The Story of Coffee
<scroll down to read about coffees and their production>
The Harvest
The production of coffee begins long before it ever reaches the cup. It begins with the soil, climate, altitude, and the tree. The tree must be four or five years old before it will produce it's fruit known as a cherry. Inside the cherry lie two seeds, the beans, lying with their flat sides together. There are two types of coffee trees that are grown, the coffea arabica which is gourmet coffee, and coffea robusta. Robusta beans can be grown at lower altitudes and are more disease resistant. They are typically used in commercial grade coffee, and contain more caffeine and acid. Arabica beans total ten to fifteen percent of the coffee produced. They must grow at higher altitudes and require a bit more care. The reward is that they provide a better flavor and aroma with less acid. Coffee is still picked by hand because the cherries that are on the same branch will ripen at their individual rate.
The Preparation
Once the cherries are picked they can be processed one of two ways to remove the skin and the meat from the pit. There is the dry method, and the wet. In the dry method, the berries are sun dried or dried in a dryer. Then the berries are mechanically removed, leaving only the pits, which is what we know as the coffee bean. Some coffees are washed, which means that the pit and the fruit become separated after soaking. After the husks have been removed, the beans are sorted by hand into different grades which are usually judged by their width, size and appearance. The coffee is then bagged in burlap bags and are ready to be shipped out for roasting.
Roasting
The unroasted coffee bean is small and solid, with a light green or light brown color. During the roasting process, the bean becomes large, dark and less dense. The longer the bean is roasted the larger and more oily it becomes. Not all coffees will respond the same way. Soft beans will darken quicker. The espresso roast is the darkest roast. It is where the beans are roasted to where they are almost burned. The bean is dark brown with a wet look to it. This is because it is caramelized. French roast is a well known darker roast for coffee beans. It is caramelized completely but not quite charred. This degree of roast will give you that dark roast bite to any coffee, even robusta beans. Dark roasts when done with good stock can be quite satisfying, however some have been introduced to dark roasts of poor quality and mistakenly acquaint the bitterness of the bean with the roast. Dark roasts have a particular roasted flavor that I affectionately refer to as "the dark roast char".
Hard and Soft Bean
When coffee is grown at higher altitudes the cherry ripens slowly and the pit is very hard when harvested. This is known as "hard bean". Hard beans will have more acidity (that's a good thing) and more flavor in general. Soft beans are grown at lower altitudes. The fruit ripens rather quickly, and the beans are more porous and mild.
Coffees of the World
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN grown coffees hold a smooth flavor, medium body, clean finish, and pleasant substantial earthiness. The highest grade of Central and South American coffees is Supremo.
Jamaican coffee is known world wide, especially the famed Blue Mountain. It is significantly higher in price due to the smallness of the crop and government intervention. It's flavor as a whole is compared to the finest Colombians, yet it is said to have the perfect balance of all characteristics of the cup. It's full body, intriguing smoothness, and lingering richness has deemed it a classic, the ideal cup.
INDONESIAN grown coffees tend to hold a significant richness, a full body with a low toned, lively acidity.
Java: Estate coffees of Java are among the best and well known around the world. This ancient crop consistently yields a clean, smooth, well balanced cup. It holds true to the Indonesian charm, being full bodied and rich. That it is unique with a smoky twist that lurks in the acidity. It's complexity offers a surprisingly quick, clean finish that compliments it's richness beautifully.
AFRICAN coffees tend to be full bodied with a earthiness that isn't loud but articulate and dry. They are known for vibrant winy tones against hardy richness. The grades of African coffees may be depicted by letters such as A or B. The finest being AA.
Ethiopian: The original coffee trees grew in the arid mountain regions of Arabia and Ethiopia, and grow there still just as they did when coffee was first discovered. The coffee is grown on small farms and is harvested and prepared by traditional means.
Mocha: Grown in Yemen it is the oldest coffee in the world. This is the source crop for the world. It is full in body, with a distinct richness that is said to have chocolaty undertones. Mocha coffee is named after the old port that is was shipped out of. Because of the estranged chocolaty phenomenon surrounding it, people began asking their coffee like Mocha meaning, with chocolate. Do not confuse the Cafe Mocha, which is a chocolate flavored latte with the Yemen grown Mocha beans.
HAWAII grows great mellow smooth rich full bodied, coffee typically with a sweet clean finish. Though coffee is not native to this region, the volcano slopes of Hawaii provide perfect growing conditions. The environment provides well drained soil and consistent moisture, and a haze that protects the trees from harsh direct sunlight. Such ideal conditions ensure a quality that is powerfully aromatic. The best Hawaiian grown coffee is from Kona. Hawaiian grades are known as Extra fancy, being the highest, Fancy, Number one, and Prime.
Brewing
I worked many years at a gourmet roaster's in house coffee shop as a barista and clerk. I always found humor in the things that were said in the quaint little shop, and for about a month wrote the things I heard. I tacked up a piece of paper on the tack board in the back room and titled it: "The Remembrance List of Funny Things People Say". So here it is, in all it's glory! Enjoy.
Remembrance List of Funny Things People have Said
"Is Ethiopian coffee really from Ethiopia?"
"...and then I had to go belly dancing, and that's why I'm dressed like this."
"Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks."
"I'll have a mocha latte, ...and one of those cafe mochas also."
"She's not drinking, she's driving."
"Hey, what d'ya guys do with all of your tips at the end of the day, ...buy yourselves a cup of coffee and call it even?"
"I'll have a pound of eXpresso, groundED."
"Fix me up something wicked."
A clerk hands a customer a cup of coffee and asks, "Would you like that in a bag?"
"I can buy this because my x-wife won't be in town until next Thursday. . . ."
"Are there actually cinnamon sticky buns inside the coffee pot?"
"Does this little thing know how to make my drink?"
"I don't like tea because when ever I boil it, it tastes bitter."
"I would like an I.V. hook up to the coffee."
"I like to keep it in my car for the smell."
"Do you have instant coffee available?" The clerk replies, "No, we sell only real coffee here."
copyright Familiar Studios 2003