Coffee

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
Android Smartphone

Peru is the third largest South American country and the world’s sixth largest coffee producer. Almost 90% of all Peruvian coffee produced is exported and it is one of Peru’s major exports.

Because of the mild nature of most coffee produced by Peru, it is used primarily for blending, French-roast and as a flavored-coffee base. However, Peru’s Central Region in particular, has gained recognition as a high ranking producer of quality, certified organic coffee.

Peru’s coffee and agricultural producing regions include the Northern, Central and Southern Regions. They are situated in the heavily forested north-eastern slopes of the Andes. The coffee growers are small farmers who produce a mild Arabica, with exceptions among farmers who are devoted to producing organic coffee only.

A formidable obstacle to any agricultural production is the challenge of the Andes mountains, the lack of good transportation networks and the complex Amazon River basin system. Such challenges add to the production costs and make coffee farming more complicated in Peru than in other countries. The good news is that coffee producers, coffee exporters and the government are working together to improve the image of Peruvian coffee worldwide. One can say with confidence that the future looks bright for Peruvian coffee.

A few interesting facts about the Peruvian coffee regions,

Northern Region: The largest coffee growing areas in this region are Jan, Bagua, San Ignacio, Cajamarca, Piura, Amazonas and San Martin.

• Coffees from this region are typically the most unreliable and difficult to categorize. This is the newest area to produce coffee, with the highest number of uneducated coffee farmers and traders, and the biggest distance from Lima. Clean northern coffees have a smoky, earthy flavor and are the mildest of Peru. There are, however, some northern coffees that have a superb full body and delicate sweetness as well such as from the Cajamarca area.

Central Region: This region is well suited for coffee shade farming techniques. Many coffee growers follow sustainable agricultural practices and they adhere to organic fertilization and weed control methods which are very good for the environment. The most established coffee farming areas in this region include Villa Rica and La Merced.

• The peak harvest in the Central Region is usually a few months apart from the peak harvest availability of washed Central American coffees. This gives Peruvian coffee producers an advantage in coffee markets although weather fluctuations often have unpredictable effects that can change the supply and demand quickly.

Southern Region: This region includes the smallest coffee growing area of Quillabamba with towns such as Ayacucho, Cuzco and Puno.

• Puno coffees are full-bodied and very citrus-like tasting. Unfortunately, their production is very low per year and they are very rare due to their remote location on the high Bolivia-Peru border. Cuzco is one of the oldest and largest producing areas of Peru. Cuzco is also home to the famous Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. Cuzco coffee offers fruity acidity and it is among the most consistently balanced Peruvian coffees.

What about a delicious cup of Peruvian Shade Grown Organic coffee?

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
Pressure cooker

If you ever wondered where those great-tasting gourmet coffees derive their rich flavor, you might want to take a look at the gourmet beans, the source of delightful coffee the world has come to love. It is not derived from one particular variety, but rather from the very best coffee beans from around the world.

To take your appreciation of gourmet coffee beans to the next level, it might help if you better understand the process that leads us from the freshly picked coffee cherry to the final product, the green beans, ready to be shipped to coffee roasters for roasting. Roasting and grinding of freshly picked green coffee beans are the two very crucial steps in enhancing the rich coffee flavors that’s so very typical of gourmet java.

Natural drying via the sun can produce some truly exquisite gourmet coffee beans, with unique flavors that are rarely experienced in the west. You can select from a wide variety of coffee blends that are made from the choicest beans.

Making a gourmet cup of coffee at home is pleasing and easy to do. All you will need are whole coffee beans, (grinding the beans just before brewing insures the freshest coffee) fresh spring water, light cream and sugar.

Finer grinds are preferred by those who like espresso but true lovers of gourmet coffee will almost invariably go with the coarse ground coffee powder as boiled water takes its own sweet time to pull out the flavor completely, especially in drip type filters.

Where can you purchase bags of gourmet coffee? In addition to coffee shops, which offer already brewed gourmet coffee and bags of gourmet coffee to bring home, more and more grocery stores and supermarkets are carrying it as well. You can find it online, as well.

Avoid buying the ground variety in grocery stores and supermarkets. Always get the whole bean coffee and grind what you need just before brewing.

Various coffee making companies, gourmet coffee shops and boutiques offer gourmet flavored coffee in a variety of flavors. Many coffee-making companies offer gourmet style drinks, including: Gevalia, Green Mountain, San Giorgio, San Francisco Bay, Kona and Javalution.

If you know someone who loves coffee, especially gourmet, a coffee gift basket is the perfect gift any time of the year. Choosing a gourmet coffee gift basket does not need to be hard on your part; there are many manufacturers and distributors of such gift items.

