Coffee

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. The coffee plant, known as Arabica, first grew in the Ethiopian region called Kaffa. Ethiopians call coffee ?bun? or ?buni.?

Ethiopian coffee is available from various regions today, some of it comes dry-processed, some comes washed. The differences between the dry-processed varieties and the washed varieties are significant. In brief, the washed version exhibits the characteristics of a lighter-body and less earthy notes in the flavor and aroma. The dry-processed varieties are wilder, more earthy, and fuller-bodied coffees.

Ethiopian variety

Coffees from Ethiopian are typically characterized as having some of the most unique flavors in the world. They are very fascinating and complex coffee beans, grown in coffee’s most natural environment. Also, coffee originating from different Ethiopian regions vary greatly.

It is widely believed that the coffees grown in lower regions or middle regions are the better coffees. Ethiopia also has a large variety of organically grown coffees and these are probably some of the best certified organic coffee beans in the world.

The three main regions of coffee production in Ethiopia are: the Harrar region, the Ghimbi region and the Sidamo or Yirgacheffe region.

Dry-processed Ethiopian beans

The coffee beans grown in the Harrar region are grown on small coffee producing farms on the eastern area of Ethiopia. Harrar coffee is dry-processed. These coffees have very specific labels, for example, the larger beans are the longberry beans, the smaller are called shortberry, and there is also the Mocha bean.

Ethiopian coffee is known for its strong and dry character. It has a druity acidity, much like wine. And best of all, a rich and pungent aroma with a heavy body. If you focus on a good brew, you will no doubt taste the blueberry or blackberry aromatic overtones. Coincidently, Harrar coffee beans are often used for espresso, because the pungent aromatic are much desired in the espresso’s crema or froth.

Washed coffees

The washed coffees that are produced in Ethiopia come from the Ghimbi and Yirgacheffe regions in the west of the country. These Ghimbi beans tend to have a more balanced flavor with a heavier body and a taste that seems to last much longer than the dry-processed variety.

On the other hand, it seems that the Yirgacheffee bean, with is grown in the southern part of Ethiopia, is especially favored amongst Westerners. That’s probably because it is a milder coffee, exhibits fruity overtones, and is brilliantly aromatic. This coffee is often referred to as Sidamo, which is the region from which it originates.

Brewing the perfect cup

As with all coffees, the raw product is just as important as the process of brewing. You’ll know you’ve brewed the perfect cup of Ethiopia coffee if you’ve chosen the bean to your liking and the level of roast is to your taste. But when it comes to the perfect cup of Ethiopian, it is not just about taste, but smell also. Close your eyes and focus on the smell. You will be transported to place of origin, to Ethiopia, where coffee was born.

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Author: Samantha Evans
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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With so many wide and varied coffee producing regions throughout the world it is hard to know what to expect when you buy a coffee from these places. Some of regions rely on small independent farmers to produce the coffee other regions are run by the multinational companies. We are well aware of how famous Java is in the world of coffee, it has now become a second name for coffee. But there a many less well known regions that are producing some of the most outstanding coffee in the world, These beans get their unique flavours and aromas from the way they are grown and processed, for instance some regions in the Americas grown their coffee in the shade, while other prefer their beans to be grown on the slopes of mountains. To name and describe ever region of coffee producing world would take a little longer than I can afford, but they can be broken down into the main regions so you get a general overview of what to expect of the coffees from these regions.

The Americas.

The largest and most diverse of all the regions, coffee is produced from the Caribbean all the way through south and central America and as far as Hawaii. Most of these coffees can be described as having a well balance and medium bodied flavours, because of these characteristics many of the coffees from the Americas are perfect from bending with other strong more acidic coffee verities. Some other well known characteristics of these coffees are chocolaty and nutty tones. Probably the most famous of all the American coffee’s are the kona coffee produced on the slopes of the volcanic Hawaiian mountains and the blue mountain coffee of Jamaica which is the highest mountain in the Caribbean.

Africa and the Middles East.

With Ethiopia being the birth place of coffee Africa has a long history with the Coffee bean and some of the most famous coffees have their origin in African and the Middle East, Mocha Coffee got it’s name from a port in Yemen. Coffee from these regions will always remain popular with each region having its own unique flavours and aromas and this is mostly down to the wide variety of climates from the desert like regions of the Middle East to the tropical regions of the Cameroon and Kenya. Even though there are many different varieties of African coffee you are always assured of a wonderful cup of coffee.

Asia And Indonesia

Almost 75% of all the coffee beans produced in this region come from the Canephora plant, with the remainder produced from the Arabica plant, The tropical and sub-tropical climates of these regions make the ideal conditions for growing some of the world’s finest coffee beans. In general these coffees are low in acidity with a full body and distinctive aromatic flavours of earthy tones. Because the beans are low in acidity with a strong body they are often used in a blend with a milder coffee usually from Africa or the Americas. Some of the most well loved of all the Asian coffee’s are the monsooned malabar coffee produced in India. This is one of the most unique coffees in the world as the beans are left in open sheds though out the monsoon season. This imparts a wonderful unique flavour to the beans. Another famous coffee is Kapal Api which produced on the Indonesian island of Java and in the past 80 it has grown to be a world famous brand.

