There are two primary species of the coffee plant. There is the Coffea Arabica, which is the more traditional kind of coffee and is generally regarded as having a better taste, and there is the Robusta variety of the Coffea Canephora, which is more frequently known as coffee. Robusta coffee has a greater propensity to contain caffeine than Arabica, and it can be cultivated in temperatures and conditions where Arabica cannot be produced profitably. Robusta has a taste that is often described as being more harsh and acidic. Because of this, Robusta usually has a lower price than Arabica. Robusta of a high grade is sometimes blended with espresso to give it more bite and to bring down the overall cost.
It is a truth that is not often recognised that the taste of certain coffee beans may really improve with ageing. The green beans that have not been roasted are the ones that are aged; the normal ageing duration is three years, although there are some places that sell beans that have been aged for up to seven years. Beans that have been aged have a richer taste and have a lower acidity level.
Growing circumstances, soil types, and weather patterns throughout the growing season all contribute to the taste of the bean, which is what creates the variances in flavour that can be traced back to its site of origin, such as Kenya or Brazil. The roasting process, on the other hand, imparts its own taste to the coffee beans, to the point that it may be impossible for even expert cuppers to determine where the beans came from.
The bean retains a greater percentage of its original taste after being roasted to a lighter degree. Because of this, beans coming from places like Kenya or Java often undergo a gentle roasting process, which helps them maintain their regional traits and tastes that predominate. There is a way of roasting coffee in Malaysia that involves adding butter at some point throughout the process, and the resulting variation is known as Ipoh White Coffee.
Beans that have been roasted to a deeper brown tend to take on a flavour that is more similar to the roasting process than the bean’s natural characteristics. Dark roasts, like French or Vienna Roast, have a tendency to entirely overpower the taste of the original bean. Although roasting imparts a richer taste, it has no influence on the quantity of caffeine that is contained in the bean, regardless of how much it is roasted.
In the 19th century, when coffee beans were often exported and bought while still in their green stage, fry pan roasting was a common method of preparation. Roasting the green coffee beans required nothing more than placing them in a frying pan and doing so in the oven. To carry out this procedure in a reliable way required a significant amount of expertise. After vacuum sealing of pre-roasted coffee was developed, frying pan roasting lost a significant amount of its popularity. To be able to vacuum seal roasted beans, you had to wait for them to cease producing CO2, which is something that roasted beans continue to do for many days after the roasting process. Since of this, coffee that had been vacuum packed always tasted somewhat stale because the tastes started to get harsh and decay within about a week after the roasting process was completed.
As a result of the development of automated drum roasters that make the roasting process easier, home roasting is seeing a resurgence in popularity. Some individuals have figured out how to successfully roast beans by making use of their hot air pop corn machines.
As was said before, the place the bean hails from is one of the most important factors in determining the sort of flavour you may anticipate receiving from the brew. However, it is absolutely true that “new” or surprising flavours can originate from any region.
The coffee beans that are used in Arabia and Africa are grown at high elevations in the dark, fertile soils of countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. These beans have tastes that are unmistakable and have achieved legendary status.
Coffees from the Americas are often cultivated in circumstances that are similar to those of a rainforest in countries like as Colombia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Coffees from the Americas have a reputation for being very well-balanced and fragrant.
Coffees from the islands of Sumatra, Java, New Guinea, and Sulawesi may be found in the Pacific region. These coffees have flavours that are as unique as the islands themselves.
Then there are the more unusual varieties, including certified Jamaica Blue Mountain and certified Hawaiian Kona coffees. These are extremely uncommon and can fetch a price of up to $60.00 per pound when sold.