Coffee

Coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular beverage on earth According to an estimate, as many as 500 million people are involved directly or indirectly in the global coffee trade. Coffee is the most actively traded commodity on the planet after petroleum. Still, most people are in the dark about what this stuff is – and consequently in the dark about what makes a good cup.

 

We'll gloss over the particulars for now, but coffee as we know it is the seed from the ripened fruit of a shrub or tree native to Africa . It grows best in tropical climates at higher elevations and is cultivated commercially on five continents. The two species of commercial interest are Coffea arabica (arabica coffee) and Coffea canephora (robusta) with arabica beans being the tastier of the two.

 

People in the “specialty coffee” trade talk a lot about the seed to cup chain – a seemingly insurmountable series of events from plant to pour that determine whether your coffee tastes like paradise or poo. The selection of cultivar, the long husbandry of the plants, the altitude and quality of the land, the climate, the care exercised in harvesting, the meticulousness of the processing, the practices of the dry mill, the rough travel of export, the competency of the roaster and the many variables of right brewing all come to play in what happens in your cup.

 

Finding a good cup of coffee can be hard, and a great cup of coffee can be really elusive. The vast array of brands, styles, certification labels, and drink preparation methods make it all the more confusing. This week I'll be dropping some pointers on how to find the beans and brews that can help you up your coffee game.