Coffee

As the coffee industry shifts toward fair trade practices and organic certification, more farmers are switching to organic and sustainable practices. But, what does that mean, and how does it affect the actual coffee? For answers to these questions and tips on where you can find gourmet organic coffee, keep reading.

What Does Organic Mean?

Organic coffee typically indicates it has been certified by the USDA and meets their stringent growing and harvesting standards for organic certification. Therefore, coffee that has been certified as organic has been farmed using methods that have a minimal impact on the environment and little to no reliance on chemical or unnatural methods.

Because coffee is harvested as a seed, buying organic has little-to-no health effects for the consumer. However, purchasing an organic coffee bean means you’re supporting environmentally friendly and sustainable farming methods.

Ethical or Fair Trade Purchasing

Fair trade certification focuses on the labor practices of the coffee farmer and manufacturer. By purchasing fair trade coffee, you’re supporting a trade standard that gives small-industry grower co-ops a standard price for their coffee.

While fair trade doesn’t carry the same environmental standards as organic certification, they do ban the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and most pesticides.

Who Makes Organic Coffee?

Green Mountain Coffee Company (http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com)

The Green Mountain Coffee Company is based out of Vermont and is one of the country’s largest organic and fair trade coffee suppliers. They currently do the bulk of their business as a supplier for office and workplace coffee needs, including K-Cups and instant coffee machines.

Gloria Jean’s Coffee (http://www.gloriajeanscoffees.com.au)

As a roaster and supplier of 100 percent organic, fair trade coffee, this Australian coffee roaster was awarded the Corporate Green Globe Award by the prestigious Rainforest Alliance.

They sell a range of coffees and roasts while fulfilling their commitment to ethical environmental and social business practices.

Jim’s Organic Coffee (http://www.jimsorganiccoffee.com)

Jim’s Organic Coffee makes a range of blends and roasts that are certified organic and fair trade. The company also sells a Rainforest blend that is shade grown and certified by the Rainforest Alliance. This means the farming methods used to cultivate the coffee don’t destroy natural habitats or the existing rainforest ecosystem around the plantation.

Starbucks

Starbucks, a major coffee retailer all over the world, carries three kinds of organic coffee. They stock their Shade Grown Mexican, Organic Serena Blend and their own Organic Sumatra-Peru blend.

For additional informative details on coffee and enticing flavors that explode your taste buds, please visit http://www.coffeetryst.com – a popular site with insights on coffee options, such as flavored decaf coffee, gourmet coffee gift baskets, and many more!

Author: Wesley Johnson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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To buy coffee online requires a little guidance to avoid pitfalls and disappointment. Do you want to buy online from a store that has been around for several years, or one that hasn’t? Is personal attention to you and what you are buying important to you? Would you prefer to do business with a company that is based in Hawaii and the company owners have almost a half century of life in the islands?

Sometimes we want something different from the same old routine. Of course, everyone is trying to get rid of the same-old tired daily routine. We may do it subconsciously, even not realizing why we want new, want different things each and every day. Today many people find joy and enjoyment in drinking a cup of really good coffee, especially the world class royal coffee of Kona. We are looking for something special particularly in 2 cases: when we are depressed and when we are happy.

So then how to find out those rare coffee blends produced in different countries. Of course, you needn’t travel a long distance to get pure coffee beans. Now you can buy high quality coffee online from the comfort of your home.

Which Coffee Supplier is the best?

Many consumers get confused while looking for 100% original coffee online among multiple suppliers. They don’t know from which to choose and order. The largest coffee suppliers on the modern market are Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam. Of course, some regions of America, Asia and Africa also supply worldwide with original coffee.

Mexico, Uganda, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Indonesia, Kenya and Panama are considered to be among the countries where high quality coffee is produced.

Which coffee is the royalty of all coffees in the world?

Though Brasilia is the first largest supplier of green coffee over the world, there is a special grade of coffee beans that are not and cannot be grown there.

Which coffee is this? – Of course, the king of coffees – Kona coffee! This royal grade of coffee beans can be produced only in the Kona region of Hawaii islands. The perfect blend of all the six elements comprising of rich soil, proper elevation, cloud cover, sunshine, rain and a moderate slope helping in the drainage of the roots provided by the Hawaiian islands, have ensured an ideal environment to produce some of the richest coffee in the world.

Nowadays, Hawaiian Kona coffee is one of the most sought after coffees. Not to mention the rarest Kona coffee -Peaberry Kona coffee beans! They are really of the highest value and quality.

