Coffee

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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Coffee plants are grown in huge volumes in many parts of the world. The plant is cultivated in more than seventy countries, many of them warm climate countries, including Indonesia and Brazil, who are two of the world’s biggest coffee producers. The plants are most often grown in areas lying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Other coffee plant growing areas include Africa, Central America, and India.

Although the plants are grown all over the world, the cultivation is pretty much the same process in each country, and can be a very complex process. There are two main species of coffee plants, which are known as the Arabica and the Robusta. They are small, evergreen trees, and the cultivation of coffee plants take place on plantations. The process of cultivating the plant can be labor intensive, with the amount of work needed depending on the method of farming used. This fact makes coffee cultivation more suitable for developing nations lying around the equatorial regions of the world. Coffee plants usually require temperatures that range from 15-24C without any severe fluctuations.

Coffee grows best on fields that are well drained and well aerated with deep soils, and the plants require a large supply of oxygen to provide to their root systems. Their need for large amounts of oxygen is the reason why aerated soils are the best for the cultivation and growing of coffee. The plants also require 1500mm to 2000mm of rainfall annually to provide the best results. If the rainfall is below the ideal mark then the deficit must be provided with additional moisture through irrigation means. For a higher quality of coffee, it is best to cultivate the plants at higher altitudes with an abundance of mist and clouds. The higher altitudes provide lower oxygen content, so the coffee plants take longer to mature, which helps development better flavor within the coffee beans.

Coffee trees require constant special attention from the farmer. These plants require a specific amount of shaded sunlight, regular watering and fertilizing. They must also be protected from pests and weeds to ensure they yield the best and the most coffee beans. Coffee flowers take approximately six to eight weeks to blossom, and the period the flower takes to blossom then harvest may last as long as nine months, depending on environmental and other factors. The red fruits of the coffee tree take six to eight months to ripen after the tree begins to bear fruit. Regular harvesting is required because coffee plant fruits may become over ripe after ten to fourteen days.

The fruits are often hand-picked in mountainous regions of the world, instead of using mechanical harvesters. Coffee beans are found in the fruits of the coffee plant, and are also hand-picked by manual laborers. The manual laborers must learn how to pick the best beans and discard bad beans, which requires the laborers to have much skill in that area. The hand-pickers must provide special attention to each bean, and must perform a thorough evaluation. After harvesting and picking the coffee beans must be processed, which is drying and roasting to make them ready for fresh grounding. The cultivation and growing process may be long and complicated, but it is a process that is the same throughout the world, it is needed to provide the best quality of coffee to consumers, and is necessary to give the best yield of coffee to growers.

Many of the different coffee harvests from around the world are often blended with one another in an endeavour to obtain the best flavor for the consumer, of course this is a different flavor for different roasters, what is a beautiful coffee for some is bitter to others and vice versa.

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Author: Heather Richards
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee is an integral part of my family. We’ve had disputes, and discussions settled over coffee. Sometimes we have bargains and agreements done over coffee. In demonstrable fact coffee has given our family time to slow down and simply catch up.

With coffee so ever famous, it’s no wonder that it’s become a business life blood. Some companies even charge up to $5 for a cup, and yet people are still buying. All the benefits, all the wonder and taste but we have never really asked about the coffee bean to whom we have much to thank for.

Coffee Beans through the Years

A lot of people consider coffee a friend, and a shoulder to lean on. The coffee bean has many secrets which we as firm patrons of its fruits have yet to explore. It’s come a long way from its humble origins; the coffee bean has had many travels. Did you know that the lowly coffee bean was first venerated for its curative properties? The bean is also brewed for religious meditation purposes.

Coffee comes from berry producing trees encountered in the Middle East. The berry itself looks a lot like a very small cherry, red and agreeable. The berries are edible, they are considerably sweet. Each berry contains two locules, enclosed inside are the beans which is the cash crop. The coffee tree cannot tolerate frost or extremely cold weather that is why it is generally found on regions where there is ample sun and rain.

