The Hidden Mystery Behind Coffee

the-hidden-mystery-behind-coffee

Demystifying Coffee

There is nothing more refreshing and heart-warming than the smell of rich, dense coffee in the morning. It is a beverage drunk around the world and has a long, eventful history. For coffee lovers starting the day without a well-brewed cup of coffee may seem impossible to envision.

The humble coffee bean is currently the second most traded commodity globally, and it all started with small red beans found on tiny trees in the Ethiopian plateau. According to most sources, the discovery of coffee beans in Ethiopia occurred as early as 700 A.D, and the commodity was first traded outside Africa into the Middle East during the 15th Century. The first ship carrying coffee beans landed in Yemen at a place called 'mocha.' From Yemen, the popularity of coffee spread to Egypt, Persia, and Turkey. At one time, the beverage became so popular and widely consumed that it had to be restricted as people were afraid of the stimulating effects it produced.

Arab traders spread coffee to as far-off places as Indonesia in the East to Italy in the West. Soon the demand for coffee grew so much that the Middle Eastern nations no longer monopolized coffee bean cultivation.

Coffee, as we know it today, is a major industry. Brazil is the largest producer of coffee beans, and coffee is among the top beverages consumed worldwide. Coffee making is an art and a science. Roasting the beans and perfecting brew is an expertise that must learn over time.

Coffee Beans-Encapsulating Taste:

Most of us have seen coffee beans; they are a deep brown color, have an oblong shape, and are rounded on one side. It all begins with small trees or shrubs native to Africa. The coffee plant has red or purple fruits that are referred to as cherries. The coffee bean is the seed or pip inside the fruit. Each fruit has two seeds inside, so a single coffee bean has a flat side and a rounded one. The seeds are called beans simply due to their appearance.

Most coffee drunk worldwide is one of two varieties; Arabica, which accounts for 60% of all commercial coffee beans sold, and Robusta, which makes up the remaining 40%. The coffee berries are picked when ripe, and the beans are extracted from them. The beans are dried and processed by having their husks removed and polished to improve their appearance and taste of the beans. At this stage, the beans do not look the kind of beans people are used to seeing in coffee shops as they are still green.

Transforming the Bean

The transformation process that turns the green seed of the coffee plant into the rich, brown bean is simple: roasting. The beans are roasted at high temperatures; most places maintain a temperature of 550 Fahrenheit. The beans are being constantly tossed and moved throughout the process to prevent them from burning, and once the beans reach temperatures of 400 Fahrenheit, they start changing color, and the caffeoyl begins to come out. Caffe is the strong-smelling oil that gives the roasted bean its signature aroma, it that rich coffee smell that every coffee drinker is all too aware of.

This process of roasting the bean produces the coffee bean packed full of flavor and aroma, which is used to make the beloved drink we know as coffee. The beans are immediately cooled and sealed to be sold off. The roasting process is generally done after the beans have been imported, and the idea is to sell them off to the customer as soon as possible so that the beans retain the maximum flavor.

Decoding Flavor Profiles

Most people know that the roasting of coffee beans is an extremely important step in prepping the beans for commercial sale. The roasting process is done after the coffee beans are imported, and once the process is over, the beans are quickly sealed, ready for sale to retain the maximum flavor.

Sometimes, however, roasted coffee beans may make coffee that varies widely in flavor and aroma, even when the coffee-making process is identical. This is because of the different types of coffee beans used. There are three primary types of coffee beans that are commercially sold around the world. These include Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa.

  • Arabica:

This is the most commonly coffee bean variety sold and consumed. 60% of all coffee beans used for making coffee are of the Arabica variety. It is grown in high-altitude regions where there is plenty of rainfall and shade available. The coffee beans of the Arabica variety are full of aroma and have a rich flavor profile.

  • Robusta:

The Robusta variety of coffee beans grow on plants that are more resistant to the elements and diseases. They can easily grow in warmer climates and even survive with infrequent rainfall. Robusta beans have a higher caffeine content while having a rich, slightly chocolaty flavor. Most milk coffees make use of Robusta beans since they go well together.

  • Liberica:

These are much rarer. Liberica coffee beans are large and irregularly shaped. While it is not commonly used for making regular coffee, the Liberica bean is full of unique flavors. It is said to have a smoky or even fruity or floral taste profile.

Making The Perfect Blend

The type of roast and coffee bean used to play a critical part in the final flavor of the coffee. How aromatic, rich, and full of caffeine a cup of coffee is depends on many different factors. The richest and most flavorful results are produced by medium to dark roasts since the oils have had the time to come out.

Choosing The Best Coffee Beans:

Making sure you get the best beans is never easy. It can be hard to identify the type of roast just by looking at beans at times, especially if you are not an expert. Some companies even wrongly label roasts, so it is hard to trust labels. One thing you can always rely on is Altruistic Joe Shop coffee. We deliver the best coffee beans with the most reliable roasts. You can choose from our year-round blends that deliver consistency in taste profiles through and through. These include the Big Iron Blend, a medium-dark roast, the Cream & Crimson Blend, with a light-medium roast, the Smokehouse Dark Roast, a straight-up dark roast, and the Wake-up! Espresso Roast, a medium to dark roast. The range covers all the different roast types, so you can find one to suit your needs.

Coffee Beans You Can't Miss Out On

If you wish to experience our seaonal beans, then the single-origin coffees are a must. These are sourced from specific regions and farms around the world and deliver a unique flavor. You can choose from a variety of four different coffee beans available at the time of this post (in addition to our Colombian Unleaded Decaf), which include:

  • Ethiopian Heirloom, a light-medium roast from the Guji Zone of Ethiopia, has character notes of blueberry, earl grey, and peach.

  • Guatemalan Huehuetenango, a true medium roast from a small Guatemalan farm called Finca Los Angeles, has character notes of candy bar, caramel, and raisin.

  • Colombia Huila, a light-medium roast from the community of Las Mercedes in the Huila region of Colombia, has character notes of milk chocolate, cashew, and apple.

  • Costa Rica Naranjo Reserve, a light-medium roast from a micro-lot in Llano Bonito, Naranjo, has character notes of sweet strawberry and milk chocolate.

Our coffee bean variety has something for everyone. Whether you like a coffee that is full body and has a rich scent or one that has more balanced qualities, Altruistic Joe Shop has a coffee for you!

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