Coffee is one of the important commodities in the world. It is consumed by many people around the world and plays a major role in some economies in the world. It is traded through some major commodities board around the world, eg New York Board of Trade (NYBOT). Currently, Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer which constitutes about 32% (in 2006) of the total world production.
Coffee is an “addictive” beverage made from grounded roasted coffee beans. The pleasant aroma and flavor that makes it irresistible to coffee lovers. There are many ways to consume this concoction. Some Like It Hot and some like it cold. It can be consumed with or without sweetener, cream, milk or any other combination you can think of. Its very versatile and creative people can create new flavors and aromas. Many companies have built an empire around coffee as Starbucks.
The Origin of Coffee
According to legend, coffee was first discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia during the 9th century by a shepherd called Kaldi. While tending to his herd, he was curious about the strange behavior of his goats. They were happily dancing and jumping after eating strange red berries. He picked the berries and took them to a nearby convent and relates his observation to the priests there. They decided to boil those berries and after drinking the brew, found an extra boost of energy. From start to drink spread to other areas in that region from Egypt to Yemen before Turkey, Persia and parts of Africa.
Coffee eventually reached Europe in 1690 when the Dutch managed to smuggle coffee plants out from Arab countries. It was first introduced in Moka (Mauritius), Sri Lanka, India and finally the island of Java in Indonesia before they finally got back to Europe. It was later introduced to the French Caribbean colonies. The coffee plant eventually spreads throughout the Latin American coffee beans and soon become an important export commodity for some countries here.
Major Coffee Species
There are two major species of coffee plants grown for consumption, namely Coffea arabica Linnaeus (commonly referred to as Arabica) and Coffea canephora (commonly called Robusta). The Arabica variety has a better taste than Robusta, which is very bitter but less aroma. Sometimes, Robusta coffee is used in combination to reduce costs. There are other species of coffee plant Coffea liberica and as Coffea esliaca which is indigenous to Liberia and Sudan respectively.
The Art Of Coffee Roasting
The coffee beans must be roasted before it can be consumed. After the coffee berries are harvested, the berries are stripped of their flesh and only the seed or beans. That is aside to ferment in order to remove the slimy layer present on the coffee beans. When this process is successfully completed, the fermented beans are washed to remove the fermented residue before being dried and graded.
There are several ways to roast coffee, such as traditional roasting, 10 minute quick charge roast, 90 second flash roast and many others. Different methods will give rise to different taste and aroma. Since heat is applied, will solve the coffee beans moisture and turn dark. This is because the natural occurrence of caramelized sucrose. When there is more water in the coffee beans, sugar and acid will begin to release their aroma. This is called the Maillard reaction. The cycle is then halted and beans are cooled and stored. Grinding can be performed and stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Conclusion
Coffee is a favorite drink for many people. It is now available in convenient forms of instant coffee granules. Some creative coffee companies have introduced pre-mixed sachets so that coffee can be consumed anytime, anywhere. Just add hot water and coffee is ready. Canned coffee has also started selling in parts of Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea.
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