Major Coffee Species

 

There are two major species of coffee plants cultivated for consumption, namely Coffea Arabica Linnaeus (commonly referred to as Arabica) and Coffea canephora (commonly called Robusta). The Arabica variety has a better taste compare to Robusta which is much bitter but less aroma. Sometimes, Robusta is used in the coffee blend to reduce cost. There are also other species of coffee plant like Coffea liberica and Coffea esliaca which is indigenous to Liberia and Sudan respectively.

The Art Of Roasting Coffee

 

The coffee beans have to be roasted before it can be consumed. After the coffee berries are harvested, the berries are stripped off their flesh leaving only the seed or beans. It is left aside to ferment in order to remove the slimy layer present on the coffee bean. When this process is completed, the fermented coffee bean is washed to remove fermented residue before being dried and graded.

 

There are several ways to roast coffee, such as traditional roasting, 10 minute quick roast, 90 second flash roast and many others. Different methods will give rise to different taste and aroma. As heat is applied, the coffee beans will loose moisture and turn dark. This is due to the natural occurrence of caramelized sucrose. When there is no more water in the coffee beans, the sugar and acid will begin to release their aroma. This is called the Maillard reactions. The roasting process is then halted and beans cooled and stored. Grinding can be performed and stored in an air tight container to maintain freshness.

Arabica vs Robusta

If you are buying coffee beans for your business and not sure what you should be looking for, read on- this guide will help you to understand the differences between the basic types of coffee, and bust the coffee jargon, so you can decide which variety is right for you.

The two main varieties of coffee plants are arabica and robusta. Arabica originated from Ethiopia, whilst robusta came from Uganda. Both are now grown in several other regions throughout the world, and most coffee is labelled clearly to show which country and region it was grown in. Generally speaking, arabica is superior to robusta, with a much stronger and more distinct flavour- robusta can be bitter and weak-tasting- however the taste also varies depending on which region the coffee comes from, and the processes it is subjected to during growing, shipping, storing and brewing.

You will often find that coffee is described in terms similar to those you might find in wine tasting: the main three categories used are flavour (such as ?sweet? or ?spicy?), aroma (such as ?flowery? or ?chocolaty?), body (such as ?medium-bodied? or ?full-bodied?) and acidity (which refers to how ?sharp? or ?clean? the coffee tastes, NOT to its pH).

When you buy coffee beans, you will probably buy them already roasted, however, you can ?home-roast? them if you choose. Roasting unlocks the flavour from the bean, and the extent to which beans are roasted varies- for example, you can buy ?medium roast? beans, ?Italian roast? beans (?Italian? refers to the roast- it does not indicate that the beans came from Italy), and so on.

It is worth trying out different types of coffee, using the above points as a guide. You will be amazed at the range of flavours out there, and the more effort you make to try the different flavours, the more of an expert you will become.

???Conclusion

 

Coffee is a favorite beverage of many people. It is now available in convenient forms like instant coffee granules. Some creative coffee companies have introduced pre-mixed sachets so that coffee can be consumed at any time, any place. Just add hot water and your coffee is ready. Canned coffee has also started selling in parts of Asia especially Japan and South Korea.

Enjoy en make your favorite caffeinated concoction!