What is coffee?

 Coffee Beans

What is coffee?

• Coffee is a world wide loved beverage, that can be brewed or boiled, with a dark, acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of a plant named, as you would suspect, coffee plant. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in many countries,. It's one of the most-consumed beverages in the world.
• Coffee berries, which contain the coffee seeds or "beans", are produced by several species of small bush of the Coffea genus. The two coffee berries most commonly grown are the well known coffeea Arabica, and the hardier coffea Canephora(resistant to the devastating coffee leaf rust). From start to finish coffee beans go through many stages like processing, drying, roasting, grounding, brewing etc.

What is coffee - Biology

Coffee canephora berries

From biology we must understand that all coffee plants are included in the large family Rubiaceae. They are evergreen (they remain unwithered through the winter, or retain unwithered leaves until the leaves of the next year are expanded) shrubs or small trees that may grow 5 m (15 ft) tall. The leaves are dark green and glossy, usually 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide. The flowers are axillary, and clusters of fragrant white flowers bloom simultaneously and are followed by oval berries of about 1.5 cm (0.6 in). Green when immature, they ripen to yellow, then crimson, before turning black on drying. Coffea arabica is predominantly self-pollinating. In contrast, Coffea canephora, C. excelsa, and C. liberica are self-incompatible and require outcrossing. This means that useful forms and hybrids must be propagated vegetatively.

What is coffee - Cultivation

The traditional method of planting coffee is to put 20 seeds in each hole at the beginning of the rainy season; half are eliminated naturally. A more effective method of growing coffee is to raise seedlings in nurseries that are then planted outside. Coffee is often intercropped with food crops, such as corn, beans, or rice during the first years of cultivation.

Coffee flowers

Of the two main species grown, arabica coffee is generally more highly regarded than robusta coffee. Robusta tends to be bitter and have less flavor but better body than arabica. For these reasons, about three-quarters of coffee cultivated worldwide is C. arabica. Robusta strains also contain about 40–50% more caffeine than arabica. For this reason, it is used as an inexpensive substitute for arabica in many commercial coffee blends. Good quality robusta beans are used in some espresso blends to provide a full-bodied taste, a better foam head and to lower the ingredient cost.

However, Coffea canephora is less susceptible to disease than C. arabica and can be cultivated in lower altitudes and warmer climates where C. arabica will not thrive. Over 900 species of insect have been recorded as pests of coffee crops worldwide. Of these, over a third are beetles, and over a quarter are bugs. Some 20 species of nematodes, 9 species of mites, several snails and slugs also attack the crop. Birds and rodents sometimes eat coffee berries but their impact is minor compared to invertebrates.

What is coffee - Ecology

Originally, coffee farming was done in the shade. Remnant forest trees were used for this purpose, but many species have been planted as well. This method is commonly referred to as the traditional shaded method, or "shade-grown". Starting in the 1970s, many farmers switched their production method to sun cultivation, in which coffee is grown in rows under full sun with little or no forest. This causes berries to ripen more rapidly and bushes to produce higher yields, but requires the clearing of trees and increased use of fertilizer and pesticides, which damage the environment and cause health problems. Ultimately, unshaded coffee enhanced by fertilizer use yields the highest amounts of coffee, although unfertilized shaded crops generally yield higher than unfertilized unshaded crops—namely the response to fertilizer is much greater in full sun. Although traditional coffee production causes berries to ripen more slowly and produce lower yields, the quality of the coffee is allegedly superior. In addition, the traditional shaded method provides living space for many wildlife species. Proponents of shade cultivation say environmental problems such as deforestation, pesticide pollution, habitat destruction, and soil and water degradation are the side effects of the practices employed in sun cultivation.

Coffee Plantation

A "shade-grown" and organic coffees campaign has been led by the American Birding Association, National Arbor Day Foundation and the Rainforrest Alliance. Shaded coffee cultivation systems show greater biodiversity than full-sun systems, and those more distant from continuous forest compare rather poorly to undisturbed native forest in terms of habitat value for some bird species.

Another issue concerning coffee is its use of water. Using industrial farming practices, it takes about 140 liters (37 U.S. gal) of water to grow the coffee beans needed to produce one cup of coffee, and the coffee is often grown in countries where there is a water shortage, such as Ethiopia. By using sustainable methods, the amount of water usage can be dramatically reduced, while retaining comparable yields. For comparison one egg requires an input of 454 liters (120 U.S. gal) of water; one serving of milk requires an input of 246 liters (65 U.S. gal) of water; one serving of rice requires an input of 132 liters (35 U.S. gal) of water; and one glass of wine requires an input of 120 liters (32 U.S. gal) of water. Coffee grounds may be used for composting or as a mulch. They are especially appreciated by worms and acid-loving plants such as blueberries.

