Coffee’s roots are widely debated and like a fine wine, are shrouded in mystery and Romance. There are many versions of how this extraordinary beverage came to be. The most famous and well known is the legend of Kaldi, a third century monk living in Ethiopia.
It is believed that this monk discovered the Arabica coffee bean (indigenous to Ethiopia) when he found his goats dancing wildly after eating the cherries from a bush. He tried the cherries himself and enjoyed their stimulating effects so much that he shared them with the other monks. It soon became a religious ceremonial drink to keep them awake during their long hours of prayer at night.
The Emergence of Coffee as a Beverage
Coffee first emerged in the form similar to tea today. The leaves from coffee shrubs were boiled in water and the liquid was consumed “black”. This preparation technique gave way to the use of cherries and later the roasted seeds of cherries known as coffee beans.
It did not take long for the popularity of coffee to spread, and as a result a great demand was created for drink. Coffee is both a functional beverage (a wake-me-up) as well as a sensual experience. An understanding of the romance and history of coffee is integral to truly enjoy a fine cup of coffee. Few people realize the history they hold in their cup!The Cultivation of Coffee
The coffee tree grows at altitudes between sea level and 6,000 feet (1829 meters). Botanically, the coffee tree is an evergreen shrub and can grow as high as 10 feet. It is kept trimmed to facilitate harvesting methods. The coffee tree produces hard green cherries, which turn bright red when ripe. Arabica trees are left to mature for a five-year period before they are put into production. Numerous stages of development occur simultaneously.
Coffee is derived form a cherry and is, in fact, a fruit and not a bean, as many people think. (The bean is actually the pit of the cherry.) There are usually two hard green and waxy beans inside each cherry.
How Coffee is grown
Similar to winemaking, coffee farming is a very delicate and intricate process. Gloria Jean’s Coffees identifies growers who take pride in quality and we only buy coffee from the finest grower throughout the world. The prices are usually somewhat higher, but the superior quality makes it worthwhile. Not all Arabica Coffees are of the quality that Gloria Jean’s Coffees will select. We carefully choose only the very best of the Arabica Coffees!
The coffee plant begins as a shrub, living in seedbeds in a nursery until it is approximately 3 inches high. The seedling is then transplanted into pots, where after a year, it is re-planted in the ground. The cherries on the shrub require the perfect balance of shade, rain and sunshine, and thrive in warm, humid climates.
Arabica and Robusta
Arabica coffee represents 75% of the world’s coffee production. It is generally grown on high plains at altitudes above 4,000 feet (1220 meters). Robusta, a lower quality bean, grows at lower altitudes, ranging from sea level to 4,000 feet (1220 meters).
The Arabica bush takes approximately 5 years to mature and is harvested at most 2 times per year. The Robusta bush on the other hand reaches maturity in approximately two years and is harvested up to 4 times per year. The Robusta is more resilient, bears more cherries, is more resistant to disease and has a higher yield. For these reasons, the Robusta is more commonly used and is the cheapest of coffees.
The Art of Hand-Picking Coffee Cherries
Each cherry must be picked at exactly the right time and handled with extreme care to deliver the highest quality and full-flavoured coffee. The pickers must have a great deal of expertise because the difference between a ripe cherry and an over-ripe one can mean as little as two or three days. Over-ripe cherries are purplish in colour and if left on tree too long, will begin to ferment. Once fermented, they are known as “stinkers”. A coffee that has been picked before it has fully ripened is called a “quakers”. Because of the various stages of maturity for each shrub, workers must continually return to the same trees.Coffee Growing Regions
Latin America
o Costa Rica produces some of the world’s finest wet-process coffees. At its best, it balances acidity, body, and flavourful richness.
o Mexico the very best of Mexican coffees have a delicately balanced acidity and are smooth with a hint of sweetness and nutty overtones
o Brazil is the worlds leading coffee growing nation producing 29% of the world’s coffee. Brazilian coffee is typically dry processed and is often described as having a “nutty” flavour.
o Colombia’s coffee is carefully handpicked, wet-processed and beans are graded according to their size, not their quality. Colombian Supremo, large, bold beans, is Colombia’s finest quality coffee.
Africa and the Middle East
o Ethiopia – Coffee is indigenous to Ethiopia, where it was found growing wild in the third century. Much of Ethiopia’s coffee crop goes un-picked because it cannot be accessed by roads. Ethiopian coffee is processed by the dry method and has a pungent exotic quality and a vigorous spicy aroma.
o Kenya – With the most rigid grading and production systems, beans are classified by growing district, bean size and by letters (AA being the largest and highest quality, followed by A, B). Kenya AA produces a cup that is sharp and bright with the perfect balance of acidity.
o Yemen – Yemen Mocha coffee is rich and dark, and can be described as chocolate-like. It is common misconception that the word “mocha” means a chocolate-flavoured coffee. In fact, Mocha is a port in Yemen.
