Coffee

Whether enjoyed steaming hot, or blended with ice; whether it is a morning necessity or an occasional treat, coffee has been a universally consumed drink since the ninth century in Ethiopia. Once the plant was discovered, it spread throughout the world like a wildfire. It was used for religious ceremonies, as medicine, and was soon to become part of the average person’s routine. Over the centuries, the brewing process has changed and been perfected, and the varieties and flavors of coffee have grown immensely. But what has stayed the same throughout these years is the underlying, unique flavor of coffee and the world’s general love for it.

The history of coffee can be traced back to as early as ninth century Ethiopia. Legend has it that the first to discover coffee were shepherds, who noticed an increased liveliness in their goats when they consumed a certain berry. Coffee spread to Egypt and Yemen from Ethiopia. By the fifteenth century, it had permeated the entire Middle East and northern Africa. This drink became incredibly popular in the Islamic Empire, where wine was prohibited. Initially, it was only used by Arab Sufi monks to rouse them through their nights of prayer, but it gradually became available and in demand of the general public. Arabia held a monopoly on the coffee plant until 1650, when it was broken by an Indian pilgrim named Baba Budan. Baba is said to have smuggled seven coffee beans out of Arabia, which were grown in Southern India. The offspring of these coffee trees are still being cultivated to this day. From the Muslim world, coffee was brought to Italy, where it gradually moved throughout Europe.

Modern brewing techniques are said to have begun in fifteenth century Arabia, and have been honed and fine-tuned with newer technologies to the complex brewing process in use today. After coffee berries ripen and are ready for harvest, they are hand picked and then processed (the flesh of the berry removed). Then, the beans are fermented to remove a slimy layer still coating the seed, known as mucilage. After fermentation, the beans may or may not be washed with large amounts of water to eliminate the residue from the fermentation process, depending on the brand of coffee. At this point, they are known as green coffee beans. Coffee may be bought green, but all coffee is roasted before consumption. There are different grades of roasting, depending on the time spent on the roast. Darker roasts contain less fiber, and are therefore smoother, while lighter roasts are generally bitterer due to an increased caffeine level. However, lighter roasts contain more aromatic flavors, which are eliminated in further levels of roasting. The different grades are light, cinnamon, medium, high, city, full city, French, and Italian.

Studies show that when it comes to the nutritious value of coffee, there are actually more benefits than risks. Various studies demonstrate that drinking coffee reduces the risk of several chronic and life-threatening diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. Recent research by Finnish and Swedish scientist has shown that middle-age, moderate coffee drinkers (those who drink three to five cups per day) had a reduced risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease or dementia by as much as 65%. It is unclear how exactly drinking coffee lowers this risk, but it may be because of coffee’s strong antioxidants, which are known to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Also, coffee protects the nervous system, which leads to a decreased chance of dementia. It also prevents diabetes, a disease commonly related to Alzheimer’s. However, too much coffee is simply too much-it should be enjoyed in moderation.

Coffee has proven itself to be rich in its history, uses, types, and taste. It can complete a morning, or complete a life. From centuries of distribution throughout the world from continent to continent, it has been as contagious as an epidemic. The coffee epidemic, however, is not one likely to end for a few more, or maybe even hundreds, of centuries to come.

Anitha Ahmed
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You’ve probably heard the term “gourmet coffee”, but do you really know what makes some coffees gourmet while others aren’t? It all goes back to the coffee bean, which isn’t a bean at all. Instead, it’s a seed of the coffee plant. Coffee has been around in some form for at least the last thousand years. Legend has it that it was first discovered in Ethiopia and later spread throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. One of the first American settlers brought a plant to the new world to start a plantation. The people of the United States now consume more coffee than any other country, and the new, single-cup coffee makers are revolutionizing the way we make coffee.

The two main types of coffee are Arabica and Robusta. Only ripe berries are used in gourmet coffees, because these are the berries that will have the best flavor. The beans are painstakingly hand-picked to make sure that only the ripe ones are chosen. Gourmet coffee is made of Arabica coffee beans that have been roasted long enough to get the oils flowing. That’s where all the taste is. The longer the beans are roasted, the deeper and richer the taste. Gourmet coffees utilize the best of these beans that have been roasted to perfection. The strength of the coffee being produced also depends on the size of the grind with finer grinds delivering darker coffee.

Different kinds of blends are mixed together per manufacturer recipes to achieve the different tastes. That’s why when you shop for gourmet coffee pods for your single cup coffee maker you’re able to find so many different blends to choose from. That’s what it means when companies offer you house blends, signature blends, organic blends, and the like. The companies producing the gourmet coffees have selected the finest coffee beans they can find, roasted them, put them through rigorous taste testing, and ended up with fine blends they can label gourmet.

When you purchase coffee pods for your 1 cup coffee maker, you expect to get the best of the best, and that’s what you’ll be paying for. Since the process of creating gourmet coffee is very labor intensive, from hand-picking to extended roasting time to the sampling of different blends, you pay premium prices for it; however, many people think the end result is well worth the expense.

