Coffee

Coffee was originally found in Ethiopia but has since spread world wide. Most of the coffee production in Ethiopia is still using the wild coffee tree forests that were naturally there. It is important that there is enough sunlight and rain which means these plants can only be grown in tropical or sub-tropical countries. Typically countries that are on the equator.

There is a narrow band around the equator which is used to produce most of the coffee for the worlds consumption. Coffee beans are grown in over 70 different countries all around the globe, and it is the second largest worldwide commodity in dollar value.

The largest coffee producer in the world is Brazil, they produce 28% of the worlds supply of coffee. Colombian coffee is extremely famous but even so they only produce 16% of the worlds output. Indonesia produces 7%, and Mexico is the fourth largest producer of coffee at 4%.

Coffee trees can be grown in a number of different locations, however they are best when grown at locations with high altitude.

Brazil has a number of very large plantations that cover huge areas of land. Hundreds of workers are employed to harvest and process the beans. In Colombia most of the transportation of the beans is done by mule or Jeep due to the treacherous conditions and poor economy.

Colombia has coffee trees growing on the sides of the mountains, while Hawaii has them planted on the slopes of the volcano. The ash is perfect for the plants as it provides good nutrition. The level of sun is also sufficient and the rainfall required is also provided.

Indonesia is a country that is made up of lots of little islands. Coffee has been grown on these islands since the Dutch introduced it in the 17th Century. Other countries have more advanced technology, however nowhere is as good at growing coffee as here. There are hundreds of individual farms on Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi which means they are the 3rd largest producers of coffee.

In Mexico the trees are normally planted in small farms, however there are over 100,000 of them throughout the whole country. This makes Mexico an important player in the world coffee market. Most of these farms are located in the south of Mexico. In some Mexican cities the high altitude varieties of coffee are grown.

In recent times Vietnam has started challenging Indonesia to be the 2nd biggest producer of coffee. Trees were first planted in Vietnam in the 19th century by the French. Small plantations produce robusta which is one of the common varieties of coffee.

Smaller producers of coffee include Africa, the Ivory Coast and Kenya. These are smaller, but they are very famous for producing dark fruity coffee. At the base of Mount Kenya some of the largest beans are produced there which produce a very fruity coffee. The Ivory Coast produces the most robusta which is normally used for espresso coffee blends.

No matter where the coffee comes from you can be pretty sure that it will be very popular. Coffee from all around the world is popular these days!

The scriptwriter Ray Walberg is particularly interested in ideas related to coffee roasting. You might come across his work on bunn coffee maker at http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com

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Making a superb gourmet coffee all starts with beans. Gourmet coffee beans are mostly Arabica because of their supreme robust flavor and smooth texture. Arabica beans are considered the premium bean in the coffee industry and the demand is high which makes it much pricier than other beans. Arabica coffee beans are the most prominently grown and provide approximately 60% of world coffee production. One reason the beans are so expensive is that the Arabica plant is very sensitive to unfavorable conditions such as frost, pests and disease. What leads people to wait in long, long lines for a cup of gourmet-brewed coffee beverage? Just what are espresso, cappuccino and macchiato?

Espresso: Surprisingly enough, espresso coffee is already one of the most popular coffee drinks in the world. It is also the basis for specialty drinks like Cappuccino. Espresso coffee is regular coffee, brewed and consumed at very concentrated brewing and drinking ratios. It is brewed much faster than regular drip coffee. Since the hot water is quickly forced through the fine grounds it usually only takes between 25 and 30 seconds to brew a cup of espresso.

Cappuccino is a delicious, luxurious coffee beverage that is enjoyed by coffee lovers the world over, combining creamy, frothy texture with distinctive espresso flavor and aroma. Cappuccino is named for the resemblance of its color to the robes of the monks of the Capuchin order. Cappuccino is a cup of espresso coffee with fresh milk and milk foam bubbles burst on the top of cup. The milk foam bubbles burst acts as the insulator and keep the heat of the coffee for a longer time.