How to get the royal Kona coffee?

Today you can buy online almost any sort and grade of coffees produced in different countries, and so you can now buy gourmet Hawaiian Kona coffee from online Hawaii stores.

While you buy coffee online, be aware of some risk purchasing from sellers you do not know or have never ordered from before.

o Never purchase from individual sellers. Who knows where they got their coffee from or how old it is.
o Choose only sites of legal corporations. Federal, state, and local laws will help protect you when you purchase from a licensed seller.
o Try to buy coffee online only from original supplier countries. Why would you buy coffee grown in Hawaii from a store from another state? You’ve got to ask yourself; How old is their coffee inventory?

The best site to buy coffee online is Hawaii Gourmet Shopping owned and operated by Lanawiliama, Inc., a state licensed Hawaii-based reseller. Find their direct link to their coffee selection: http://Hawaii-Gourmet-Shopping.com/KonaCoffee1.html

Author: Will Campbell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The first recorded use of coffee as a beverage goes back to the ninth century in highland Ethiopia. According to the legend, a shepherd named Kaldi in Ethiopia noticed that his goats seemed to dance about and to have a higher energy level after eating bright red berries from the coffee plant. Coffee use soon spread to Egypt, Yemen, and Arabia where raw coffee beans were processed by being roasted and then brewed into a beverage. By the fifteenth century coffee drinking had spread throughout the Middle East and into Turkey, Persia and all over north Africa. At the end of the sixteenth century a German doctor traveling in the Near East described coffee as a drink as black as ink which is useful in the treatment of many illnesses, especially stomach disorders.

The thriving commerce between the Middle East, North Africa, and Venice soon brought coffee and coffee drinking to Venice, from where it quickly spread throughout Europe. Although there was suspicion of the drink due to its Muslim origins, Pope Clement VIII declared coffee to be a respectable Christian beverage in 1600, which decree made coffee drinking socially respectable and increased its popularity. The first coffee house in Europe opened in 1645 in Italy. Soon Dutch traders began importing large quantities of coffee to northern Europe. In spite of Arab prohibitions against allowing green coffee suppliers to export unroasted seeds or living coffee plants, in 1616 a Dutch trader named Pieter van den Broeck was able to smuggle some live coffee seedlings out of Aden to Europe. The Dutch began to grow coffee in their colonies in Ceylon and Java, and in 1711 coffee was first exported from Java to Holland. The English East India Company was also active in coffee growing and exporting at this time, and in 1657 coffee was first introduced in France. Coffee came to Poland and Austria after Turkish invaders were defeated in the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and their supplies of coffee were captured by the defenders.

Coffee came to North America with the European colonization, but it was not as successful there as it had been in the old country. The English tax on tea, which led to the Boston Tea Party and other protests by American colonists, turned America into a principally coffee drinking country. During the American Revolution tea imports from England were cut off and coffee demand increased to such an extent that the dealers were forced to hoard the scarce supply of fair trade coffee beans and to raise prices drastically. The War of 1812 also restricted imports of tea from England and created greater demand for coffee. The Civil War was fought on coffee, which became a contraband item at the frontier between north and south: illicit salt and coffee being traded for tobacco and cotton.

Today raw coffee beans are the most valuable legally-traded export item after petroleum. Fair trade coffee beans are the most important cash crop in many countries in the Third World. Over 100,000,000 rural green coffee suppliers in developing countries depend on coffee as their main source of income.

Author: Alice Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Arabica coffee beans are known for a better-flavored coffee. There are two main species of coffee beans that are grown for sale: Robusta and Arabica. Gourmet coffee houses serve the smooth and very palatable Arabica coffees, while the worst cup of coffee you ever had probably came from a pot of bitter Robusta coffee that had been sitting for hours.

If you have been spoiled by the quality coffee served at coffee houses and cafes, you are probably craving the taste of Arabica coffee beans. You can brew fine coffee at home as well; the trick is to use only Arabica coffee beans. Organic coffee beans, grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, allows plantation owners to grow their farms in a sustainable way, without the use of chemicals, thus producing a mild, non acidic coffee bean. You should expect to pay a little more for organic coffee beans, but you can be confident in knowing that you are securing the future of the coffee industry worldwide.

Most specialty coffee and tea retail outlets only sell Arabica coffee and beans. On the other hand, the large commercial companies either sell Robusta coffee beans, or a mixture of both types of beans. This is because they are cheaper for the wholesaler and subsequently cheaper for the consumer. Arabica coffee beans produce a stronger-tasting coffee, and actually contain less caffeine than robusta beans. They cost a little more, but are far more satisfying.

