Coffee

As a culinary art, creating exceptional gourmet coffee is similar to the creation of an exceptional wine. Each crop, and even different harvests of the same crop, will have unique characteristics that result from differing conditions over time with respect to the soil, temperature, water, time of harvest, etc.

High quality Specialty coffees are harvested over time from the same plant during the growing season as the beans ripen, leaving the green ones until they are ready. This process creates early and late crops containing differing percentages of nutrients and moisture content affecting the flavor characteristics of the beans. ‘Specialty” grade coffees are distinctly superior to those coming from the mechanical harvesting resulting in the bulk of coffees grown for ‘grade’ coffees sold on the worlds commodity exchanges.

These factors necessitate the coffee roaster to continuously select coffees with the necessary profile of body, taste, acidity and other attributes to meet the objective of the end product in order to consistently maintain a semi-predictable expectation for the consumer.

Each coffee blend will be a combination of these carefully chosen coffees from the current harvest, blended together in a complimentary fashion to achieve numerous variations of flavor, aroma and complexity.

Flavor Descriptions

Mocha Java is the earliest known descriptive coffee flavor known for its delicious full bodied and bittersweet chocolate highlights. Early cocoa was named after the Mocha coffee from Yemen.

Latin American coffees that achieve Specialty grade are almost all grown at very high altitudes compared with the coffees of Africa. In general these coffees are known for their full body, acidity and spicy flavors.

Africa is where coffee originated from. Its soil and climate combination produces outstanding coffees that have an exceptional balance of body and refined acidity creating distinctive aromas of flowers and fruit, with complex flavors ranging from citrus to winy.

Espresso will have a stout body and rich coffee essence, with thick creamy consistency as a result of the inclusion of more soluble beans blended with others that add desired flavors. Bold and robust are descriptions often used to describe a desirable espresso. An Italian style espresso will often include ‘natural’ or unwashed beans that help enhance its creamy consistency. These dry processed coffees are not typically considered Specialty grade, but are what create a traditional espresso flavor.

Natural or ‘unwashed’ coffees contribute nutty and earthy flavors, while ‘washed’ Specialty coffees are known for their desirable acidity and refined flavors that are essential to the master roasters ability to create a variety of gourmet style blends.

Specialty gourmet blends are the result of blending specifically selected coffees to achieve any combination of well-rounded, complex, rich, mellow, smooth and even exotic flavors in the final cup.

Author: Steve Josephs, whose family’s office coffee service business, the Great American Coffee Company, http://www.GourmetOfficeCoffee.com, is a premier Specialty coffee roaster and office coffee service provider in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan business community. They also offer Corporate Coffee Gifts through their sister company, Visionary Gourmet Coffee, http://www.VisionaryGourmetCoffee.com

Copyright 2009 The Great American Coffee Company and Intellidon Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprints permissible if copyright statement and link are included.

Author: Steve Josephs
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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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
Assisted living

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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Hawaiian Kona coffee is the famous Hawaiian coffee that comes only from Kona, a district on the west coast of the Big Island in Hawaii, and has been popular for its high-quality coffee since the early 1800′s. This delicious beverage is produced on the extremely fertile slopes of an extinct volcano.

Coffee was first brought to Kona by Reverend Samuel Ruggles from Brazil in 1825. Kona beans are grown on large estates. But due to the sudden worldwide crisis in the coffee market in 1899, plantation owners had to lease out the land to their workers. These workers, who were originally Japanese, worked the leased land as their family business, growing the highest grade gourmet beans.

Today Kona has about 600 independent farms, most of which are small, 3 to 7 acres in size. Most of these farms are a family run business whose special beans are nurtured with the greatest care and concern for quality..

What experts say about Hawaiian Kona Coffee?

This java of champions is produced based on the special growing environment and growing techniques that make this product deliciously rich, and very different from other kinds of coffee. A regular coffee drinker or coffee connoisseur can really appreciate the exquisite aromatic scent of a freshly brewed Kona coffee, and indulge in the flavor of the richest full-bodied coffee the world has to offer.

This special coffee is produced with many variations to appeal and satisfy a wide range of tastes and desires. It is also produced as blended flavors like the all time favorite; Chocolate Macadamia Nut and is truly a special flavor for Christmas holidays or gift-giving. There is even decaf, and the newly available instant freeze-dried Kona coffee.

When buying high grade Kona beans, it is important to know how to store your beans properly to preserve its special taste and high quality as long as possible. Coffee connoisseurs recommend keeping their precious sipping treat either in an air tight ceramic container or a glass container that is away from direct light. Remember that the natural enemy of the beans are light, air and dampness.

Attention: Never store your beans in plastic containers. Otherwise, as a result, you may get tasteless coffee without any aroma, as the product usually absorbs the taste of the plastic.

Why drink Hawaiian Kona coffee?

If you are looking for a first-class coffee, try 100% Hawaiian Kona that is so different from the common and ordinary Colombian produced commercial brands. These beans produce a superior coffee to any store bought brands, and so are popular among worldwide coffee-drinking societies.

Why is this coffee considered # 1 all over the world?

o Coffee experts consider Kona beans as the number 1 in the world. Why? – Because they create a beverage that is medium-bodied, slightly acidic, but the best of all, deliciously rich, coming with a heady aroma. If you enjoy the flavor of coffee, there is nothing as rich and flavorful as a fresh, hot cup of Hawaiian Kona coffee.

o If you are a coffee lover, you probably know that only a very small amount of coffee in the world is pesticide free. And Kona coffee is also one of them. You and your family can consume this coffee without any concern about consuming pesticide spray residues.

As a connoisseur’s coffee, these gourmet beans now available online for your shopping convenience, and very affordable, if you know where to look.

Add more zest and pleasure to your daily coffee experience with these special beans loved by all over the world. And your friends and neighbors will love you for sharing it. Or surprise that special someone with this unique coffee as a gift they’ll always remember.

My highest recommendation to buy Hawaiian Kona Coffee online is Hawaii Gourmet Shopping owned and operated by Lanawiliama, Inc., a state licensed Hawaii-based reseller. Go now and check this out- Hawaiian Kona Coffee

Author: Will Campbell
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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