There you have it. Gourmet coffee beans do not just happen; they are grown from the best areas in the world and carefully nurtured to produce the very best beans. The best part is, gourmet coffee is available to anyone today, whether purchased at the corner market or online from a top-rated coffee bean supplier.

Carol Stack has written numerous articles and reviews about coffee and related items. She lives with her husband, three children, and various dogs and cats in the United States. Carol and her sister Barbara are constantly adding to their website dedicated to the enjoyment of coffee. Visit it at: http://www.coffeeloversportal.com

Author: Carol Stack
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Import duty tariff

Coffee is produced in many parts of the globe in over seventy countries including parts of East Africa, India, Indonesia and Vietnam (second largest producer in the world), but here we’re going to concentrate on coffee in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Most Like it Black

Apparently most coffee drinkers in Mexico take it black and believe that the best black coffee comes from their country. I’m sure the natives of many other countries would dispute that and probably the story is apocryphal.

Mexico produces approximately 3.5% of the world’s coffee and the greatest concentration of coffee growing here is in the south of the country but the types are divided into lowland and Altura (high), i.e. grown in mountainous country.

Lowland coffee is mainly grown in Vera Cruz State, on the Gulf of Mexico, east of the central mountain range, whereas Altura Coatepec, a very popular coffee, is grown in the mountains near Coatepec city. Other mountain-grown coffees worthy of note from Vera Cruz State are Altura Orizaba and Altura Huatusco.

In Chiapas State, situated in the south east of Mexico near the border with Guatemala, coffees are also grown in the mountains. The best known of these is Tapachula, named after the town, which has a medium light body and soft flavour.

Oaxaca State is another prolific producer.

Simply the Best

Arguably, Guatemala produces the most interesting tasting coffees in the world, being slightly spicy or smoky on top of a somewhat acidic base.

Coffee growing areas include Antigua (the former capital of Guatemala) and Atitlan, in the central highlands, where the coffee tends to be rich and of spicy acidity in flavour and well-bodied, whereas the coffees grown in the mountains on the Pacific or Caribbean sides are less acidic and more fruity.

Rich and Robust

Of all the coffees in Central America, those of Costa Rica are amongst the most favoured, being full-bodied with a robustly acidic flavour. Most of the coffee here is grown around the area of the capital, San Jose, the most well-known districts being San Marcos de Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia, and Alajuela and it is thought that the height at which the coffee is grown may have more influence on the flavour than actual area or estate.

Major Player

Colombia produces about 10% of the world’s coffee, which can vary in flavour from mild and flavoursome to positively uninteresting.

The better coffees are produced on the slopes of the central and eastern mountain ranges in areas such as Nariño State. Bucaramanga (after the town) produces rich flavoured coffee with low acidity and full body said to resemble that grown in Sumatra. The Bogota (after the capital city), is believed to be one of the most high-grade blends is lower in acidity than the notable Medellin but is still flavoursome.

Much of the coffees is produced by small private growers then processed by the Colombian Coffee Federation. It is this “cooperative” coffee which can vary somewhat in quality.

Coffee in the Caribbean

Jamaica

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is world-renowned for its smoothness and rich flavour. Unfortunately, supply is short and consequently prices are high. Other Jamaican coffees are undistinguished and the “Blue Mountain Style” coffees almost certainly contain coffee grown at much lower altitudes and indeed, may not contain any coffee grown in Jamaica at all.

Low Flyer

Haiti produces a very tiny percentage of the world’s coffee but what it does produce has a pleasant softness and sweetness. This is attributed to the low altitudes at which it is grown, the high rainfall and the volcanic soil of the coffee growing area.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic produces only a small amount more coffee than Haiti but experts are comparing it with the richness and acidity of that grown at high altitudes with that of the Jamaican Blue Mountains. Low grown coffees are softer and less acidic.

There are many other countries in this region which grow coffee but we only have time here to cover a small cross-section.

Liz Canham is webmistress of Coffee All Day.

Author: Liz Canham
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Duty on LCD/Plasma TV

All over the world, people drink coffee from basically one of two types of coffee beans: Arabica beans (“Coffea Arabica”) and Robusta beans (“Coffea Robusta”)

Arabica beans are aromatic, flavorful coffee beans used for gourmet, specialty coffees. The term refers to Coffea Arabica, the taxonomic species named for the genus responsible for about 75% of the world’s commercial coffee crop. Coffea Arabica is a woody perennial evergreen that belongs to same family as Gardenias.

Robusta beans contain twice the caffeine as Arabicas. Robusta beans are somewhat bitter and lack the flavor and aroma of Arabica beans. Robusta beans are used to produce blends, instant and freeze dried coffees.