Paul Julian writes about one of the coolest inventions ever, the single cup coffee maker, at http://www.CoffeePodsAndKcups.com.

Author: Paul Julian
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There are hundreds of bacterial, fungal and pest-caused diseases that can affect a coffee crop. However, the four major coffee plant destroyers are Coffee Leaf Rust, Coffee Berry Disease, Bacterial Blight and Leaf Miner insects. To learn more about each of these affectations and how they’re treated, keep reading.

Coffee Leaf Rust

Coffee Leaf Rust, also known as Hemileia vastatrix, is a devastating coffee disease that is highly contagious. The disease is carried by wind and rain through spores that come from legions found on the underside of an affected plant.

The disease destroyed Brazil’s coffee crop during the 1970s and has since been found in almost every coffee-growing country in the world. It is prevented by spraying a fungicide that is copper based. Other countries, including Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, have begun planting a disease-resistant strain of robusta coffee to prevent the spread of Leaf Rust.

Coffee Berry Disease

Coffee Berry Disease, also known as Green berry anthracnose and caused by Colletotirchum coffeeanum, is a fungal-based disease. The fungi grow on affected plants and then spread through wind or splashing rain. This disease can also be spread by animals. For example, if a coffee picker touches an affected plant, he or she can then spread the disease to every other coffee plant they touch.

The danger of Coffee Berry Disease is that it’s virtually undetectable until the coffee plant blooms. At that point, the fungus becomes aggressive, covering the whole berry and even turning it black.

Typically, this powerful disease is found in Africa, but can be prevented through fungicides and limiting the instance of standing water.

Bacterial Blight

Bacterial Blight, also known as Pseudomanas syringae garcae, is a bacterial disease that flourishes under cold and wet conditions.

Most recently, Bacterial Blight had an incredibly detrimental effect on Kenya’s coffee crop. However, the disease can be nominally prevented with copper-based fungicides.

Leaf Miners

While Leaf Miners aren’t technically a disease, they are still pests that can devastate a coffee crop. Because these insects are protected by a hard shell and feed right inside the plant itself, they can be very difficult to eradicate with pesticides.

Typically, leaf miner infestations are prevented or treated by planting tastier distraction crops or plants next to and amongst the coffee crop. For example, in Brazil, smart plantation owners are planting Columbine and Velvet Leaf among their coffee plants to remove the Leaf Miner threat.

Though these diseases do not inherently harm people, they can contribute to lower coffee supplies and higher prices.

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Author: Wesley Johnson
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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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The word we use today to describe the popular black beverage, coffee, was once used to describe wine. Indeed, this drink was often interchanged with wine and sometimes used instead of wine in the religious ceremonies of the Mohammedans, because it had the result of keeping believers awake during the long night of prayers.

That’s just one of many, many more amazing coffee facts.

All over the world, people drink coffee, but depending on which country you come from you may drink your coffee a little different. For example, in Italy, Italians drink coffee fast and they sweeten it with sugar. The Germans, Belgians and the Swiss, however, add hot chocolate, while Mexicans favor cinnamon. Austrians like whipped cream, and Moroccans peppercorns, while Ethiopians add salt. The Egyptians and Turks prefer strong and thick coffee with no milk at all.

The story of caffeine

Believe it or not, caffeine is a prohibited substance for the International Olympic Committee. In fact, if athletes test positive to more than around 12 micograms of caffeine per millilieter of urine, which translates to about 5 cups of coffee, they may well be banned from competition.

The human body absorbes about 300 milligrams of caffeine during intake. That translates to about four cups. After four cups, the body no longer absorbs the caffeine, so even if you drink more the body does not display any further stimulation. But the body releases about twenty percent of caffeine intake every hour.

International facts and figures

Germans are now the world’s second largest consumers of coffee. Previously, a German government hired a special force to uncover illicit coffee traders.

Over 53 countries grow coffee. Costa Ricans grow a lot of coffee, but the coffee plant was imported by the Spaniard, Navarro, in 1779.

A French national invented the percolator. That was in 1827. An Italian invented the espresso machine. That was in 1903. Greeks and Turks traditionally brew coffee over a strong fire and using a tiny pot called a briki.

Before that, coffee beans were roasted over a charcoal fire. Actually, though we call them coffee beans, they are actually coffee berries. Each year over seven million beans are produced.

More coffee facts and trivia

The Japanese celebrate official coffee day on October 1st. The Japanese are the third largest consumers of coffee in the world.

Germans are more likely to sweeten their coffee than Americans.

Americans kicked off the flavored coffee trend back in the 1970s.

Dark roasted coffees have less caffeine than medium roasts. That’s why espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee.

Centuries ago, coffee was thought of as a meal. Ethiopians mixed coffee beans with animal fat and rolled them into balls, to have an an energy power snack.

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