As you can see that the choice and variety of coffee today is endless, and if you decide to roast your own green Coffee beans not only will have the freshest cup of coffee imaginable but you can also begin to experiment with different blends of coffee from around the world.

Author: Robert T Jones
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A high quality delivered coffee for a business coffee service requires a minimal roast to delivery time frame. Whether the roaster is office coffee provider or just the supplier, the product must be roasted, packaged and delivered within days, not weeks.

The problem with most services available to businesses is that the product delivered for a vending coffee is often quite lengthy. To preserve the characteristics defined in this article, the time from roaster to business consumer must be within two to seven days. This time frame enables a reasonable consumption period where the coffee’s unique taste characteristics are preserved.

For the novice coffee drinker, there are four primary taste profiles described and categorized for Specialty Arabica gourmet office coffee. These include: Acidity, Aroma, Body and Flavor. Flavor can be further broken down into Balance, Range, Complexity, Richness and Finish.

Acidity

The measure of a coffee’s acidity is different from the use of the word typically associated with food products. In coffee acidity is a positive trait that is a measure of the acid content after brewing. A proper level of acidity will give a level of tartness that gives the coffee a pleasant result when in the proper balance with the beans natural sweetness. Because of the consumer’s negative association with the word acidity, this characteristic in coffee is often described using terms that include brightness, sharpness, briskness and dryness.

Aroma

The pleasant aroma that is enjoyed by consumers of high quality gourmet office coffee is a result of the gasses being released during the brewing process. The various aromas are described as spicy, fruity, floral, earthy and herby. It is the combination of characteristics that will enhance the coffee’s ultimate aroma.

Body

This characteristic is a result of the texture as experience in the mouth. You can easily notice the thickness of the body, which can include more undesirable variations that include gritty or oily in the brewed coffee. Because of various preferences, you can find office coffees that have very full, full, medium or light body.
Blends usually result in the best overall quality as highly desirable aromatic coffees can often be light in body, while full bodied coffees can often have more bitter qualities. With the right combinations of roast profiles and quantities, very unique results can be achieved by the master roaster.

Flavor

It is only after the brewed coffee is in the mouth is flavor experienced. This is the true measure of a quality gourmet office coffee. The combination of acidity, body and aroma comes together to give the coffee lover a unique experience for that specific coffee as compared to any other.

Descriptions of a coffee’s flavor vary widely, but the basic terms include: Balance, Complexity, richness and range.

Balance measures the levels of characteristics compared with each other.

Complexity measures or reveals the more unexpected nuances of the sensations and flavor during drinking.

Richness measures the levels of body, aroma and flavor experienced by the consumer.

Range relates to the range of flavors that expose themselves in the mouth.

The aftertaste is what is referred to as “finish” in coffee tasting circles. These are the characteristics that are experienced after the coffee is swallowed. This sensation can be very pleasant as when there is a fruity, spicy or chocolaty aftertaste, or very unpleasant when there is a bitter taste or what is called in the industry a “cow shed” taste.

The Master Roaster is much like a chef who must account for all of the possible characteristics that will please the consumer of the product. A high quality office coffee service roaster is just as critical to providing high quality business coffee to our nation’s business community.

Author, Steve Josephs is a marketing consultant and CEO of Intellidon Marketing Solutions, whose family office coffee service business, the Great American Coffee Company, http://www.GourmetOfficeCoffee.com, is a premier Specialty coffee roaster and office coffee service provider in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan business community.

Copyright 2009 The Great American Coffee Company and Intellidon Marketing Solutions, Inc.

All rights reserved. Reprints are permissible when this Copyright statement and website link are included.

Author: Steve Josephs
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In this the fourth article in our series on world coffees we discuss the coffees from Africa and the Middle East.

ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is the true birthplace of coffee. The original coffee plant originated here as well the first brew. Ethiopia today is the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world growing mainly the best arabicas. Ethiopian dry-processed coffee (Harrar), tends to be medium-bodied and strongly acidic with fruity, winy tones. The best wet-processed coffee (Yirgacheffe) is light-bodied and has distinctive floral and citrus notes. Dry processed ‘Djimah’ is a popular bean that a exhibits medicinal taste. ‘Ghimbi’ is a wet-processed bean from western Ethiopia. Limu is the market name for a well-respected fragrant, floral and fruit-toned wet-processed coffee from south-central Ethiopia.

UGANDA

As the 11th largest producer of coffee in the world, Uganda has some fine arabica coffees which display the much favoured winy acidity and other desirable flavour characteristics of the best East African coffees. About 90% of the coffees produced are of the robusta variety, which are mainly used for blending and in the manufacture of instant soluble coffee. ‘Bugishu’ coffee from the slopes of Mount Elgon is the best known coffee from Uganda.

