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All about coffee and friends

In the commercial coffee trade, there are two main coffee species – Arabica and Canephora (more commonly called Robusta).

The Arabica bean differs from its counterpart the Robusta, in that it is flatter and slightly longer in shape. It produces a milder coffee that has a softer aromatic flavour.

In comparison, Robusta beans are higher in caffeine (about 50-60% more) and have a stronger, more nutty flavour. Robusta beans are more cost effective and are used in instant and blended coffees.

Did you know? Coffee is a most complex beverage, boasting over 800 flavour and aroma influencing components. Wine, by comparison has only 150.

Facts You Should Know About Coffee

The coffee bean does not just fall off the coffee tree and get shipped to your local supermarket. It takes three-to-four years for a coffee seed to grow into a tree that produces coffee beans. The process starts with the coffee cherries, which take nearly a year to mature after the flowering of the fragrant, white blossoms.

Coffee trees can live for as long as 20-30 years and are capable of growing in a wide variety of climates. During harvest, coffee cherries are hand-picked. It takes roughly 2,000 cherries (4,000 beans) to produce 450 g of roasted coffee! Roasting is a temperature controlled process that transforms the raw coffee beans into the fragrant, dark brown beans with which we are most familiar.

PRO TIP! Once roasted, the beans should be used as quickly as possible before the flavour and aroma can weaken.

Possibly the single most important consideration in the pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee is to buy your coffee whole (as in non-ground) and to grind it yourself just before brewing.

Everything You Need To Know About Coffee Roasts 

There are four distinct colour categories, but never be afraid to ask what roast you are getting before you buy.  There can be a world of difference between roasts!

Light Roasts

Light brown colour. The bean is not roasted for long enough for the oil to surface on the bean and so it creates a milder coffee.

Medium Roasts

Medium brown colour. It too has a non-oily surface, however, it does have a stronger flavour, which is preferred in the US (often referred to as the ‘American Roast’).

Medium-Dark Roasts

Rich, brown colour. Some oil on the surface of the bean, which gives a strong flavour with a slight bittersweet aftertaste.

Dark Roasts

Dark, rich colour. These oily-surfaced, shiny black beans are roasted for a long time in order to achieve their pronounced bitterness. (SIDE NOTE: the darker the bean, the less acidity you will taste in your coffee).

But what about blends?

A blend is where two or more different roasts from different regions are blended together to create a unique coffee flavour profile. In ancient times, when coffee was shipped from the famous 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 in Indonesia on the island of Java, thus making popular the first coffee blend – Mocha Java.

A note on flavour: Trying to pinpoint the different tastes and flavour notes of individual roasts is as personal as putting the taste of wine into words. In both these instances, there is nothing better than your own individual palate.