Coffee

The coffee regions of the South Pacific include Indonesia and the Pacific Islands; Sumatra; Sulawesi or Celebes; Java, and New Guinea. Each of these regions has unique coffee attributes for flavor, aroma, after-taste and fragrance.

Indonesia and the Pacific Islands: Indonesia is the world’s third largest producer of coffee. Only 15% of the crop is Arabica beans; however, they are some of the best in the world. Indonesian beans are prized for their richness, full body, earthiness and gentle acidity. A limited number of quality beans are available for the gourmet, specialty coffee industry.

Sumatra: Sumatra is the largest of all the Indonesian islands. There are over 13,700 islands comprising the Republic of Indonesia, some with famous and well known coffees. Sumatran coffees are considered some of the heaviest, smoothest and most complex coffees in the world. Sumatran coffees have spicy, herbal notes and earthy aromas sought after by coffee lovers. The finest of the traditional Arabica coffees from Sumatra are marketed as Sumatra Mandheling and Lintong. Mandheling and Lintong are in the Aceh province on the volcanic mountains near Lake Tawar. The average growing altitudes are between 2,500 and 5,000 feet which is ideal for coffee cultivation. This region has shaded coffee farms and the processing method is “semi-washed.” This method depulps the coffee cherry from the coffee seed before they are dry. This cleans the coffee seed from the fruit pulp that naturally surrounds it. Mandheling is known for its herbal aroma, full body, low acidity, rich and smooth flavor.

Sulawesi or Celebes: Sulawesi was formerly known as Celebes. Coffee from this area uses the dry method and possesses a unique combination of sweetness and earthiness. The highest grade Sulawesi coffee comes from the mountainous area near the center of the island in the Toroja region. Sulawesi coffee is low in acidity with a deep body resembling the taste and fragrance of maple syrup. Japan consumes most of the supply available which tends to be small due to the limited yields.

Java: At the beginning of the 18th century, Dutch explorers brought the first Coffee Arabica trees to Java where they were planted and grown successfully. The island of Java became the world’s leading producer of coffee until a rust disease wiped out the entire industry. Farmers replanted the trees but the crops were devastated by military occupation during World War II. Talk about bad luck! Once again, the acreage was replanted with disease-resistant Robusta stock which is predominant although Arabica has made a comeback. Java Estate coffee is a wet processed coffee that is more acidic, lighter in body, and quicker to finish than other coffees in the region. There are traces of spices in this coffee such as nut, vanilla and spice. Old Java is Java Estate coffee that is stored in warehouses for two to three years. This aging process in storage causes the coffee to lose acidity and gain body and sweetness.

New Guinea: Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. This is the coffee growing region of New Guinea and the coffee is usually labeled Papua New Guinea coffee or PNG. What is very interesting is that the seedlings planted in Papua New Guinea in the late 1930′s that started the island’s coffee cultivation came from the Jamaica Blue Mountain region in Jamaica. Papua New Guinea has ideal weather and soil conditions for growing coffee beans. However, the plantations are very secluded at very high elevations. Very often, these coffee farms are accessible only by foot. Papua New Guinea coffee is grown organically and processed completely by hand. One great benefit for coffee lovers is that the slower processing time makes for a better quality of coffee. Coffee from Papua New Guinea offers a full, syrupy body, balanced snappy acidity and wonderful complexities. Papua New Guinea coffee is reminiscent of Jamaica Blue Mountain flavor and taste.

So, are your ready for a delicious cup of Papua New Guinea AA Estate freshly roasted to order just for you? This is a true gourmet specialty coffee with a pleasingly full body, crisp acidity, a clean taste that finishes sweet, and a luxurious aroma with hints of tropical fruit such as mangoes and papayas!

Timothy (“Tim”) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him “The Gourmet Coffee Guy.” He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author’s website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com Also visit: http://www.squidoo.com/coffee-lensography-TheGourmetCoffeeGuy

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Twenty-nine million American adults drink gourmet coffee beverages every day. Though specialty coffee shops like Starbuck’s can be found just about anywhere, Cuban coffee, known for its strong taste, is only found in areas of the United States where there is a large Cuban American population. Sought after by coffee connoisseurs, it is the finest and most sought-after coffee in the world. Often compared to espresso, it is actually a rich blend of Cuban, Spanish and Italian coffee traditions.

