The Refreshing Morning Drink That Comes From A Humble Bean
That refreshing cuppa coffee in the morning helps us start the day with enthusiasm and hope. This could be due to the caffeine present in coffee that acts as a stimulant. No wonder it is the one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Traditional coffee is made from roasted beans that are fresh ground in order to retain the aroma that is the all important factor with a good cup of coffee.
Coffee has been in existence for several hundred years and believed to have been discovered in Ethiopia from where it was transported to every part the world. However, the Arabians are believed to have been the first people to have brewed coffee and consumed it. From there it is believed to have spread to India, Europe and the Americas. Today, Brazil is the largest producer of this bean which is an important cash crop. It is cultivated worldwide, though only a few countries are suited best due to various reasons like climate and soil.
Coffee berries that contain the seeds or beans as they are called grow on evergreen bushes. The two commonly grown varieties are coffee arabica and coffee robusta. Of the two the robusta variety is more resistance to dreaded coffee leaf rust. Of these the highly regarded arabica is native to Ethiopia and is cultivated extensively. The robusta variety is native to western Africa, Uganda and Sudan. The seedlings are raised in nurseries and transplanted in vast plantations. Coffee is often intercropped with other food crops like corn, beans and rice during the initial years of cultivation. The berries take seven to nine months to ripen. Once the berries ripen, they are picked, processed and dried.
Coffee berries and seeds undergo several processes before they can be roasted and ground and are fit for consumption. The berries are first selected based on the degree of ripeness and are then processed. There are 2 methods of processing, the dry process method where the berries are stripped and dried, and the wet process method that involves fermentation and yields a mild coffee. The fermented berries are washed with fresh water before they can be dried. Drying is either under natural sunlight or in factories using hot air driers. The beans are then graded according to size and packed as green coffee. There is a peculiar variety of coffee called kopi luwak. Though it may be unpalatable for some this coffee fetches a fancy price in the market due to its unique taste. However, it is produced from beans of coffee berries that have been eaten by a species of civet cats and have passed through their digestive tracts. This process is believed to naturally remove the bitterness in the coffee and give it a new, unique taste and is priced highest in the world. Traditionally packed coffee is then roasted to various degrees depending on the desired flavor. Extreme care is taken while roasting as it has to be done to perfection, with even a few minutes of extra roasting can completely alter the flavor and even result in burnt beans which would be absolutely useless. The roasted coffee bean is then ground and coffee is brewed. There are many ways of preparing and presenting a good cup of coffee.
Originally coffee farming was done in the shade of trees and was called the shade-grown. However at a later stage farmers adopted another method called sun cultivation where coffee plants were planted in rows directly under the sun. This helped the berries to ripen faster as also the bushes which yielded better. However, artificial fertilizer and pesticides started being used and this resulted in coffee losing part of its original taste and aroma. Moreover, the traditional shaded method provided a natural habitat for several fauna and maintained the ecological balance really well. The current methods increased the toxicity resulting in damaged environment and health hazards. More related articles are published on several web portals which can be browsed through Charter Internet.
Coffee has been in existence for several hundred years and believed to have been discovered in Ethiopia from where it was transported to every part the world. However, the Arabians are believed to have been the first people to have brewed coffee and consumed it. From there it is believed to have spread to India, Europe and the Americas. Today, Brazil is the largest producer of this bean which is an important cash crop. It is cultivated worldwide, though only a few countries are suited best due to various reasons like climate and soil.
Coffee berries that contain the seeds or beans as they are called grow on evergreen bushes. The two commonly grown varieties are coffee arabica and coffee robusta. Of the two the robusta variety is more resistance to dreaded coffee leaf rust. Of these the highly regarded arabica is native to Ethiopia and is cultivated extensively. The robusta variety is native to western Africa, Uganda and Sudan. The seedlings are raised in nurseries and transplanted in vast plantations. Coffee is often intercropped with other food crops like corn, beans and rice during the initial years of cultivation. The berries take seven to nine months to ripen. Once the berries ripen, they are picked, processed and dried.
Coffee berries and seeds undergo several processes before they can be roasted and ground and are fit for consumption. The berries are first selected based on the degree of ripeness and are then processed. There are 2 methods of processing, the dry process method where the berries are stripped and dried, and the wet process method that involves fermentation and yields a mild coffee. The fermented berries are washed with fresh water before they can be dried. Drying is either under natural sunlight or in factories using hot air driers. The beans are then graded according to size and packed as green coffee. There is a peculiar variety of coffee called kopi luwak. Though it may be unpalatable for some this coffee fetches a fancy price in the market due to its unique taste. However, it is produced from beans of coffee berries that have been eaten by a species of civet cats and have passed through their digestive tracts. This process is believed to naturally remove the bitterness in the coffee and give it a new, unique taste and is priced highest in the world. Traditionally packed coffee is then roasted to various degrees depending on the desired flavor. Extreme care is taken while roasting as it has to be done to perfection, with even a few minutes of extra roasting can completely alter the flavor and even result in burnt beans which would be absolutely useless. The roasted coffee bean is then ground and coffee is brewed. There are many ways of preparing and presenting a good cup of coffee.
Originally coffee farming was done in the shade of trees and was called the shade-grown. However at a later stage farmers adopted another method called sun cultivation where coffee plants were planted in rows directly under the sun. This helped the berries to ripen faster as also the bushes which yielded better. However, artificial fertilizer and pesticides started being used and this resulted in coffee losing part of its original taste and aroma. Moreover, the traditional shaded method provided a natural habitat for several fauna and maintained the ecological balance really well. The current methods increased the toxicity resulting in damaged environment and health hazards. More related articles are published on several web portals which can be browsed through Charter Internet.