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Introduction to Coffee
Although most consumers only see coffee in its ready-to-brew, bean form, it is worth mentioning that those beans are first attached to a fruit that grows on trees that are affected by seasonality and harvest cycles. While it is today grown in regions around the world, coffee originally hails from Ethiopia. In fact, many believe the phrase ‘coffee bean’ can be traced Back to two Ethiopian words—’bun’ for coffee and ‘Kaffa’ for the region in which the Arabica bean is both indigenous and ubiquitous. It is said that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia in the 11th century. When blended with water, it was believed that the mythical fruit had medicinal qualities. Traders and seafarers helped coffee spread first to the Arabian Peninsula, then to Europe, and eventually to North America. By the middle of the 19th century, coffee became one of the world’s most valuable and important commodities.
Unroasted coffee beans are known as ’green coffee. The shrub on which the coffee fruit sits grows in tropical climates with unique varietals found in Hawaii, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and East Africa. Each of these regions’ geographic conditions and unique cultivation traditions influence the beans’ flavor once roasted, producing sophisticated nuances and an endless number of taste profiles.
Coffee grows best under temperate conditions—generally 10 degrees above and below the equator. Most coffee plants grow better at lower altitudes, but high-altitude beans have unique flavor profiles and noteworthy characteristics. Most generally, they have a more concentrated flavor as the challenging climate forces plants to spend more energy developing seeds. After 3-4 years, the trees begin to bear fruit and are ready for harvest.
Introduction to Coffee
After coffee is harvested and exported, it arrives at a roastery. Roasting is dictated by a recipe, which affects the ultimate flavor profile of the coffee once it is brewed. Expert roasters contend that the ultimate goal is to finish with coffee beans that are sweet, but touched with some savory and bitter notes. This is a difficult balance to reach and requires years of experience and practice. Note that roasting changes the color of the coffee beans. They turn from green to yellow and ultimately to the shades of brown that most expect when thinking of coffee beans. Darker shading usually dictates a stronger flavor. Thus, darker beans tend to taste more toasted and stronger than lighter roasts.
Introduction to Coffee
What does it mean to designate a strain of coffee organic? For a coffee to be certified organic, each element of its production chain from farm to shipping must be inspected. Requirements range from sustainable water irrigation to non-chemical cleaning supplies and the use of non-GMO seeds. It is an arduous and strict process that commands a significant investment on the part of the farmer and constant rounds of inspection. Although not all farmers choose to officially certify their coffee organic, there is today new emphasis on single origin strains that are cultivated in hyper-local small batches. This coffee might also be called fair trade, which designates that those who labor to pick and grow the beans are treated fairly and paid appropriately.