Cuban coffee is roughly double the strength of regular American coffee. It is usually served in small cups called “tacitas,” which are smaller than demitasse cups, at the end of a meal. It is a mud-thick java brew with a tantalizing flavor and aroma made sweet by the amount of sugar that is used. The secret to “Cafe Cubano” or”cafecito,” as it is known in Cuba, is the finely ground, dark roasted coffee beans.

Coffee was brought to the eastern region of Cuba by French immigrants in the mid 18th century. By the early 1800′s it became a bigger import than sugar. Cuba’s natural humid climate, fertile soil and two centuries of cultivation techniques, have made it the ideal setting for growing coffee beans. The coffee beans are grown high in the shady jungles of the Sierra Maestra Mountains. The cultivation of the beans is labor intensive and its planting, growing, harvesting, and processing procedures have been perfected every step of the way. Large beans are used and are left out to try in the sun instead of using mechanical dryers. No pesticides are used so the coffee is 100% organic.

Cuban coffee beans have a superior reputation in Asia and Europe with Japan and France accounting for 70-80 percent of the exports. Other importers of Cuban coffee include Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Embargo on Cuban goods has created a challenge for those i America who would like to enjoy this distinctive coffee. However Cuban American grocery stores and cafeterias sell their version of Cuban coffee. There are a number of Cuban coffee companies like Tu Cafe and Cafe Llave with Cafe Pilon being the top seller, that market “authentic Cuban coffee.” The beans for these brands are grown in Brazil,Colombia or other parts of Central and South America.

There is no secret recipe or process for making Cuban coffee. All that is needed is freshly ground dark roasted coffee beans, sugar and a “cafetera,” a unique italian double chamber coffee pot. Water is placed in the lower chamber and the ground coffee goes into a perforated holder. The top is screwed on and the pot is heated. The brewed coffee rises into the upper chamber. The coffee is poured into a “tacita” and sugar is added.

Drinking “Cafe Cubano” remains a prominent social and cultural activity within Cuba and in Cuban American communities. The rest of the world is slowly catching up to enjoy this particular style of coffee. One can find “authentic” Cuban coffees in many supermarkets and the specialty brewers are sold everywhere. So if you want a true coffee experience try Cuban coffee.

Cuba has always been a major player in world events both politically and socially. It is hard to believe that an island nation that has been politically ostracized from the rest of the world for more than fifty years, can still create such an impact. The Cuban coffee thing is just part of the whole Cuban experience. In my blog My Cuban Thing I write about my observations as a Cuban kid who grew up American.

Author: Mario Del Sol
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Is there such a thing as “Healthy Coffee”? What are the benefits of healthier coffee for your health?
In this article, I will cover some known facts about the standard unhealthy coffee. Then show you there is actually a healthier coffee available and what the benefits are when you start drinking this healthier coffee.

Some facts about Coffee
- Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world
- Second largest consumed product next to water being the number one.
- World wide, according to statistics from the International Coffee Organization, people drink about 1.4 billion cups of coffee a day. About 45 percent of it is consumed in the USA.

This is a huge industry and billions of dollars are being made every single day. Everyone knows ‘Star Bucks’ and ‘McDonalds (McCoffee)’. These two giant corporations sell coffee in many different flavors and they are not in the coffee business to make people more healthy. They knew the facts and created a billion dollar plus business, with billions of people world wide being addicted to coffee.

Why are people still drinking unhealthy coffee?
Simply because the caffeine has a stimulation effect on the body. The downside of this is you will need your fix on a regular basis.
Furthermore regular coffee:

* Dehydrates

* Is very acidic and toxic

* It raises blood pressure

* Your stress level increases

All the more reason to limit your daily coffee addiction or find a replacement.

Healthier Coffee
Being a heavy coffee drinker myself I hated instant coffee. This always had an after taste and did not even taste like the coffee I consumed on a daily basis. I know many of you can relate to having to have your morning cup of coffee in order to get your day started. I experienced stomach acid problems, did not get enough sleep and headaches which I all related back to the coffee I was drinking. A very good friend of mine let me taste a sample of what she called ‘Healthier Coffee’. It was instant coffee so yes I was a little bit skeptical, but I did drink it. The aroma and the coffee flavor was great! It tasted even better than my regular coffee brand.

