Coffee

Although it is just south of the birthplace – Ethiopia – of coffee, coffee cultivation did not begin in Kenya until the late 19th century apparently under the direction of missionaries. The British, though, significantly ramped up production around the turn of the century. Today, Kenyan coffee production is known for its network of small farms and mills.   More than 6 million Kenyans are said to be employed in the coffee industry. A cooperative system has evolved over the years with at its core an open auction system.   This auction system may be what has allowed Kenyan coffee to maintain its highly regarded quality. 

There is some confusion among drinkers about the much sought after “AA” designation of Kenyan coffee.   The “AA” is not a type of coffee per se, but rather the label refers to the size of the bean itself.   The Coffee Board of Kenya has established a grading system based on the size and form of the bean.   Coffees assigned the grade “AA” are generally the largest bean. The grading scale, from largest to smallest, is AA, AB, PB, C, E, TT and T. One reason quality is often remarked to coincide with the size of the bean is the higher oil content of larger beans.  Kenyan AA beans also are cultivated from the premium Arabica coffee plants, rather than the less flavorful Robusta coffee plants.

After the beans are milled, the coffee is graded according to size.   Samples from each lot are then provided to licensed exporters, who then bid on each lot according to their own evaluations. Weekly auctions are held in downtown Nairobi.  The open, transparent system wherein the highest bidder obtains the lot reinforces a positive price-quality relationship – that is, the best quality yields a higher price. 

Of course, the quality of Kenyan coffee is not based solely on its exporting infrastructure. The quality must originate in the cultivation process. For certain, Kenya has rich, acidic volcanic soil where the coffee is grown at altitudes ranging between 5,000 and 7000 feet above sea level. Production is concentrated on the high plateaus that surround 17,000-foot Mount Kenya.   Here the climate is moderate throughout the year along with a relatively consistent rainfall patterns. Kenya has invested in researching the best cultivation techniques and even the smallest farmer is likely to be knowledgeable about coffee production. 

Premium Kenyan coffee beans – in particular, AA beans – are universally wet processed. The cherry surrounding the bean is removed and then the beans are submerged in a water tank. In the water tank, a natural fermentation process breaks down the cherry residue left on the bean. The final parchment layer is then removed after the beans have been dried by hulling.

So what should you expect from a cup of Kenyan coffee?  While it generally is classified as medium bodied coffee, Kenyan coffee packs an intense flavor and enticing aroma. Multi-faceted in taste a premium Kenyan coffee enthralls with fruit dimensions ranging from citrus to berry along with noted wine-toned acidity. It is a rare Kenyan cup that will leave the drinker with an unpleasant aftertaste.

The next time you are seeking a quality coffee, remember to try the king of African coffees – Kenyan AA. 

Joe Jefferson is the resident coffee expert at World Trader Coffee, which is proud to offer online a fine Kenyan AA coffee as well as a full selection of African coffees.

Author: Joe Jefferson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Lets suppose you want to sell coffee beans or an electric bean grinder, the smart place to market your particular coffee products is the ebay auction site. Coffee products for whatever reason sell very well on ebay, the thing is to follow a few basic rules and it could be that you end up selling coffee products longterm.

The most important thing is you must know the prices for coffee items and connected food and drink goods, the ideal location to check prices would be the many niche food and drink magazines or websites that also deal with coffee and drink products. If you have no idea as to what to sell your coffee merchandise for then you are very likely to make a loss.

To sell ebay you must first list the item, lets say its a Green Coffee product, it is fairly easy to estimate a cost level for this specific coffee merchandise. then you need to take a digital photo and load it with your ad, most of the best ebay secret books will tell you to set your coffee product on some kind of red backdrop, something like red velvet is ideal, why would you do this? you see its a well known fact that products like antique coffee pots and also antique coffee machines will stand out more if this backdrop trick is used, the more buyers who discover your products the more chance there is the bidding will be greater.

The next trick to marketing your coffee or merchandise on ebay is this, when you are marketing these types of goods you should always list a sizeable amount of keywords, you should not merely list a Kenyan Coffee blend or coffee roaster [ depending on what coffee items you are wishing to sell ], you should list a whole mass of products. What you should really do is list all the large brand names that are connected with coffee products and as many related products as you possibly can, coffee cups, Coffee Tea Sets, list any coffee related item that people could possibly be looking for on ebay.