IVORY COAST

As the third largest producer of coffee on the African continent, the Ivory Coast grows mainly rich and strong robustas used in soluble coffee production.

TANZANIA

Tanzania produces mostly robusta coffees much of it grown on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro from which these Kilimanjaro coffees get their name. Some arabicas are grown further south in the country the best known of which is ‘Mbeya’ coffee. The best coffees from Tanzania have a full body and rich flavour, with classic acidy that make them resemble the best coffees of neighbouring Kenya.

CAMEROON

Due to its high altitude, rich volcanic soils and ample rainfall coffees from Cameroon are of good quality. They are full-bodied flavour with a well-rounded finish with chocolate characteristics.

KENYA

Kenya produces excellent quality Arabica coffees that are renowned for their consistent high quality. Although mainly produced by smallholders the harvested beans are pooled and processed under strict conditions by the Coffee Board of Kenya. The beans are carefully graded by the board into categories. PB or peaberry is considered the best, followed by AA, A and B. The peaberry plant only produces a single bean, rather than the usual ‘split’ bean found in all other varieties. Kenyan coffees have deep winy acidity with subtle fruit and berry tones.

MADAGASCAR

The island of Madagascar produces over 700,000 bags of coffee per year of both robusta and Arabica varieties. It’s most celebrated coffee ‘Kouillou’ has a highly distinctive flavour and is rated very highly by the French.

YEMEN

The name ‘Mocha’ often synonymous with coffee comes from the Yemen port of the same name, which was used as a main trading point for coffee beans. Yemeni beans are known for their rich, winy, aroma and strong chocolate tones.

For more information about coffee and coffee making equipment visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk

Author: Fenton Wayne
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In this article we discuss the coffees from the Central American region.

Mexican Coffee

Mexico is the seventh largest coffee producer in the world, most of which is of the arabica variety from the southern part of the country, where it is grown by smallholders and sold on to the National co-operative.

Vera Cruz State, on the gulf side of the central mountain range, produces mostly lowland coffees, but coffees called Altura (High) Coatepec, from a mountainous region near the city of that name, have an excellent reputation.

Chiapas and Tapachula coffee is grown in the mountains of the southeastern most corner of Mexico near the border with Guatemala and has a delicate light flavour similar to the well-known Oaxaca.
Primo Lavado (prime washed) is a grade of Mexico coffee that includes most of its’ finest.
Mexico is also the worlds’ main source of maragogype beans, which are extra large and some experts consider produce the very best coffee.

Guatemalan Coffee

As the second largest producer in Central America (and 8th in the world) Guatemala is another main source of the maragogype bean.

The best Guatemalan coffees have a very distinct, spicy, and (when dark roasted), display a unique smoky flavour that sets them apart from all other coffees. They are very acidy, with the spiciness or smokiness coming across as within the acidy tones, and are medium to full in body and rich in flavour.

High grown beans (Strictly Hard Bean) grade coffees(such as Antigua) from the central highlands tend to have a rich, spicy or floral acidity with excellent body characteristic. Coffees from mountainous areas exposed to either Pacific or Caribbean weather, display a bit less acidity and more fruit.

Honduran Coffee

Honduran arabica coffee is ninth of world’s leading coffee producers, yet most of it is fairly undistinguished and is mainly used as a blending coffee.

Excellent coffees are grown here, but most are blended before export. Beans are named after the growing regions, including Santa Barbara, as well as Copan, Ocotepeque, Lempira, La Paz and El Paraiso.

Costa Rican Coffee

Costa Rica only produces high quality arabica coffee that display a full body and clean, robust acidity that makes it among the most revered of all Central American coffee.

It is grown primarily in the countryside surrounding the capital, San Jose, on rich, well-drained volcanic soil above 3000 feet.

The most famous coffees are San Marcos de Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia, and Alajuela. La Minita is a well-publicized estate in the Tarrazu district of Costa Rica that produces an excellent coffee – reputed to be the most meticulously prepared in the world.

Nicaraguan Coffee

Situated between Honduras and Costa Rica, the coffees of Nicaragua display a characteristic more of the former than of the latter. They are coffees in the classic Central-American style but usually undistinguished – being medium-bodied, straightforwardly acidy, with reasonable flavour.

El Salvadorian Coffee

Despite being the smallest country on the American continent, El Salvador ranks 15th in world coffee production. This hasn’t always been the case, as political problems have regularly beset this densely populated country.

Arabica coffees from El Salvador are generally less acidic and softer than other coffees from the Central American region. The best high-grown coffees are from trees of the Bourbon and Pacamara varieties and the taste can be fragrant and complex.

Strictly High-Grown is the highest grade of El Salvador coffee.

Look out for my other articles in this series on the coffee growing regions of the world.

For more information about coffee and coffee making equipment visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk

Author: Fenton Wayne
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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