftover liquid coffee sound like a great idea too. I’ve heard of making redeye gravy with leftover coffee, but I never think to save the leftover coffee from the pot to do so. This is turning into a tasty thread! ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/24 "2026-05-08T14:07:01Z")
Coffee adds an interesting twist to mole sauce. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/25 "2026-05-08T17:15:22Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > one of the upscale delis around here often has thick steaks marinated in what’s billed as a “coffee marinade”. I don’t know what the recipe is but it’s not a dry rub and I doubt they use coffee grounds – it’s a thick marinade with a strong coffee flavour. Can’t remember if they use it on rib steak or striploin, but it really does make a beautiful steak on the grill! I’m sure a bit of Googling will turn up numerous coffee marinade recipes for steak. Here’s a recipe I found that looks like it might make a similar marinade. The main ingredients are brewed black coffee (I would use cold-brew coffee for a stronger but more mellow flavour), Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and black pepper. I might consider adding red wine in addition to, or instead of, the balsamic. > **[Coffee Marinated Steak](https://grillinwithdad.com/2022/07/coffee-marinated-steak/)** > > Change up a classic recipe and try something different. Grilled a coffee marinated steak. It's the perfect marriage. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/26 "2026-05-08T17:43:50Z")
I don’t like coffee at all but I don’t mind adding a bit of it to a chocolate cake recipe to make it like, _deep-voice chocolate_. When I was staying at my mom’s while she was recuperating from a surgery, she always had coffee left over so I made a random chocolate-cake-with-coffee recipe and it was great! Especially with a lighter whipped frosting. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/27 "2026-05-08T17:47:32Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Here’s a recipe I found that looks like it might make a similar marinade. The main ingredients are brewed black coffee (I would use cold-brew coffee for a stronger but more mellow flavour), Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and black pepper. I might consider adding red wine in addition to, or instead of, the balsamic. That marinade recipe sounds great. I’d substitute red wine, or red wine vinegar, for balsamic vinegar too. Never been a big fan of the balsamic. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/28 "2026-05-08T18:35:51Z")
Cheese rubbed with espresso. Tried it once, but wasn’t very impressed. > **[Espresso BellaVitano®](https://shop.sartoricheese.com/products/espresso-bellavitano?srsltid=AfmBOopdRRfTXol_qbUT3qyvzIk4BRXVvNdxCTDT-AzebtujUyN9iEZ5)** > > Espresso and cheese is the bold flavor pairing you’ve been missing. Taste Notes: Creamy cheese hand-rubbed with our freshly-roasted espresso. Delicious any time of day. The rind is meant to be eaten and is part of the tasting experience! ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/29 "2026-05-08T19:29:52Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@Kron](#): > > > > Equal volumes Lawry’s seasoned salt, granulated sugar, and coffee grounds. Rub on meat; cook; enjoy. > > I’m always looking for new BBQ tips and tricks. so I find your rub interesting. Do you use actual ground up coffee beans, or instant coffee granules? It seems like actual grounds would add an unpleasant gritty texture. Maybe the cooking process softens the grounds up. I used Trader Joe’s Coffee rub and found it pleasing, and it was in stores last time I checked, but it’s apparently seasonal. Here’s a [copycat recipe](https://www.southernliving.com/copycat-trader-joes-coffee-seasoning-11820795). - 1/4 cup ground coffee (medium to coarsely ground) - 2 Tbsp. brown sugar - 2 Tbsp. garlic powder - 2 Tbsp. onion powder - 2 tsp. cayenne pepper (can be adjusted to your spice preference) - 2 Tbsp. paprika - 1 Tbsp. ground cumin - 1 Tbsp. salt Of course, I’d turn UP most of those flavors, and sub _smoked_ paprika or a sharp, but that’s me. > [@solost](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > Not specifically, but one of the upscale delis around here often has thick steaks marinated in what’s billed as a “coffee marinade”. I don’t know what the recipe is but it’s not a dry rub and I doubt they use coffee grounds – it’s a thick marinade with a strong coffee flavour. Can’t remember if they use it on rib steak or striploin, but it really does make a beautiful steak on the grill! > > And this! Almost missed this one. I’m going to have to start saving the little bit of coffee left in the pot every morning. I find this works better with (duh) higher quality coffee. I have also found that marinating beef in a strong and/or smoked _tea_ is an amazing option as well. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Coffee adds an interesting twist to mole sauce. Agreed, I linked to a coffee mole in post #10. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/30 "2026-05-09T15:31:03Z")
isn’t there a tea-smoked chicken or duck in Chinese (?) cuisine? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/31 "2026-05-09T17:25:06Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > isn’t there a tea-smoked chicken or duck in Chinese (?) cuisine? - Yes, and they’re both delicious. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/32 "2026-05-14T13:02:56Z")
How old are you? I am edging to 70 y/o and mocha has always meant coffee and chocolate. Maybe it was a regional thing? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/33 "2026-05-14T14:28:22Z")
I used to work at a restaurant/catering place and our signature dessert was called boule de neige (snowball). Our version was a flourless chocolate cake, with a good amount of coffee mixed in, scooped with a full sized ice cream scoop onto a plate, then covered in whipped cream. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/34 "2026-05-14T14:34:10Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > anyone else know of coffee being used in cooking? I am not sure if this counts, but I have had, in an upmarket Indonesian mall coffee shop, an avocado cappuccino. It was not bad, just very weird. But I ordered it because I was a tourist and seeking out the weird. It was very green. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/35 "2026-05-14T16:06:18Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > How old are you? I am edging to 70 y/o and mocha has always meant coffee and chocolate. Maybe it was a regional thing?  Very old (no later than 1960s?) pastry display photo, Mocha cake, lower right: [![](https://i.imgur.com/rNqOHNM.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/rNqOHNM.jpeg) Not regional, just a relic. You’re mostly right. Mocha (Mokha) is a city in Yemen noted for coffee exporting, and that’s why the name Mocha originally referred to coffee. Mocha Java coffee beans were said to have chocolatey notes, so that’s how the chocolate/coffee thing is thought to have originated. I don’t know exactly when the shift happened, though google suggests 1700s - 1900s. I certainly had mocha lattes in the late 1970s that included chocolate. But the classical desserts retained the original names with the original meaning of mocha = coffee. I had them growing up, and made them in the 1980s in pastry school and bakeries. Lenôtre’s Desserts and Pastries, 1977 ed., Mocha Cake: [![](https://i.imgur.com/RONMwol.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/RONMwol.jpeg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/5or0tLt.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/5or0tLt.jpeg) Better Homes & Garden New Cookbook 1968, Mocha Chiffon Cake: [![](https://i.imgur.com/LKlwAAG.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/LKlwAAG.jpeg) -needscoffee, ex-pasrty chef ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/36 "2026-05-14T18:49:54Z")
I was around in the 1960’s but wasnt drinking coffee.In my vicinity it has always meant chocolate and coffee. Learn new things all the time. A. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897/37 "2026-05-14T23:40:26Z")
I’m not sure if this regional or more widespread, but it’s common in Southern California for the donut shops to add coffee to their standard maple icing. Coffee is nowhere in the description, but you can taste it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-as-food/1029897.md?page=1)