Coffee
Coffee is a widely consumed and highly popular beverage prepared from roasted seeds or beans of the coffee plant. It has been suggested that Coffee has been consumed as early as the 9th century when it appeared in modern day Ethiopia. The two most commonly grown species of the coffee plant are Coffea canephora and C. Arabica, which are cultivated in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Types of Coffee
Today there are many different types of coffee that are widely available. Many people refer to the difference in bean colour, taste and appearance. Below are some of the more popular and widely available coffee variants:
- American (Regular) roast: beans are medium-roasted, resulting in a moderate brew, no too light or too heavy in flavour.
- French roast and dark French roast: heavily-roasted beans, a deep chocolate brown which produces a stronger coffee.
- Italian Roast: glossy, brown-black, strongly flavoured, used for espresso.
- European Roast: 2/3s heavy-roast beans blended with 1/3 regular-roast.
- Instant Coffee: a powder made of heat-dried freshly brewed coffee.
- Freeze-dried coffee: a powder made of heat-dried freshly brewed coffee.
- Decaffeinated Coffee: caffeine is removed from the beans before roasting via the use of a chemical solvent (which disappears completely when the beans are roasted) or the Swiss water process which steams the beans and then scrapes off the caffeine-laden outer layers.
History of Coffee
For many years there has been heated debate and discussion regarding the origins of coffee. The English word Coffee was in actual fact derived from the Italian word Caffe. It is believed that as early as the 10th Century, coffee was enjoyed by Ethiopian highlanders, and slowly made its way into northern Africa with the Arab influence on the market. From here it gradually became a popular beverage in the whole of Africa, Asia and eventually Europe and elsewhere.
Coffee itself has had a large bearing on the Islamic society. Dating back as long as a thousand years ago, coffee was a popular alternative to drinking alcohol, which is prohibited. This proved to be the pinnacle in its popularity, when coffee was consumed mainly in Africa. It has been said that coffee was first brought to Italy, explaining the origins of the name. Venetian trader would often exchange trade with the Arab traders who brought over Coffee from Egypt and North Africa. The first European coffee house opened in 1645.
Regions of Coffee
Throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries, Brazil remained the largest producer for coffee. However this leading edge over all other coffee producers slowly spread to Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela and Vietnam. Vietnam is now one of the largest mass producers of Robusta coffee.
How its made
The most desirable coffee is grown in altitudes of around 3000 feet. The altitude has an adverse effect on the elegance and complexity of the flavours in the coffee cherries from where the beans are found. The fruit must be hand-picked.
The outer pulp and parchment of the coffee cherry are removed to reveal two beans, which are then cleaned, dried, graded and hand-inspected. The beans range in colour from pale green when raw, to a dark rich brown. They are exported in their raw state for roasting, blending and grinding at their final destination. Most commercial companies use primarily C. Robusta and C. Arabica in their blends.
How to enjoy!
First and foremost coffee must be ground and brewed well in order to enjoy the full taste that the beverage has to offer. Coffee is usually sold in its ground form, or sometimes, (as is the case for instant coffee) it is powdered. The grounding takes place usually at the roastery, but connoisseurs rather do it themselves!
The easiest way of enjoying a cup of coffee is to add ground coffee to boiling water in a French Press, and then pushing down at the last moment. For the convenience of consumers, many more popular methods have now been adopted. Through the use of drip machines such as percolators and automatic coffee-makers, the coffee is brewed using gravity.
In a percolator, the water flows through and absorbs the coffee and its essences, then drips out into the cup below, purely under gravity. Many people tend to use the French Press, as this opens up the variety of coffee that they can enjoy. Fresh ground coffee should be stored in a cool dark place, or even a fridge.
