| "I'm searching for a really great cup of | | | | - Costa Rica -- the SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) |
| coffee -- what variety should I buy?" | | | | grade has a good aroma, high acidity, and a |
| | | | fine body. The GHB (Good Hard Bean) grade has |
| I've been asked this question many times over | | | | a good aroma, very good acidity and a good |
| the years and I always provide the same | | | | body. Both provide a sweet, smooth cup. Look |
| answer -- "That depends!" Early coffee | | | | for Tarrazu. |
| drinkers used to choose their coffee for the | | | | |
| caffeine jolt it provided. But times have | | | | - Guatemala -- aromatic, a soft mild flavor |
| changed, and in today's world, when choosing | | | | with a subtle smokiness, heavy body. |
| a great coffee -- it's all about the taste, | | | | |
| and the taste depends on many things. | | | | - Haiti -- very mellow and flavorful with a |
| | | | mild sweetness, heavy body. |
| The taste of a great coffee depends on the | | | | |
| climate, soil and cultivation methods | | | | - Hawaii -- the famous Kona coffee has a |
| involved in the beans' production. Coffee | | | | splendid aroma and is rich with a mellow |
| beans contain hundreds of compounds that give | | | | character. Very flavorful with a hint of |
| them their flavor and aroma. The type of | | | | cinnamon and cloves, full-bodied. |
| coffee bean you choose, arabica or robusta | | | | |
| makes a huge difference in coffee quality and | | | | - Jamaica -- Blue Mountain being the best, it |
| taste. Arabica beans are of a much | | | | has a delightful aroma, is extremely mellow |
| higher-quality compared to robusta beans, | | | | and sweet-tasting with a full body. High |
| which are normally used as filler for most | | | | Mountain Supreme comes in second with a |
| lower-end coffees. The roasting and brewing | | | | medium to sharp acidity and a good body. |
| process used on the beans can also greatly | | | | |
| affect the taste. All of these factors, | | | | - Mexico -- wonderful aroma, sweet, medium |
| together, have an enormous impact on coffee | | | | acidity, hints of hazelnuts in the flavor, |
| taste and quality, and as a result, they do | | | | smooth body. |
| determine whether the coffee is really great | | | | |
| or not. | | | | - Nicaragua -- good acidity and mild flavor |
| | | | with a hint of cognac. Look for Matagalpa. |
| But, I also think that when it comes right | | | | |
| down to it, the most important factor that | | | | - Panama -- smooth and sweet, good acidity |
| ultimately determines whether a coffee is | | | | and mild flavor with a heavy body. |
| really great or not is whether you the | | | | |
| consumer like it. Not everyone prefers the | | | | - Peru -- good acidity with a mild flavor and |
| same characteristics in a coffee; some prefer | | | | excellent body. |
| it light and mellow, while others prefer it | | | | |
| heavy and full-bodied. So when asking what | | | | - Venezuela -- great aroma, smooth and mellow |
| variety to buy in order to get a really great | | | | with low acidity, rich and delicately winey, |
| cup of coffee, you really have to look at | | | | a little on the sweet side, light body. |
| your own personal likes and dislikes in a cup | | | | |
| of joe. | | | | Africa |
| | | | |
| Most people, when choosing their cup of | | | | - Burundi -- high acidity with a rich strong |
| preference, weigh the quality of a coffee by | | | | flavor and good body. |
| its aroma, acidity, flavor and body. | | | | |
| | | | - Ethiopia -- amazing aroma of cinnamon, |
| | | | strawberries and fresh-mown grass, very |
| | | | acidic, winey, pungent, earthy flavors, spicy |
| 1. The aroma of a coffee is basically one's | | | | and complex, full-bodied. Look for Harrar - |
| first impression or "sniff" as the gases | | | | Longberry and Shortberry, and Yirgacheffe. |
| released from the brew hit your nose. Words | | | | |
| like "earthy," "fruity" and "herby" can be | | | | - Kenya -- Very fragrant and floral, |
| used to describe a coffee's aroma. | | | | sometimes winey, a mild coffee with a |
| | | | delicate acid flavor, and a great smoothness. |
| 2. The acidity of a coffee is the "pleasant | | | | |
| sharpness" you taste when you take a gulp (or | | | | - Rwanda -- high acidity, strong flavor and |
| a sip). Acidity is good in a coffee, in that | | | | good body. |
| if it had no acidity, the coffee would taste | | | | |
| flat. A low acidity coffee is a | | | | - Tanzania -- rich and mellow with a delicate |
| pleasant-tasting, mellow coffee, whereas a | | | | acidity. Look for peaberry varieties. |
| high acidity coffee is very robust and knocks | | | | |
| your socks off! | | | | - Zaire -- rich, highly acidic, excellent |
| | | | flavor and body. Look for Kivu. |
| 3. The flavor factor of a coffee is the | | | | |
| perception in your mouth of those hundreds of | | | | Asia/Pacific |
| aromatic elements or compounds of the coffee | | | | |
| bean. It also refers to any specific taste | | | | - India -- spicy aroma with hints of cinnamon |
| you notice in the coffee, such as a | | | | and cedar, delicate acidity, complex and very |
| "nuttiness" or "spiciness." | | | | rich, full-bodied. Look for Nilgiris and |
| | | | Monsoon Malabar. |
| 4. Finally, the body of a coffee is the | | | | |
| impression of weight and texture that the | | | | - Indonesia -- rich with low acidity, spicy, |
| coffee leaves in your mouth. This is known as | | | | strong flavor, heavy body - almost syrupy. |
| "mouthfeel" and can often be described as | | | | Look for Sumatra, Celebes or Sulawesi. |
| "heavy," "watery" or "light." | | | | |
| | | | - Papua New Guinea -- sweet and full-bodied. |
| Coffee comes from three main growing regions | | | | Look for Sigri and Koban. |
| of the world: the Americas, Africa, and Asia | | | | |
| Pacific. Each region instills its own | | | | - Yemen -- age old Mocha coffee - uniquely |
| distinct characteristics into its coffee. So | | | | smooth and complex with a bit of sharpness, |
| keeping in mind the four cup characteristics | | | | tremendous flavor, can be winey with cherry |
| described above, and your own personal likes | | | | notes, heavy body. Look for Mattari or |
| and dislikes, you can narrow down your search | | | | Sunani. |
| by having a look at some of the | | | | |
| characteristics each coffee variety/region | | | | Once you have narrowed down your selection to |
| has to offer. | | | | a choice few, try to purchase some sample |
| | | | sizes and start slurping! You may discover |
| The Americas | | | | you really enjoy one particular variety, or |
| | | | several different ones. Nothing wrong with |
| - Brazil -- smooth, sweet and spicy with | | | | having more than one favorite! Nonetheless, |
| hints of allspice and cloves. Complex aroma, | | | | once you've found your favorite beans, always |
| mild acidity, medium body. Look for Santos | | | | purchase them freshly roasted, and make sure |
| coffees, with Bourbon Santos being the best. | | | | to store them properly to maintain their |
| | | | freshness for as long as possible. Even a |
| - Colombia -- rich, full aroma, mild with | | | | really great cup of coffee can turn into a |
| good acidity, sweet caramelly taste, medium | | | | dud if the beans were roasted ages ago, or |
| body. Look for Excelso and Supremo grades. | | | | left out to go stale. |
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