Yet another secret when selling goods on the ebay auction site is this, spelling errors can lead to huge amounts of cash when auctioning coffee, a lot of bidders are terrible spellers and may will very often misspell words, this is especially the case with coffee company brands and makers trademarks. In essence what this means is that if you were to place a Colombian Organic pack or italian coffee pot with a few missing letters or a few misspellings then you could certainly attract some extra bidders, this then could add to the success of your auction session and could even get you a higher fee at auction.

This advice is not just relevant to coffee items it also relates to any product connected to the area of food and drink, you must though remember the main points and you never know, you might just become a full time coffee seller with the assistance of ebay and also make yourself a decent profit.

The Free Secret coffee report by Carol Hansonly the author of this article can be found at : http://www.bjcoffee.com

Author: John Gauge
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Everyday, people all over the world wake up to the invigorating experience of the exceptional beverage called coffee. The popularity of coffee can be judged by the fact that its consumption amounts to about a third of that of tap water in North America and Europe. Most gourmet coffee brands are beyond the reach of the common masses and are marketed exclusively to the affluent.

It includes the likes of Hacienda la Esmeralda Geisha grown in Panama which recently sold at an auction for $50.25 per pound creating a record in the process. What is it that makes a truly great cup of gourmet coffee? Is it the bean, the blend, or the roast? Actually, it’s all of these factors and many more. The price of a coffee brand is not decided just by its quality, but also by the romance or exclusivity of their origins.

Some varieties of gourmet coffees like the Guatemala coffee excel in their blend and are often referred to as gourmet blend coffee. Some coffee products stand out on account of their origins like the Hawaii coffee, Brazilian coffee, Sumatra coffee and the very famous java coffee. There are also coffee brands that supply the particularly exacting customer who has specific demands for decaffeinated, low acid coffee or kosher coffee blends. The exclusivity and quality of coffee is also influenced by the coffee roast adopted by the gourmet coffee blender. Darker roast styles are preferred by some veteran gourmet coffee connoisseurs.

The coffee market is very different today than it was half a century ago. During the early part of the past century, a few small coffee roasters managed to obtain high-quality beans for select high profile markets. But most coffee was sold in cans, and consumers were more concerned with price and consistency than taste, so premier coffee was simply blended away.

But, today after the coffee sector surged in the ’90s, great coffee beans are now making a journey directly from crop to cup. Coffee roasters buy beans directly from the farmers for a premium that encourages them to improve their growing methods and produce superior beans. The beans are carefully transported and roasted before being sold to the connoisseurs.

The most exclusive gourmet coffee brand is the Kopi Luwak from Indonesia which retails at about $160 per pound. It is mainly composed of coffee beans eaten and digested by palm civets. The palm civets use their acute sense of smell to select the best and ripest coffee beans to eat. During digestion the flesh of the coffee berries disintegrate exposing the rich beans which are then collected manually from the forest floor.

Another elite coffee brand is El Injerto from Huehuetenango, Guatemala which generated $25 per pound green at auction. This boutique lot of coffee by El Injerto, which was specially prepared for the Cup of Excellence auction won the first prize in that auction. This coffee expected to retail for more than $50 per pound, after it has gone through the roasting process.

Yauco Selecto AA from Puerto Rico is another great brand. Grown in the Yauco region represented a standard of excellence in coffee production. This coffee brand is known for its mild flavor.

It is obvious that gourmet coffee makes for a great gourmet food gift. As the so called coffee baskets and gourmet gift baskets flood the market, it is essential for a true connoisseur to know the difference between the real coffee and a meaningless ‘gourmet’ label on the packaging as a marketing gimmick. But, as with every other calling, being a true connoisseur of gourmet coffee calls for knowledge, experience and a great insatiable love for coffee.

Saman Rashid is an experienced writer. She has been writing articles and web copies since 3 years. To contact her, kindly visit http://www.mscopywriters.com

Author: Saman Rashid
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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