Asia-Pacific
o Indonesia coffees are the fullest bodied coffees in the world. Sumatra, in particular, is famous for its full-bodied, tangy and exotic flavour qualities.
o Vietnam is now one of the world’s largest producers of coffee, however, most Vietnamese coffees are low-grade Robusta.
Roasting Scale
Usually, coffee is being roasted using the batch system, with four different degrees of roast. This allows us to find the perfect roasting temperature and time for each specific bean. It also allows a unique system of quality control.
American or Medium
Our American roast, commonly referred to as medium roastchestnut brown in colour, formally called medium. It is delicate with stronger flavour overtones. It is an excellent roast level by itself and tends to be more acidic than the darker roasts. Gloria Jean’s Special Blend and Colombian Supremo are American roast coffees.
Viennese
Viennese is the roast we use for a few special coffee blends. It s a medium to dark roast. This roast uses beans that are roasted or on average length of time but at a slightly higher temperature at the end of the roast. The result is a full-bodied but never bitter cup of coffee. It is an excellent all purpose coffee or base for blends. One example is our dark brown and slightly oily Gloria Jean’s Black Gold.
French
French Roast is a dark roast. It is very dark brown with an oily surface. It gives the coffee a complex taste, which is highly flavoured for both its strength and bittersweet flavour. Because These beans are roasted at a higher temperature, the aromatic oils within the bean are further developed and drawn to the surface of the bean where they caramelize and turn in deep, rich brown.
Italian
The Italian Roast is the darkest roast giving the bean a very dark colour and a shiny oily surface. This roast produces a brew that is rich, assertive and extremely flavourful. While this exquisite looking coffee has a much more intense flavour, it is lower in acid than lighter roasted coffees. Gloria Jean’s Coffees has a great Italian roast called Paradiso Blend Dark Roast. It is perfect for espresso and popular among our customers desiring a dark-roasted coffee.
Even the best coffee beans can be ruined by incorrect or uneven roasting. Gloria Jean’s Coffees roasts in small batches which gives each bean the individual tempering and care it needs to fully evolve its unique flavour characteristics. When blending our coffees, it is important to take into consideration the ideal roasting for each bean. Some beans need to be roasted separately, while other beans can be roasted together. Few commercial roasters have the expertise or patience to do this.
The Decaffeination Process
Caffeine is a mild central nervous system stimulant, found in over 60 species of plants and trees. Caffeine takes effect approximately 5 minutes after digestion, reaching its peak effectiveness level in 20-30 minutes. The body clears itself of caffeine within 3 to 6 hours.
Decaffeination
• A coffee must have 97% of its caffeine removed in order to qualify as a decaffeinated coffee
• Decaffeinated coffees cost more because of additional labor and transportation cost involved in the decaffeination process.
The Swiss water Method
The Swiss Water Method uses a patented Flavour Protection Process that maintains the full flavour of each and every bean. Consumers also care about naturally decaffeinated coffee. Swiss Water is all natural, using only pure water and guaranteed to be 100% chemical free.
The Process
o The first batch of beans is soaked in water. This removes the caffeine and saturates the water with coffee flavour. This first batch of beans is discarded and the water is charcoal filtered to remove the caffeine.
o A second batch of beans is soaked in the same water. The coffee saturated water will not absorb anymore coffee flavour, but will still remove the caffeine. This second batch of Gloria Jean’s beans is now decaffeinated and shipped to us for roasting.
o The water is used for a few batches, and then discarded and the process repeated.
Cupping Coffees
All roasters use a method of tasting the finished coffee product called cupping. Similar to a wine tasting, you do not swallow the coffee.
Experts “cuppers” begin by roasting a small batch of beans. The beans are then ground and placed in a cup. Hot water is poured over the grounds and the cupper starts by checking the aroma of the coffee. The coffee is then tasted. Expert coffee tasters never swallow the coffee they taste, as it would numb their taste buds.
Coffee Cupping Terms
o Flavour - The way in which the tongue interprets the aromatic characteristics of the coffee. It conveys a specific taste or flavour such as chocolate, nutty, spicy or smoky.
o Acidity or Brightness – The zing, or life in a cup of coffee. It can be described as a pleasant tangy or sharp feeling left on the sides of your tongue.
o Body – The sense of heaviness or thickness of coffee in your mouth. A full-bodied coffee will feel as if it has more volume and texture, while a light-bodied coffee will seem to be very watery or thin.
o Aroma – The immediate appeal to the olfactory (smelling) senses. Aroma often sets up a level of taste expectation just before the coffee touches your tongue.
o Finish – The finish of a coffee is literally the aftertaste. A finish can be described as clean (quick) on one end of the scale or as lingering (long) on the other.
N.B. Gloria Jean's Coffees Robinsons Galleria branch is conducting "Coffee Sessions with the Acadame." This 3-hour seminar that talks about the history of coffee, how it emerged as a beverage, different kinds of coffees, where they are normally grown, among others.
A brief introduction to the Barista Basics is also included. This seminar is particularly useful for Hotel and Restaurant Management Students.
For inquiries, please call telephone number (02) 635-4568, and look for Mr. Raymond Landig.