While many people are only familiar with coffee beans grown in Colombia, they are actually commercially grown in more than 80 countries around the world. Coffee only grows near the equator, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. While it is grown at varying altitudes, experts say that the richest coffee beans are harvested at high altitude plantations.

Wholesale coffee suppliers are available via mail-order catalogs or the Internet and can ready to assist you in making your next coffee purchase. Why pay retailers more, when cheaper costing, fresher wholesale coffee beans are available to you? Wholesale coffee bean buying allows you to eliminate the high cost of retail buying and let you purchase the same beans at a much lower cost. A savings of 20-30% over store chain prices can easily be expected. Savings can be more if you just shop around.

Wholesale coffee beans are far fresher than those beans that may have been sitting on a dusty store shelf, not for days, but for weeks, sometimes months longer than if you were to buy them direct from a wholesaler. You can be assured of the quality afforded you when you select wholesale coffee beans. Each supplier generally offers a huge selection of beans, bean blends and roasts available. You can order standard size one pound, or two pound packages directly from the wholesaler easier than if you were to pick them from a shelf in your favorite market.

Looking for information about Coffee?

Go to: [http://www.dkcoffee.com]

DK Coffee is published by Julie Carter – The Complete A to Z Of Coffee Resources

Check out more Coffee related articles at: [http://www.dkcoffee.com/archive]

Author: Julie Carter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What is gourmet coffee? It’s anything that isn’t served black, according to many coffee labels and manufacturer’s these days. A gourmet coffee can be anything from what you buy at your local Starbuck’s to that bag labeled ‘Gourmet Coffee’ in your supermarket or online coffee dealer. Gourmet coffee can come with beautiful packaging or in a plain brown wrapper.

Whatever it’s wrapped in, gourmet coffee is different, and it smells different too. Some gourmet coffee has chocolate flavors, some are nutty and others are minty. Gourmet coffee is usually ground and ready to brew, so get that coffee machine ready and try out a wide variety of gourmet coffee’s on the market today.

Most gourmet coffee comes packaged in either individual packets or in a one pound to five-pound bag. Some is ground, while offer whole bean coffees. No matter which kind you buy, your taste buds are in for a treat if you’ve never tried some flavors and blends.

For example, gourmet coffee can come in non-flavored selections such as Columbian Supreme, French Roast, Mocha Java, Kenya Blend and Major’s Breakfast Blend, just to name a few. Most of these types of coffee claim robust flavor, premium aroma and a smooth, deep flavor.

For those who have gotten used to the offerings at local coffee bars, the sweeter coffees have become extremely popular. Ever had an Amaretto Supreme? This coffee creation is made with almond flavor and almond flavored liqueur. What about Hazlenut Crème? This gourmet coffee is known as ‘noisette’ in French, and offers coffee drinkers a nutty flavored and sweet coffee.

If you’re a chocoholic, there are a variety of gourmet coffee flavors that will interest your taste buds, like Ultimate Chocolate and Swiss Chocolate Almond, to name just two. For those who like to make their own, most gourmet coffee brands make at least a dozen or more flavors from French Vanilla to Caramel Crème and Southern Pecan and a dozen more. Most gourmet coffee suppliers offer these coffees at moderate prices, so making your own just got easier.

Books for sale in bookstores and those to be found on library shelves teach consumers how to make their own gourmet coffee blends with coffee purchased at supermarkets or ordered online through coffee vendors. Some gourmet coffee blends cost more than others, but most can be had for less than ten dollars for a one to five pound bag, depending on your flavor. Since there’s nothing like the taste of a gourmet coffee once in a while to keep things exciting, many people opt to purchase several different flavors to keep in their homes.

Many people freeze coffee to make it last longer, and most claim that doing so doesn’t alter the taste. Storing coffee in an airtight container will also preserve shelf life. When shopping for gourmet coffee, browse the aisles of your local supermarket first, and if they don’t carry what you want, then try a coffee specialty store. Some coffee shops sell their own special blends of gourmet coffee, as do dozens of online gourmet coffee vendors. No matter what you’re looking for, you’re bound to find a flavor of gourmet coffee that tickles your fancy, guaranteed.

Still looking for the perfect coffee? Try visiting http://www.AllCoffeeSite.com, a website that specializes in providing coffee advice, tips and resources to including information on the gourmet coffee

Author: M. Jedediah
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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