After I discovered this healthier coffee, I did some research on it and found out that it hardly has any caffeine (superior brand of Arabica beans used). More importantly, it is infused with a herb called Ganoderma Lucidium, or red mushroom. This red mushroom has been used in China for over 4,000 years for medicinal purposes, also known as the ‘King of Herbs’. When you do some research on the internet, you will find many businesses who offer this healthier coffee, but only a few really use the power of the Ganoderma or Reishi (Japan) herb.

Healthy Coffee benefits
There has been extensive research to what effects this red mushroom has for your health, here is a list of what it can do for you and your body:

* It will give you more energy and reduce fatigue

* It will increase your brain activity

* Will make you feel young and refresh again

* Improves/boosts your immune system (good alternative for the swine flu too!)

* You will sleep better (For people who suffer from insomnia)

* Healthy weight loss (Instead of pills or other costly weight loss programs)

Conclusion
Regular coffee is not good for your health. In fact, it is damaging your body. So the choice is yours. If you would like to continue to enjoy the rich taste and aroma of gourmet coffee, then I suggest you switch to the healthier coffee with the herb extract in it.

Ganoderma Lucidium was exclusively used by the Chinese emperors for a reason! Compare all the health benefits from drinking healthier coffee versus regular coffee. You’ll be amazed with what it will do for you!

Being a heavy coffee drinker, I discovered the many benefits of drinking healthier coffee instead of regular coffee. I have created a website called The Healthy Coffee Club check it out and come on over to have a healthy cup of coffee and a nice chat! Live healthier!

Author: Cor Fransman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What actually makes a Kona coffee farmer, who are they, why are they doing it, or just for the mental exercise: Could I too become a filthy rich, days-in-the-sun, surfing, shooting-the-breeze Hawaiian coffee farmer? This is a highly subjective, behind the scenes explanation of the most pressing question folks seems to have on their minds when they meet one of us coffee dudes. So for the sake of it, let’s categorize:

Cherry farms

are often held by the same family over three or four generations. These farms originated to provide additional income to the day jobs working the sugar cane fields in the 19th century. The high number of children and grandparents enabled the owners to do the unpaid hard coffee field work in the mornings, evenings and Sunday’s. Most Kona coffee is grown in the vicinity of family farmer’s residences; planted between rocks in irregular patterns, ranging from 100 to 1,000 trees per acre, often interspersed with other crops and some shade trees. Nearly all is sold as freshly picked coffee cherries to large processors, who also throw in a few bags of free fertilizer. The parcels range between 1 to 5 acres and are often leased in 40 year terms. This is and always has been the backbone of the Kona coffee industry. None of the farmers has to worry too much about government inspections regarding pesticide or herbicide usage, or coffee quality standards. The cheap lease of the land, which requires some agricultural practices to be obtained, justifies the small profit. Living and housing in Hawaii is expensive and the rural lifestyle eases the financial burden a bit. Most cherry farmers have a Japanese, Philippine or Hawaiian background and reside in the South Kona district. Age group: 50 – 90, 2 to 3 family generations under one roof. Many are members of the Kona Pacific Farmers Coop and not linked to any farmers organization. No web presence or farm tours offered.

Coffee Plantations 

in Kona are increasing in size, but there are only a few names in this category. All are owned by corporations or individuals with financial backing from the mainland. Their sizes range from 20 to 60 acres, and often contain other outlying parcels. In this production system recommended seedlings are used, the rocky land is being bulldozed, row planting, proper cover crops, mulching, manuring, weeding, and pruning methods are practiced. Nearly all use chemical fertilizers and herbicides as they are purely profit driven. Their coffees are always inspected and certified by the State. Yet most of their harvested coffees end up as highly profitable “10% Kona Blends” to duped tourists, who believe this coffee being pure Kona beans. The rest is sold to green coffee brokers in Japan and the US mainland. In addition to their own production they buy from smaller farms freshly picked coffee cherries at a fluctuating per pound price. They also process and grade coffee for farmers lacking the required big equipment. When buying from them always look for their expensive private labels, otherwise you’ll get the coffee pooled from many farms. Traditionally these large plantations in Hawaii went bust in recessions because of their high overheads. Cherry farmers may not get paid by them on time, but can i.e. hibernate through the current recession by simply neglecting their orchard for a season or two. Owners and managers are nearly all long time Caucasian residents of Hawaii, who are experienced with the local political culture. They organize in the Hawaii Coffee Association and Hawaii Coffee Grower’s Association to maintain the faulty legal status of the Kona Blend laws. Age group: 35 to 65; ‘good old boys’ networkers; SCAA members and exhibitors; all offer guided farm tours, farm stores, and professional websites. Their Kona coffees and Kona Blends have a strong presence in US mainland and Hawaiian stores.