A latte is basically a diluted cappuccino with almost entirely steamed milk and a dollop of foam on top. Cafe latte is simply the Italian words for “coffee and milk”. The drink was made using a “moka” (a stovetop coffee machine which makes double-strength coffee, not espresso).

A Mochaccino is simply equal parts cappuccino and chocolate syrup. Some of the finer coffee houses prefer the term Cafe Mocha, using a powdered cocoa mixed with diluted cappuccino and topped with a whipped cream dollop. This is a very popular alternative to a traditional hot chocolate drink, neither as thick nor as sweet.

A Cafe Americano, similar to a long black common in Australia, is a style of coffee made by pulling a double-shot of espresso over hot water . A long black is similar to an which is made by adding hot water to espresso shots, but it retains the texture and is less voluminous, therefore more strongly flavored.

In addition to the hot drinks, there are a wide variety of delicious gourmet iced coffee drinks as well. If you’re looking for one of those milkshake looking drinks, you might want to try a mocha frappuccino, which is basically a cold mochaccino with more calories.

Knowing how to prepare gourmet coffee drinks is a fine art. A barista is someone who makes espresso drinks for a living, and is usually highly trained and has a thorough understanding of how to work with coffee. Similar to a bartender, a barista specializes in making drinks from almost any incarnation of the coffee bean.

Michael Stadneck deems himself to be a self-proclaimed expert when it comes to specialty coffee. As an Italian immigrant, he grew up drinking espresso and cappuccino on a daily basis. If you are contemplating a coffee franchise you have come across a great place to start your research.

Author: Michael Stadneck
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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

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The coffee economics and numbers and details related to coffee production and consumption is extremely mesmerizing for marketers. A glimpse of some of the facts is given below

- Coffee consumption in North America and Europe comes to about one third of the tap water consumed.

- Throughout the world, nearly 25 million small producers derive their livelihood from coffee.

- In Brazil alone, which is the worlds largest producer of coffee, about 5 million people are involved in the labor intensive activity of cultivating and harvesting 5 billion coffee plants with hardly any automation available.

- 6.7 million tons of coffee was produced annually in 1998-2000 and this is slated to touch a figure of 7 million tons by 2010.

- In the United States, the number of retail specialty outlets including cafes, kiosks, coffee carts, and roasters touched 17,400 selling $8.96 billion worth of coffee in 2003.

- According to SCAA, 16% of adults in USA drank coffee daily at one of these specialty coffee outlets.

Considering these scope of these numbers, it is normal that coffee drinkers would be concerned about the price that they have to pay for their daily cup of coffee.

The price of coffee as a commodity has seen huge fluctuations in the recent past, especially after the breakdown of the International Coffee Agreement of 1975-1989 and the lifting of the US imposed trade embargo on Vietnam. The flooding of Robusta beans from Vietnam, which are cheaper and therefore preferred by larger companies, resulted in a crash in the commodity price of coffee. By 2001 the prices had reached abysmally low levels. As it became financially unviable it resulted in loss of livelihood for many coffee farmers in Africa, Indonesia, and South and Central America

The coffee growers retaliated by forming co-operatives and were able to get a better price. The major coffee companies were compelled to pay almost 3 to 4 times the price that they were paying to individual farmers. The Dutch brand ‘Max Havelaar’ also pitched in with a concept of fair trade which tried to guarantee a negotiated pre-harvest price to the growers. Nowadays, the price of coffee is also impacted by the trading done in futures and options on the commodity exchanges. These are financial assets based on a standardized contract for future sale or purchase at a settled price.

The correct perspective of the economics of what you pay for a cup of coffee is revealed by what transpires after coffee reaches the manufacturer’s premises. Raw beans are roasted, grinded, and packed for distribution. This adds to the cost but still would not tantamount to the kind of prices that you pay. A cup of coffee would still cost you hardly anything above a few cents to make at home and a bit more at a small coffee shop. Still customers are ready to pay much more in espresso bars at premium locations.

The consumer who visits a café is concerned not only about the quality of the coffee but also the service that comes with it. This need of the discerning consumers is met by companies that open outlets that sell specialty coffees within an ambience.