Best coffee: Espresso Based

There is such a large variety of coffee drinks found all across the world. It is hard to choose from so many types. Tell us if this happened to you. You entered a coffee house, a waitress brought you a menu and you didn't knew what to choose. What is the best coffee type for you? In order to help you figure out that answer we'll present a list with different types of coffee drinks:

Without Milk

• Espresso made by forcing hot water at around 90 °C under  pressure through a "puck" of finely ground coffee. The 30-60 cc beverage is best served in small cups; you can add sugar. It is the basis for many coffee drinks. It remains one of the most concentrated forms of coffee regularly consumed; it has a distinctive flavor provided by crema, a layer of flavorful oils forming a foam floating on the surface, which is produced by the high pressure.
• Ristretto is an espresso drink where the weight of the ground coffee is equal to the weight of the brewed shots. The result is a "shorter" shot that is sweeter and with great flavor.
• Americano style coffee is made with espresso. Then you add hot water to give a similar strength - but a totally different flavor - to drip-brewed coffee
• Lungo is different from an Americano. It is a "longer" espresso run through the machine; all the water runs through the beans, as opposed to adding water.
• Long black is similar to Americano, but prepared in different order - a double shot of espresso is added to water instead of vice versa.

Espresso

Ristretto

With Milk

• Caffè latte or simply latte, which is for "milk"; it is espresso with steamed milk, traditionally topped with froth created from steaming the milk. A latte has one-third espresso and two-thirds steamed milk. Having more frothed milk makes it weaker than a cappuccino. A latte is commonly served in a tall glass; the cool thing is that if the espresso is slowly poured into the frothed milk from the rim of the glass, three layers of different shades will form, with the milk at the bottom, the froth on top and the espresso in between.
• Caffè breve is an American variation of a latte: a milk-based espresso that uses steamed light 10% cream.
• Caffè macchiato or "short" macchiato — macchiato meaning "marked" — is an espresso with a little steamed milk added to the top. A "long" macchiato is a double espresso with a little steamed milk. There is aslo a 'topped up' - extra milk added - macchiato.
• Cappuccino comprises equal parts of espresso coffee and milk and froth, that can be sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered cocoa.
• Latte macchiato opposed to a caffè macchiato, is a tall glass of steamed milk spotted with small amounts of espresso that can be sweetened with sugar or syrup.
• Mocha is a latte with chocolate added.
• Cortado is espresso with a small amount of very lightly foamed milk added, in contrast to a macchiato's more frothy texture.

Caffe Latte

Cappuccino

Caffe Macchiato

Best coffee: Non-Espresso Based

We'll continue talking about the different types of coffee drinks and we'll focus today on non espresso-based coffee and the alcoholic coffee beverages.

Regular

• Black coffee is drip-brewed, percolated, vacuum brewed coffee served without cream. You may like adding sugar to it.
• White coffee is, as the name clearly states, black coffee with unheated milk added to it; this is the way most americans drink their coffee. You can also add sugar.
• Café au lait at a first glance is the same as the latte but there is a major difference: drip-brewed coffee is used instead of espresso, with an equal amount of milk.
• Kopi tubruk comes from Indonesia and is similar in presentation to Turkish coffee. However, kopi tubruk is made from coarse coffee grounds, and is boiled together with a solid lump of sugar. It is popular on the islands of Java and Bali.
• Indian filter coffee, especialy in southern India, is prepared with rough-ground dark roasted coffee beans and chicory. The coffee is drip-brewed for a few hours in a traditional metal coffee filter before being served with milk and sugar. The ratio is usually 1/4 coffee, 3/4 milk.
• Greek coffee is prepared similarly to Turkish coffee. The main difference is that the coffee beans are ground into a finer powder and sugar is added during the process. It does not contain other flavors, and is usually served without milk. A similar method to the Greek preparation is used in Colombia to make "tinto," strong black coffee that is often brewed with a sugarcane juice concentrate in cake form.
• Indochinese-style coffee is another form of drip brew. In this form, hot water is allowed to drip though a metal mesh into a cup, and the resulting strong brew is poured into a glass containing sweetened condensed milk which may contain ice. Due to the high volume of coffee grounds required to make strong coffee in this fashion, the brewing process is quite slow. It is highly popular in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Black Coffee

White Coffee

Fortified coffee

• Red Eye is one espresso shot added to a cup of coffee (typically 210-480 ml). Some add milk or sugar.
• Black Eye is two espresso shots added to a cup of coffee (typically 210-480 ml). Some add milk or sugar.