The coffee tree used to be a source for a tisane, where in the fruits, flowers and leaves where boiled in water, kind of like tea.

“Coffee beans, botanically inaccurate, are the seeds of the coffee plants”

It was the Arabs, who innovated upon the idea of making drinking coffee by roasting the dried coffee bean.

The Coffee Bean Travels

The story is that a Moslem stole some coffee beans from a farm in Arabia and brought them to his home in India. There he planted the coffee bean one by one and made it flourish, supplying one – third of India’s coffee produce.

From Arabia to India, word spread of the deliciously enchanting and aromatic coffee. Soon the French and the Dutch became enamored of the coffee bean as well. In their desire to produce the bewitching brew; the French brought coffee to Dijon ( a region in France ) unfortunately the coffee tree is not adept to cold weather, so the whole crop was wasted. The Dutch however was a lot cleverer. They planted the coffee seeds in Java where it thrived and became a reliable crop.

Even the famed King Louie XIV, who is captivated by coffee had a tree shipped to Paris, and built a Greenhouse especially for the Noble Tree. That same coffee tree is the fore bearer of the trees found in the South and Central America today.

There are 50 types of coffee trees in the world today. But only three are acknowledged to produce the best coffee bean of all time. No matter who you are, or where you’re from – have a quiet moment, enjoy a cup and let your mind wander.

Are you seeing the same recycled information on every website you visit? Try http://www.thecoffeebeansource.com for fresh information!

Author: Michael Patrick
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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The social beverage of the world, coffee, is by far one of the most satisfying addictions one can have. That aroma of a fresh brewed cup of coffee can awaken the senses like nothing else. That first sip of sweet espresso or well made Turkish coffee can entice even the most devout coffee hater. Not any old coffee will drive men to tears over its savory goodness.

Choosing the right coffee blend is an art form. You can compare it to those who choose wines for gourmet dinners. Coffee is no different. Following are several tips to help you on the way to finding great coffee.

1. Do yourself a favor and avoid buying name brand coffee. All that you are doing is helping them pay for their substantial marketing machine.

2. Look for local roasters. They take great pride in their coffee beans and the roasting process. You may find a gem.

3. Roasting is one of the keys to a great coffee. Light roasts typically go way of being acidic in flavor. Dark roasts are more bitter and “full” or “medium” roasts are balanced between the two.

4. The higher quality coffee lends themselves to distinct flavors and sweetness regardless if they are dark roasts, medium or light roasts. A good bean roasted lightly will still be sweet with a touch of bitterness whereas a good bean dark roasted will be akin to a desert that contains nuts.

5. People like to think that certain countries produce different types of coffee. The best coffees produced tend to be suited to darker or lighter roasted coffees. Light to dark the countries are: Central America, South America and Caribbean, Africa and then finishing up with Indonesia and India.

6. Use coffee beans roasted for less than ten days prior. Older beans will simply taste like boring, unsweetened cocoa.

7. Grind your coffee beans minutes before actually brewing. This will give you the height of flavor and substance in your morning cup and make those gourmet coffee recipes shine above and beyond.

Arabica vs. Robusta

When you buy coffee at a Starbucks or online you will generally be buying Arabica coffee beans. Purchasing from a deli (typically an Italian-run one) will be a blend known as Robusta. Robusta is a bitter coffee with twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans.

Arabica is the choice of gourmet coffee drinkers all over the world. It is a subtle flavor that is sweet and nutty, but pleasant. Robusta is simply just too bitter and is really your grandfather’s blend and should be avoided for social coffee drinking.

All of this information is for naught if you do not get yourself a quality coffee maker in order to brew your favorite beverage. One-cup coffee makers are great because they keep your coffee fresh by the cup with no sitting around to get stale and lifeless. Espresso makers with milk steamers are great if you wish to experiment with your coffee. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a machine either. Go with the best that fits your budget.

Paul is a regular contributor to Coffee Maker Review is an informational website for Coffee Machines ratings and reviews, and provides information to the coffee club [http://coffee-club.org]

Author: Paul Simon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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