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What
is coffee? Coffee is the seed of a cherry
from a tree, which grows from sea level to
approximately 6,000 feet, in a narrow
subtropical belt around the world.
Coffee
trees are an evergreen and grow to heights
of 20 feet. To simplify harvesting, the
trees are pruned to 8 to 10 feet.
Coffee
cherries ripen at different times, so they
are predominantly picked by hand. It takes
approximately 2,000 Arabica cherries to
produce just one pound of roasted coffee.
Since each cherry contains two beans, your
one pound of coffee is derived from 4,000
coffee beans.
The
average coffee tree only produces one to
two pounds of roasted coffee per
year, and
takes four to five years to produce its
first crop.
The
coffee plant first produces delicate
clusters of white blossoms, resembling
jasmine in
shape and scent. These blossoms last only
a few days. Small green coffee
cherries then
begin to appear and ripen to yellow...
red... and finally almost black, within
six to nine
months.
Once
the coffee cherries are picked, they are
transported for processing. The fruit
is then
removed from the seed by one of two
methods. The natural or dry
process, where
the cherries are dried in the sun or in
dryers, and the fruit is then
separated from
the bean by processing them through a
mechanical husker. Or, by a
superior soaking
method know as the wet process, which
produces beans which are referred
to as
washed coffees.
The
green beans are then dried, sized, sorted,
graded and selected, usually all by
hand.
The beans are then bagged and are ready
for shipment to local roasters
around the
world. Few products we use require so much
in terms of human effort.
The
two commercially significant species of
coffee beans are: coffea arabica,
and coffea
robusta.
Arabica
beans grow best at altitudes over 3,000
feet. This species produces
superior quality
coffees, which possess the greatest flavor
and aromatic characteristics. They
typically
contain half the caffeine of the robusta
beans. Arabica production
represents 80%
of the world's coffee trade, however, only
10% of this meets speciality
coffeestandards.
Robusta
beans are usually grown at lower
elevations. Robusta trees are easier
to grow,
produce higher yields, and are more
disease resistant than the arabica
species. Robusta
beans usually possess a woody, astringent
flavor. They are used when a
lower
price or additional caffeine is desired. A
small percentage is typically added
to many
Italian espresso blends for the additional
crema and complexity they contribute.
In
addition to the species of the coffee,
many other factors contribute to the
overall quality
of the green beans. Seed stock, plantation
location, soil composition,
altitude, weather
conditions, fertilization, cultivation,
harvesting, and processing methods, will
all have
a dramatic influence on the finished
product.
After
quality coffee beans are obtained, the
most important phase of the production of
gourmet coffee begins, the roasting and
the blending.
A
good roaster must be part artist, and part
scientist, to maintain quality and
consistency. It is during the roasting
process that the sugars and other
carbohydrates within the bean become
caramelized, creating a substance which is
known as the coffee oil. Technically, this
fragile chemical is not actually an oil
(since it is water soluble), but it is
what gives the coffee its flavor and
aroma.
Specialty
coffees are generally roasted in small
batches. The two most common roasting
methods are: drum-roasting and hot-air
roasting.
Drum-type
roasting machines roast the coffee beans
as they tumble in a rotating drum that is
typically heated by gas or wood.
When
the desired roast is achieved, the beans
are poured into a cooling hopper to keep
them from overcooking.
The
hot-air roaster, also known as a fluid-bed
roaster, roasts the coffee beans as they
tumble on a current of hot air.
Most
green coffee is roasted at approximately
400 degrees. The roasting process causes
the coffee beans to swell and increase in
size by over 50%, while at the same time
greatly reducing their weight.
A
lightly roasted bean may range in color
from cinnamon to a light chocolate tan.
Lighter roasts are generally not used for
espresso since they produce a sharper,
more acidic taste than do darker roasts.
Darker
roasts, in contrast, have a fuller flavor
approaching a bittersweet tang. The amount
of oil drawn to the surface of the bean
increases proportionately to the length of
roasting time.
As
the roast darkens, caffeine and acidity
decrease proportionately. Dark roasts can
range in color from a medium chocolate
brown with a satin-like luster, to an
almost black bean with an oily appearance.
The darker the roast the more you will
taste the char, rather than the flavor of
the bean.
Extreme
dark roasts will tend to have a smoky
flavor, and are better suited for brewed
coffee rather than espresso.
Many
roasters refer to the following terms
concerning the degree of roast, from light
to dark: Cinnamon, Medium High, City, Full
City, French, and finally, Espresso or
Italian roast.
On
the West coast of the U.S., French roast
is the term generally used to describe the
darkest roast. It is important for you to
understand that these terms have no
relationship to where the coffee is grown
or roasted.
With
more than 100 coffee-growing regions in
the world, each producing beans with
distinctive characteristics, we believe
proper blending is essential to the
balance of flavors necessary to create
superior espresso.
A
single coffee bean will generally not
possess the complexity necessary for great
espresso. Many espresso blends will
contain three to seven different types of
beans.
The
experienced roaster, with his knowledge of
each bean, artfully combines them to
create the desired blend of flavors. The
roaster's blending knowledge is usually a
closely guarded secret.
In
the United States, 100% Arabica beans are
generally used for gourmet espresso
blends. As we mentioned earlier, in Italy,
some robusta beans will often times be
added for the additional crema, caffeine,
and complexity they contribute to the
blend. The Italians possess generations of
expertise in the art of blending coffees
for espresso.
Argument
still exists among roasters as to which
should occur first, the roasting or the
blending. Generally, roasting each
varietal separately to maximize its flavor
characteristics, and then blending, will
produce the best result.
Freshly
roasted beans will release hundreds of
chemical substances in the form of vapors.
A day or two will generally be required
for these gases to dissipate before the
beans will reveal their optimal flavor
characteristics.
Today,
many quality roasters like the Honduras
Coffee Company are packaging their beans
in air tight bags with a one way valve,
which allows the gases to escape, without
the beans being exposed to the damaging
air. This type of packaged should help
retard flavor deterioration.
If
beans are not packaged this way, or once
beans packaged air tight are exposed to
the air, they will begin to deteriorate.
Roasts where oils are exposed on the
surface of the bean are much more
vulnerable.
Once
exposed to the air, and if properly
stored, beans will stay reasonable fresh
for 7 to 10 days. We recommend storing
beans in a clean, dry, air-tight
container, in a cool dark place.
We
do not recommend storing beans in a
refrigerator, because coffee tends to
absorb flavors. Freezing coffee beans can
also have a damaging effect, and is not
recommended, unless the the beans must be
stored for a prolonged period of time.
Ideally,
you should strive to purchase and use-up
your supply of roasted beans on a weekly
basis. (excerpted from coffeeuniverse.com
)
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