Flavored coffees

• In some cultures, flavored coffees are common. Chocolate is a common additive.You can either sprinkle it on top or mix it with the coffee to imitate the taste of Mocha. Other flavorings include spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or Italian syrups. In the Maghreb, the orange blossom is used as a flavoring. Vanilla- and hazelnut-flavored coffees are common in the United States; Carefull - these are usually artificially flavored. Flavors such as New England Coffee's Blueberry Cobbler or Chocolate Cappuccino are popular in the Northeastern United States.
• Turkish coffee is served in very small cups about the size of those used for espresso. Traditional Turkish coffee cups have no handles, but modern ones often do. The crema or "face" is considered crucial, and since it requires some skill to achieve its presence is taken as evidence of a well-made brew. It is usually made sweet, with sugar added after the brew process begins, and often is flavored with cardamom or other spices. In many places it is customary to serve it with a tall glass of water on the side.
• Chicory is sometimes combined with coffee as a flavoring agent, as in the style of coffee served at the famous Café du Monde in New Orleans. Chicory has historically been used as a coffee substitute when real coffee was scarce, as in wartime. Chicory is popular as an additive in Belgium and is an ingredient in Madras filter coffee.

Alcoholic coffee drinks

Alcoholic spirits and liqueurs can be added to coffee, often sweetened and with cream floated on top. These beverages are often given names according to the alcoholic addition:

• Black coffee with brandy, or marc, or grappa, or other strong spirit.
• Irish coffee, with Irish whiskey, sugar, and cream. There are many variants, essentially the same but with the use of a different spirit:
  • Café au Drambuie, with Drambuie instead of whiskey
  • Caribbean or Jamaican coffee, with dark rum
  • Gaelic or Scotch coffee, with Scotch whisky
  • Kahlúa coffee, with Kahlúa coffee liqueur
• Café royal, with a flambéd and slightly caramelized teaspoonful of sugar and cognac.

Irish Coffee

Turkish Coffee

Best coffee: Cold drinks

Cold drinks

• Iced coffee is a cold version of hot coffee, typically drip or espresso diluted with ice water. Iced coffee can also be an iced or chilled form of any drink in this list. In Australia, iced coffee is cold milk flavoured with a small amount of coffee.
• Frappé is a strong cold coffee drink made from instant coffee . Frappé was created in Greece in Thessaloniki when a guy couldn't wait for hot water for his coffee. His idea spread instantly to all Greece. Preparation: one spoonful of instant coffee (you can add sugar) in a shaker with some water (and milk). Icecubes are then added and if it's shaken hard enough for one minute it is served with a drinking straw because of the "foam" that is produced.
• Ice-blended coffee (trade names: Frappuccino, Ice Storm) is a variation of iced coffee. The name Frappucino was coined by Starbucks (a combination between frappé and cappuccino). Other coffeehouses serve similar coffee drinks, but under different names, since "Frappuccino" is a Starbucks trademark. One commonly used by many stores is Ice Storm. A frappuccino is a latte, mocha, or macchiato mixed with crushed ice and flavorings (such as vanilla/hazelnut if requested by the customer) and blended.
• Thai iced coffee is a popular drink commonly offered at Thai restaurants in the United States. It consists of coffee, ice, and sweetened condensed milk.
• Igloo Espresso a regular espresso shot poured over a small amount of crushed ice, served in an espresso cup. Sometimes it is requested to be sweetened as the pouring over the ice causes the shot to become bitter. Originating in Italy and has migrated to Australian coffee shops.
• Cold brewed coffee is a process of brewing coffee slowly (12 hours) with cold water to produce a strong coffee concentrate, often served diluted with water or milk of choice. Cold brewed coffee naturally seems sweeter due to its lower acidity.
• Affogato is a cold drink, often served as dessert, consisting of a scoop of ice cream or gelato topped with an espresso shot. Often, the drinker is served the ice cream and espresso in separate cups, and will mix them at the table so as to prevent the ice cream from entirely melting before it can be consumed.
They are all extremely good coffees. All that remains is to find which one is the best type of coffee for you.

Frappe

Affogato

Contact

I am a med student. My latest passion is coffee and I want to share with you some of the things I've learned. The idea that a specific coffee type is better than another appeals to me. In the end it all comes to the question: what is coffee? That's something worth talking about.


I also write on brogue-shoes.net and fii-sanatos.ro if you want to check them out.

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