Gentlemen farms

or “Snowbird farms” grow coffee on their properties as a hobby, as a tax incentive or because a vacation property is zoned as ‘agricultural’. One can completely relinquish the actual work to one of the larger plantations, who then in turn provide some roasted coffee upon request just in case the owner wants to sell a few bags under his/her own label. These types of farms are not really meant to be profitable but this doesn’t indicate if their coffees are good, bad or excellent. Some are organically cultivated. Some even sell their well-cared for coffee below costs. The owners have other sources of income and only reside part time in Kona. Under US tax law a property qualifies as a ‘farm’ when generating more than $1,000 in sales p.a. Gentlemen farmers are mostly Caucasians who strife for living a calm, easy Hawaiian life and have a story to tell when asked for what they are doing all day long. Geographically in the North Kona district centered around Holualoa. The 55 to 80 year old group consists of retired, married couples, single women. They have no professional affiliation or only nominally memberships at the Kona Coffee Council and the Kona Coffee Farmers Association. Some have websites and generally no farm tours are offered by them.

Boutique farms 

are yet another category but constitute the fastest growing segment. The vertical integration of the growing, processing and direct marketing to the customer and owning all means of production is essential. A small profit margin is indeed possible but it needs a multidisciplinary approach by the owners to keep any outsourcing to a bare minimum. About a quarter of them practice organic farming and they are environmentally concerned. Yet the combination of advancing age, hard physical labor and lack of computer literacy are challenging for many. But also big egos nurtured in prior high flying professions stand in their way: farming makes you humble but not instantaneously. A number of these farms default during the current recession, because their owners overlooked that equipment needs to amortize and public awareness of Kona coffee was always low. Building a solid customer base for a farm takes approximately 5 years. Learning the ins and outs of coffee farming about 3 years+. This group of farmers sees the faulty Kona Blend law as the largest stumbling block to a higher price for Kona coffee. Yet they oppose quality control and state inspections of their product, which doesn’t fly with the government. Owners are mostly mainland Caucasian and are sometimes married into Hawaiian families with various ethnic backgrounds. One can meet a colorful assortment of the human species in this group: The aging hippie, the retired colonel, the liberal professor, the activist lawyer, the Silicon Valley mini tycoon. They organize occasionally and challenge the legal status quo of the legislature. Age group: 40 to 75, couples, gay couples, single women, single guys. Affiliation: Kona Coffee Farmers Association or none. Mostly homemade web stores, shop presence in a few Hawaiian stores, farm tours offered upon requests.

There you have it. None of this background info indicates that a particular Kona coffee tastes better than the other! As long as it’s not a ‘blend’ or fake of course. The border lines between the categories are also not so well defined as one farm can be a ’boutique’ but also offers processing. Or it could appear like a large plantation with managers and all, but is held afloat by the partnership income of a big time law office in L.A. Or a fourth generation Japanese cherry farm made it successfully into the cyberage with a dazzling website.

Kona coffee beans grow regardless and despite of the local politicking on their behalf. A coffee tree doesn’t judge its farmer by skin color, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or prior profession. Just if it gets its leaves properly tickled from time to time…

Joachim always tries to tickle the leaves of the BLUE HORSE KONA COFFEE trees the way they like it. This ancient Polynesian farm land in South Kona was developed from pure cherry farming into a boutique/family farm, but also offers wet processing and sun drying to neighbor farms.

http://www.bluehorsekona.com

Author: Joachim Oster
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you are passionate about drinking the very best coffee, give Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee a try.

What is Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee?  

Although other Caribbean islands grow coffee, certainly Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the best, and the most well-known. The name Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is a registered trademark of Jamaica’s Coffee Industry Board. Connoisseurs characterize Jamaica Blue Mountain as a perfect combination of acidity, body and aroma. It is rich and flavorful, with no bitterness and a hint of chocolatey sweetness – a very smooth, mild coffee. Some say it is also very low in caffeine.  

