When considering the very best coffees in the world, I went to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) for research. They are the business that sets the product quality standards for specialty coffee, which the public calls “gourmet” coffee. All specialty coffees use arabica beans. The other category of could be the robusta bean, which can be of inferior taste quality to arabica. Within these categories, there are numerous types of bean. Arabica beans are grown at a higher altitude than robusta.
Coffee is the 2nd most traded commodity in the world and is graded in a similar manner as wine. This event is named a “cupping” and has some strict standards. Winning a cupping is extremely prestigious and features a direct influence on the prices a coffee grower could possibly get for his crop.
History of those “cupping” winners indicates that three areas of the entire world produce the absolute most winners. Interestingly, these regions have a very similar latitude when looking at the entire world map. The three regions are Ethiopia, Sumatra and Panama.
Ethiopian/Kenyan Coffee (Africa)
Ethiopian coffee is aromatic, highly flavorful, and also considered to be some of the best coffees in the world. It is also the origin of most coffee. The Ethiopian folks have a legend that says that a goat herder discovered Ethiopian coffee around 850 AD. 磨豆機香港 This legend claims that the goat herder noticed that his sheep were very excited and nearly dancing after eating red berries from the tree. The legend of the founder goes on to say that the herder sampled the red berries for himself and took a few of the berries home to his wife who insisted that he bring them to the monks. The monks supposedly threw the berries in to a fire and noticed the delicious smell that the berries produced. The monks are said to own removed the berries from the fire and boiled the berries in water to produce the beverage that we now know as Ethiopian coffee.
Whether this legend is true, or in fact merely a legend is forever a mystery. Regardless, Ethiopian coffee has been used for religious ceremonies. These ceremonies are still held today and if a guest is invited to take part in the ceremony, it is well known to be always a very beautiful experience.
Locally, Ethiopian coffee is served with either sugar, or in certain elements of Ethiopia, salt. Milk or almost any creamer is never used in traditionally brewing. The method of earning the coffee varies by region. In certain regions it is dry processed and in certain other regions it is washed. The Ethiopian coffee present in stores today is dry processed.
The method is frequently grueling and coupled with with importing adds to the reason of why Ethiopian coffee could be expensive.
When consumers purchase Ethiopian coffee to be brewed in the home, it is smart to consider fair trade Ethiopian coffee. The most obvious reason to take into account fair trade is so your producers with this wonderful product can reap the benefits of their hard work. Ethiopian coffee has a rich, bold, and exciting history and a taste that’s been favored by many people for a long time.
Sumatran Coffee (Indonesia)
Sumatran coffee arises from the island in Indonesia called Sumatra. The taste of Sumatran coffee is spicy, herbal, and very distinct. It’s regarded as being one of the best coffees in the world and was first introduced by the Dutch around 1699 when the Dutch wanted to steadfastly keep up with the demand of coffee to Europe. The Dutch traders knew the difference between Sumatran coffee beans and other coffee beans by the look, which are irregularly shaped and bright green.
Sumatran coffee is one of the best coffees in the world and features a low acidity which makes it highly favored among other types of coffee. The beans are often grown entirely sunlight and without chemicals. A very popular form of Sumatran coffee, yet thoroughly disgusting in several peoples opinion, could be the kopi luwak Sumatran coffee. The kopi luwak coffee is coffee beans which have been eaten by the little animal known as a luwak. Following the luwak digests and excretes the coffee beans, local villagers collect the excreted beans and roast them. These excreted and roasted beans are believed to cost about $300 a pound. Obviously, not all of Sumatran coffee arises from the excrement of the luwak. There are lots of other types of Sumatran coffee as well.
All of the Sumatran coffee beans are processed utilizing the wet and dry processing method. This processing method is another reasons why Sumatran coffee is so popular. Other types of coffee beans are processed by utilizing either a damp method or a dried method, seldom both.
When purchasing Sumatran coffee for use in the home, a person should try to get fair trade Sumatran coffee. Fair trade beans are available at various online stores and also at gourmet coffee retailers. This insures that the growers take advantage of most of the work that they put into growing this delicious coffee.
Sumatran coffee features a taste unlike every other and once you check it out yourself, you may find so it will quickly replace your present brand or at least be a coffee that becomes one of your favorites.
Panamanian Coffee (Central America)
Although Panama is the tiniest of most coffee producing countries, they grow the majority of the best rated coffees every year. The coffee region surrounds town of Boquete in the western province of Chiriqui near the Costa Rican border. Some say Panama has the perfect micro climate to cultivate coffee receiving winds from the north and also a light mist and cool breeze. All of the coffee is grown on farms and is named an Estate coffee which signifies the farm it is from.
The method includes hand picking, washing and sun drying. The farms work closely with the indigenous people enhancing the city with social, medical and educational services. Due to this, fair trade is not a concern. It is a harmonious relationship between farm and worker.
For years, coffee from Panama was not well known amongst the public but the product quality was apparent to the traders. So much so, this 1 trader was caught selling the reduced cost Panamanian coffee beans as Hawaiian Kona beans, a much well known high end arabica bean.
Currently, Panamanian coffee has come of age winning numerous cuppings to the stage in 2003 when the competition was changed. Previously, each entry was individual and Panamanian entrants would win as much as five of ten awards. Now, they have groupings and each group can produce as much as two winners that move up to the next level.
It should be noted that although Panamanian coffee has been established as the very best in the region, wonderful coffees do come from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Columbia.
Although the majority of the world favors the western coffees, a genuine coffee lover should really be adventurous and taste the very best coffees of the world. Try Ethiopian and Sumatran coffees along with those that are in close proximity to those regions. You may well be surprised at everything you have now been missing.