There are other types of coffee species but they are very rare or non-existent in the export market. As a result, the fact is that we all drink either Arabica or Robusta coffee. Sounds simple, right? Not quite.

There are many “varietals” within Arabica coffee trees which yield coffee beans with distinct flavors and characteristics. This is where the fun begins. To name a few,

ETHIOPIAN COFFEE: Ethiopian Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe. Each is named after their region of origin and they have very distinct flavor characteristics. For example, Ethiopian Harrar is known for its medium body, earthy flavor, almost no acidity and a very smooth mouth feel. This is a complex coffee with light spicy tones and a fruity flavor that some people compare to the taste of dry red wine. As the ‘birthplace of coffee,” Ethiopia has a unique place in the coffee world.

KENYAN COFFEE: Kenyan AA. This coffee comes from the area surrounding Mount Kenya, a region with fertile red volcanic soil. The coffee is known for its very acidic taste you taste right away in the mouth, and then followed by a medium body with an aftertaste of earthy flavor.

TANZANIAN COFFEE: Tanzanian Peaberry focuses on pea berry instead of traditional coffee beans. Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree. Each fruit has two seeds facing each other. On the coffee tree, there is a percentage of the fruit that has a single seed or peaberry and the rest will have two flat beans for the usual two (2) seeds per fruit. The single bean peaberry occurs in less than 5% of any crop and is generally considered to produce a more concentrated flavor.

COLOMBIAN COFFEE: major cultivars of Arabica beans include Bourbon, Caturra, Maragogype and Typica. Colombian coffees also include the name of the growing regions such as Cauca, Nario, Amazonas, Bucaramanga, etc. Colombia accounts for more than a tenth of the world’s entire coffee supply. Colombian Arabica coffee is perhaps the most well-known, partly due to its “living” and successful coffee advertising iconic symbols recognized worldwide, Juan Valdez and Conchita, the mule. The more generic Colombian coffees are rated as Excelso and Supremo. These terms simply refer to the size of the coffee beans, not necessarily to better coffee grades.

COSTA RICAN COFFEE: Costa Rican Tarrazu is a prized Arabica coffee. It is named after the San Marcos de Tarrazu valley, one of the four premium coffee growing districts surrounding the capital city of San Jose. The other varietals include Tres Rios, Heredia and Alajuela. Costa Rican coffees are balanced, clean, with bright acidity featuring citrus or berry-like flavors and hints of chocolate and spice in the finish.

BRAZILIAN COFFEE: Brazil Santos Bourbon comes from the hills of So Paulo state in the south-central portion of the country near the port of Santos. Historically, these Arabica coffee plants were brought to the island of Bourbon now known as the Island of Reunion. Brazil Santos Bourbon is a light bodied coffee, with low acidity, a pleasing aroma and a mild, smooth flavor.

INDONESIAN COFFEE: Java is the most famous Arabica varietal from the island of Java. The top grade of Java coffee is cultivated on former Dutch plantations and is called Java Estate. This is a clean, thick, full body coffee with less of the earthy characteristics that other Indonesia coffees feature, such as Sumatra or Sulawesi. The Java coffees provide a smooth complement to the Yemen Mocha which is very intense. The traditional Mocha Java blend is the combination of Java and Yemen Mocha.

SUMATRAN COFFEE: Sumatra Mandheling and Sumatra Lintong. Sumatra Lintong originates in the Lintong district of Sumatra near Lake Toba. This coffee has a medium, bodied coffee, low acid, sweet with a complex and earthy aroma. Sumatra Mandheling has a rich, heavy body, subdued acidity and unique complex flavor. This coffee actually does not originate in the Mandheling region but is named after the Mandailing people in the north of Sumatra.

HAWAIIAN COFFEE: closer to home, in Hawaii, the best known Arabica varietal is Hawaiian Kona coffee. This Arabica bean grows on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa which makes it not only exclusive to Hawaii but also to the Kona District specifically.

JAMAICAN COFFEE: the Arabica varietal that grows predominantly in the Blue Mountain region of this island is called Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. The Blue Mountains stretch between Kingston and Port Maria in Jamaica. This region enjoys a cool and misty climate. Due to its limited production quantity, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is expensive.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA COFFEE: located just north of Australia, Papua New Guinea coffee cultivation was started in 1937 using imported seeds from Jamaica’s famous Blue Mountain region. As a result, Papua New Guinea has noticeable similarities to Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. The rich volcanic soil and excellent climate produce a mild and mellow, full-bodied coffee with moderate acidity, broad flavor and very interesting aromatics.

Is this all? No, there are many more varietals, brands, and special flavors of Arabica coffee to try and discover.

For now, what about a cup of Ethiopian Harrar or Papua New Guinea coffee?

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

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Electric Pressure Cooker