Blue Mountain is not a brand, but a coffee-growing region. At the Eastern end of Jamaica, the Blue Mountains form the backbone of the island and are among the highest mountains in the Caribbean, rising to 7,402 feet. To be called Jamaica Blue Mountain, the beans must be grown at altitudes between about 3,000 and 5,500 feet in the parishes of Saint Andrew, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas or Portland. Above 5,500 feet, the lushly wooded forest, which is home to over 800 species of plants and more than 200 species of birds, is maintained by the Jamaican Government as a Forest Reserve. (By the way, there are great hiking trails throughout this area.) Beans grown at lower elevations are called Jamaica Low Mountain or Jamaica High Mountain, based on elevation, and, while they may produce fine coffee, they tend to be more acidic and cannot legitimately be called Jamaican Blue Mountain.  

There is usually a cool misty cloud cover hanging over the Blue Mountains and the region gets about 200 inches of rain each year. This constant mist gives the mountains a bluish hue, which is where they derive their colorful name. Combined with volcanic soil rich in potash, nitrogen and phosphorus and good drainage, it makes for an ideal coffee-growing region (think about the climatic similarities with the Hawaiian Kona coffee-growing region). This perfect combination of factors causes the beans to mature more slowly (as many as 10 months to harvest), developing more character and producing a larger, harder bean with more intense flavor.  This is compared to other regions in the world where the beans mature in 5 or 6 months. Most of the coffee trees are of the Arabica Typica variety which produces delicious coffee.  

History  

Coffee is not native to Jamaica. The beans were brought to the island in 1728 by the governor at that time, Sir Nicholas Lawes, and coffee growing began as a plantation slave crop. Jamaica was able to produce such high quality beans that the industry grew quickly, resulting in more than 600 coffee plantations by 1814. After slavery was abolished, many former slaves acquired their own land and began to grow their own coffee. This caused a dramatic decline in the industry primarily due to labor shortages and, by 1850, only about 180 coffee plantations remained in operation.   Revived in the 1870s, some (mostly white) plantation owners started designating their coffee as Blue Mountain to distinguish it from the beans being produced by the emancipated slaves. These estate owners had access to better processing equipment and benefitted from their connections to merchants in colonial Britain (in power at the time), so their crops could be sold at the highest prices. Their reputation for high quality caused a high demand around the world even though this Blue Mountain coffee was only a small part of Jamaica’s total production.  

Jamaica’s coffee production has suffered many hardships caused by unscrupulous dealers, hurricanes and lack of organization. But in the 1950s and 1960s Japan developed a taste for their coffee, forming relationships with growers and processors, and investing in the production of the coffee crop. Today, Japan buys over 80% of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee crop under contract, adding to its rarity in world coffee markets.  

Regulation

Responding to the various problems, the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board (C.I.B.) was established in 1953 to reorganize and develop the industry, control the quality of the crop and provide assistance to farmers. Quality was once again the number one priority.   The Coffee Industry Board carefully examines crops, evaluating bean size and other qualities to determine whether or not the coffee will be certified, and how to grade it. Grade One Jamaica Blue Mountain is the finest coffee. Today, there are many coffee cooperatives consisting mainly of small farmers with plots between ½ to 10 acres. Jamaica’s farmers send all their beans to designated pulperies and are paid per box by CIB. Once certified, the coffee can be sent for roasting to a CIB-licensed roaster who is also the only entity authorized to market Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee in Jamaica and around the world.  

In addition to its use for brewed coffee, the beans are the flavor base of Tia Maria coffee liqueur, another delicious Jamaican product.  

Because of the restricted geographical range where it’s grown, Jamaica Blue Mountain is available in limited quantities and can sometimes be difficult to find and rather expensive. Its production of about 2,000,000 pounds per year makes Jamaica a small fry in comparison to the large coffee producing countries of the world like Brazil, Columbia, Guatemala and Costa Rica. About 65% of the total production is exported, with about 95% of that going to Japan. That doesn’t leave much for the rest of us and it explains the high prices this great coffee commands!  

Its coffee exports earn between $25 and $30 million a year – far less than its other exports like sugar, bauxite and rum. But Jamaica can rightfully say it produces the premier coffee of the world!

Visit http://www.keepitjiggy.com for loads of information about Jamaica, its history, its food, travel information, reggae music, its artists, and resources for locating those hard-to-find collectibles in the genre.

Author: Theresa Goodell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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