Full Of Beans – Know Your Coffee
The Daily Grind…
Our days start with a hot cup of coffee, many of us cannot function without it…
Supermarkets, fine food grocers and coffee shops in Hermanus are all hoping on the roasting band wagon and we now have access to an array of blends, ground or non ground coffee from all over the world. Trouble is what is a good choice if purchasing a bag of one of the most sought after products in the world?
History:
The history of coffee reads like a page from one of children’s story books. The legend goes that in the Ethiopian Highlands, Kaldi a goatherd noticed that his goats, upon eating berries from a certain tree, became so spirited that they did not want to sleep.
He reported his findings to an Abbot who then made a drink from the berries thus discovering that it did in fact keep him awake and alert for hours. He shared his findings with the rest of the monastery and so the knowledge spread of what we know today as coffee.
Today this wonderful rich blend that we so worship in the morning is grown world wide, wether is is from the far reaches of the pacific or Asia, all can be traced back to the ancient coffee forests of the Ethopian Highlands.
North America and the Caribbean:
Hawaii: Kona Coffee, from the this large island, is best known and in high demand. Kona is carefully processed and produces a deliciously rich, aromatic cup of medium body.
Mexico: Coffee farmers number over 100,000 in Mexico and this place ranks as one of the highest coffee growing regions in the world. A cup of Mexican coffee can offer a wonderful aroma and a depth of flavour, often with a pronounced sharpness.
Puerto Rico: Coffee was brought to Puerto Rico from Martinique in 1736 and by the late 19th century Puerto Rico was the 6th leading exporter of coffee in the world. There are two major growing regions in the area: Grand Lares in the south and Yauco Selecto in the south west. Extraordinary coffees come from both these regions, they are noted for balanced body, acidity and fruity aroma.
Central America
Guatemala: Guatemala’s coffees have a distinctive taste a quality favoured by many for its rich flavour. The coffee plantations are grown at over an altitude of 4500, strongly influencing the flavours of the coffee from this region.
Costa Rica: A country with a reputation for fine coffee. Costa Rica produces only wet processed arabicas. With its medium body and sharp acidity, coffee lovers describe a Costa Rican coffee as having the ‘perfect balance.’
South America
Columbia: Colombia, the world’s best-known producer of coffee. They take this position very seriously and work hard at maintaining it. The care put into insuring a supreme blend of coffee results in consistently good, mild coffees, with a well-balanced acidity.
Brazil: The coffee plantations in Brazil often cover large areas of land, need hundreds of people to manage and operate them, and produce huge quantities of coffee. A fine cup of Brazilian is a clear, sweet, medium-bodied, low-acid coffee.
Africa and Middle East
Ethiopia: Coffee from Ethiopia comes from one of three main growing regions — Sidamo, Harer or Kaffa, the bag normally bears one of those names on it. Ethiopian coffee tends is full flavoured, a bit down-to-earth and full bodied.
Kenya: Kenyan coffee is well-known and well-liked, both in both the U.S.A and Europe. Kenyan beans produce a cup with a sharp, fruity acidity, combined with full body and rich fragrance.
West Africa
Ivory Coast: Coffees from the Ivory Coast are strong and aromatic with a light body and acidity. They are ideally suited for a darker roast and are therefore, often used in espresso blends.
The Arabian Peninsula
Yemen: Coffee was first commercially cultivated here and one still finds coffee growing in the age-old, century. Centuries ago, when coffee was shipped from the Yemeni port of Mocha to destinations all over the world, the word ‘Mocha’ became synonymous with Arabian coffee. The Dutch combined Arabian coffee with coffee grown on the island of Java, thus making popular the first coffee blend—one that is still well-known today—Mocha Java.
Asia
Indonesia: Indonesian coffees are noted for their richness, full body and mild acidity. The coffee plant was introduced to Indonesia by Dutch colonists in the 17th century and soon led the world’s production.
Vietnam: Coffee came to this country in the19th century when French missionaries brought arabica trees from the island of Bourbon and planted them around Tonkin. Vietnamese coffee has a light acidity and mild body with a good balance, thus making it good for blending.
Coffee is now grown in over 50 countries across the globe.
How to store coffee:
The best way in which to store your coffee and retain the flavour is by keeping it away from moisture, light and heat. Store it in an airtight glass or ceramic container in the cupboard. Remember to buy the right amount as to how quickly you use it, coffee beans can keep for between 1 to 2 weeks.
The Various Coffee Roasts:
Lights Roasts: Light brown in colour. This roast is generally preferred for milder coffee varieties
- Light City
- Half City
- Cinnamon
- New England
Medium Roasts: Medium brown in colour with a stronger flavour.
- City
- American
- Breakfast
Dark Roasts: Dark roast coffees run from slightly dark to charred with a pronounced bitterness.
- High
- Continental
- New Orleans
- European
- Espresso
- Viennese
- Italian
- French
Source: The National Coffee Association USA
Looking to enjoy a cup of coffee in Hermanus, find all the coffee shops right here!
Be sure to check your beans before you buy them!
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