Be a connoisseur
The coffee tasting process is a delicate one, involving several
key factors to assess and discern coffee qualities. The
experienced coffee taster usually starts assessing the color and
appearance of a cup of coffee, followed by the appreciation of
aroma, flavor, bitterness and texture:
Coffee Beans: Different types of coffee beans provide for different
aromas and flavors. Arabica (Coffea Arabica) and Robusta (Coffea
canephora) make up for about 90% of the coffee beans sold
worldwide.
Coffee Aroma: Generated during the roasting of the beans, the aroma is
a mix of over 800 aromatic compounds that make up for the subtle
balance between fruity, nutty, roasty and more caramel-like
aroma notes.
Bitterness: An integral part of the coffee tasting experience,
bitterness provides that sharp, vibrant quality, without which
the beverage would taste flat.
Coffee Texture: By accessing texture, a trained coffee taster can
assess attributes like the body (weight and richness),
smoothness and aftertaste of a coffee. Texture attributes are
key when selecting a type of coffee over another.
Coffee Flavor: Strong linked to aroma, the flavor depends very much on
the coffee species. Experts consider Arabica to be richer and
more aromatic, and Robusta to be more robust and stronger. The
beans' origins and the coffeemakers' expertise do the rest for
the flavor experience.
Brewed or Instant Coffee?: There are many ways to enjoy coffee. Some
people percolate their coffee; others use French presses or
coffee plunger. Then there are also espressos, concentrated
coffee beverages brewed by forcing hot water under pressure
through ground coffee. However, all these take more time to
prepare, compared with the convenience of instant (soluble)
coffee. Just add hot water to coffee powder or granules and
you'll be savoring the perks and pleasures you'd expect from a
great cup of coffee!
About
Espresso
Espresso is a strong, dark-roasted version of coffee that is
brewed through a special steam-extraction process. Espresso
originated in Italy, but it is now popular all over the world.
Many of the recipes in this site use espresso as the main
ingredients. In the past, most people associated the term
espresso with a concentrated and bitter brew. However, there has
been a new awareness of espresso and high quality coffees in
general created within the last several years due to articles in
magazines, newspapers and promotions by the coffee industry. As
a result, the general public has become more sophisticated and
discerning in their taste, and the old reputation for espresso
has been replaced by an enthusiasm for espresso-based drinks as
evidenced by the long lines at the espresso stands.
The term espresso is Italian for fast and primarily describes
the method of preparation. The espresso brewing method uses
pressure rather than gravity to rapidly extract the essence of
the coffee in a concentrated form. Espresso is also used to
describe the blend of beans and the degree of roast for the
beans used to prepare espresso. Espresso roast is one of the
darkest roasts and is characterized by a slightly burnt flavor.
Almost all coffee specialty shops now have commercial espresso
machines and serve both espresso and espresso drinks to a
growing number of enthusiasts. In addition to the specialty
shops, curbside espresso carts and drive-through espresso
windows have sprung up throughout the greater metropolitan area.
Now, it seems that every shopping mall and supermarket has its
own espresso station.
From the coffee orchard to your cup
-
Harvest the coffee beans:
The coffee 'cherries' change from green to deep red or yellow as
they ripen over 9 months, then they are harvested by hand. The
cherries are then either sun-dried or soaked in water to
separate the coffee beans from the skin, pulp and parchment.
-
Roasting coffee beans:
This is when the sugars, fats and starches within the beans are
emulsified, caramelized and released, creating the delicate
coffee oil which provides for the aroma. The temperature and
roasting time affect the color, which in turn determines the
strength of the brew.
-
Grinding the coffee beans:
The beans are then ground into the desired size; course, medium,
fine or very fine.
-
Making instant coffee:
The ground coffee is put into an industrial percolator
containing pressurized hot water to brew highly concentrated
liquid coffee. The coffee liquor, as it is called, can then be
either spray dried or snap frozen then ground again into fine particles.
How about a decaff?
For those of you who prefer to enjoy the full flavor of coffee
without its stimulating effects, there is decaffeinated coffee,
which contains less than 0.3% of caffeine. But how is it made?
Most decaffeination methods consist of soaking the beans in
water to dissolve the caffeine, extracting the caffeine with a
solvent, and then re-soaking the beans in the water to reabsorb
the flavor, creating that some flavorful beverage.
Essence of Coffee
Coffee, the beverage we all relish, has touched our hearts in so
many ways with its rich aroma and irresistible flavor, But those
aren't the only great things about coffee; its benefits on the
mind and body are key in how coffee has found an intimate spot
in your lives.
Coffee and your Mind
Just one cup can result in contentedness, lower anxiety, more
self-confidence and higher motivation! In the morning, it gives
us exactly what we need to tackle the tasks ahead to make it a
great day. At work, coffee enhances cognitive performance,
allowing us to better process information from the world around
us. If you're on the road and fatigue creeps up, get a coffee
and take quick nap to restore alertness. Times with friends and
family are special. Drinking coffee uplifts our mood and lets us
enjoy those special times with our loved ones. Working night
shifts? Drinking coffee can help us maintain day-time alertness
levels at night.
Coffee and your Body
It has been shown that coffee can enhance muscle contraction,
improve neuromuscular transmission and increase peak force
generation. That means you get to exercise at a more intense
pace, for a longer period and gain more from your workouts!
Not only that, in some studies, coffee demonstrated an increase
in metabolism after consumption. The higher you fat metabolic
rate, the faster your body breaks down fat and the better you
look and feel.
There are misconceptions that drinking coffee promotes diseases.
However, the years of research until today have not uncovered
any sound evidence to support them. Conversely, studies are
increasingly pointing towards coffee's possible preventive
effects on certain diseases!
Coffee Myths and Mysteries
So great was the mystique ascribed to coffee, that conjecture
over the who, how and when of the invention of the beverage and
the discovery of its properties was intense. Doctors, lawyers,
poets and philosophers all had their pet theories and great
kudos was linked to association with the so-called "discovery".
As a result, in medieval Arabia and later in the 17th century
Europe, stories and legends were rife.