Specialty coffee is not purchased on the commodity exchanges and is an entirely different economic product than the wholesale coffee that is traded in these exchanges. Large companies usually enter into multi year private contracts at prices sometimes doubles the price that one gets to see in the newspapers’ commodity columns. When you go to a specialty retail outlet, you are not only getting your coffee the way you relish it but also the service and the ambience that accompanies it.

The discerning consumer looks for an experience that may be relaxing, fun, lavish or pampering. One look around the décor, the lighting, and the ambience in specialty retail outlets like Starbucks, The Hard Rock Cafe, FAO Schwarz, Niketown, and The Geek Squad will give an idea about the manner in which experiential marketing is taking the world by storm.

Coffee City | Offers extensive articles and resources on coffee, espresso, coffee beans, coffee making, etc.

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Coffee Beans

Coffee Beans are derived from coffee plants found in tropical and sub-tropical countries primarily in Central and South America, Africa, and Southern Asia. Though some might claim that coffee is the second largest traded commodity after oil, a more accurate statement as defined by the UNCTD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) is that coffee remains the second most valuable commodity exported by developing countries.

Depending on how statistics are interpreted, coffee could have annual industry value from as low as $22 billion to as high as $90 billion. What is indisputable is that coffee sustains a global workforce of well over 20 million and remains one of the most popular beverages in the world.

History of Coffee

The origin of coffee is ostensibly traced back to the 9th century. It was at this time in Ethiopia where a goat herder noticed heightened activity in one of his goats after it ate a few coffee beans from a coffee tree. Though an amusing story, a more accurate account dates back to the 15th century where monks in Yemen documented the stimulating effects of coffee.

Coffee Bean Types

The flavours, aromas and strength of coffee are determined by two primary types of coffee bean; Arabica and Robusta. Originally sourced from Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula, Arabica coffee is grown globally and accounts for an estimated two-thirds of coffee production. The flavour of Arabica is often characterized by a variety of sweet, fragrant, chocolaty and hazel notes. Robusta originally sourced from central and western Africa accounts for an estimated one-third of coffee production. Robusta derives its name from the fact that the tree is more robust than its Arabica counterpart. Robusta grows in a greater number of conditions, at a faster rate and requires less care than Arabica. Finally, Robusta contains twice the caffeine as found in Arabica and is sharper as well as more bitter in flavour.

Popular coffee will typically consist of either a 100% Arabica base or a combination of Arabica and Robusta with the higher percentage skewed toward Arabica and a lower one to Robusta. In the simplest terms, by varying the ratio of Arabica to Robusta, the end product with regards to flavour, aroma, strength and colour are impacted.

Roasting

The process of coffee roasting alters the entire cellular structure of the coffee bean transforming green coffee beans into the commonly recognized brown coffee bean. Depending on the degree of temperature and length of time, a coffee bean’s colour, taste, smell and size are altered which will in turn impact the flavour.

In applying heat to beans, moisture is lost creating a reaction called pyrolysis. Roasters listen for an audible crack to measure the stages in the bean development during roasting. It is here where starch is converted into sugar and protein is broken down. More importantly, this process causes the coffee bean to release caffeol – coffee oil – which produces the essence of the prized coffee drink.

Getting the roast right is a fine balance. By applying too much heat caffeol will burn. In not applying enough heat the caffeol will not be produced.

Flavoured Coffee

It may be considered a recent trend in the world of coffee, however adding flavours to coffee has been practiced for years. Consider that in the Middle East, coffee with cardamom has been a common tradition over hundreds of years. In Mexico, adding cinnamon to coffee has also been a common practice. The two methods of flavouring are to either add the flavour directly after roasting or to add syrup to a coffee that already has been prepared.

Andrew Greenwood is a member of the Fairfax Coffee Web Team. Fairfax have been in the coffee machine business since 1945 and are on hand to offer impartial advice on choosing the perfect coffee machine for you.

Author: Andrew J Greenwood
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