Understanding Countries and Their Different Coffee Beans
Coffee, like wine and cheese, is so much more than just its finished product. It takes a lot of time to make a good cup of coffee, and most of that time is actually spent by people you'll never met, cultivating the coffee beans out in fields on mountain ranges as far away as Columbia, Java, and even Kenya.
The great tasting varieties of coffee are lucky, because they're made from products grown on the sides of volcanic mountains, or assisted in their harvesting by exciting and exotic animals, in the far-flung regions of the world. That's why the coffee tastes so great, not the brewing process. For a little bit of information on some varieties of coffee beans, or the countries that grow them, read on.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Ever enjoyed a drink at a bar that included Tia Maria? Then you know the secret of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, which is known for its surprisingly mild flavor and serious lack of bitter aftertaste. In addition to flavoring one of the tastiest coffee liqueurs around, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee also is brewed as regular coffee. The coffee beans grow between Kingston and Port Maria in the Blue Mountains, where a cool and misty climate with a huge annual rainfall ensures the soil is just right to grow these special beans.
Kape Barako One of the types of coffee grown in The Philippines, not many people are familiar with Kape Barako, because of an infestation of Coffee Rust in the 1990s that almost wiped out the plants forever. A type of Liberica species, the coffee, when available, is popular with gourmets, who enjoy a blend where it's mixed with Arabica to get the best tasting coffee with a distinct aroma.
Ethiopian Harrar One of the oldest coffee beans used, Harrar coffee beans grow only in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia, and require sorting and processing done entirely by hand, due to the brittle nature of the bean. The bean itself is medium in size, but has a distinct flavor that most people compare to an expensive glass of fruity red wine. The aroma is equally pleasant, and Ethiopian Harrar beans are sold in many gourmet stores around the world.
Kopi Luwak Always wanted to try a coffee made from beans that have already been eaten and digested? Well, you might have done that inadvertently, with Kopi Luwak coffee beans. Grown in Java, the coffee is some of the most popular around, all thanks to Asian Palm Civits, which love the coffee beans, eat them, and then digest them in a remarkable process that adds more flavor for us humans later. Apologies in advance if coffee was just ruined for you forever.
Remember, while different countries all produce different types of beans, it doesn't mean that the names on this list are the only type of coffee bean grown in that particular country. Furthermore, it is possible that many of these beans have shown up in different names and varieties through United States importers.
Regardless of how or where you're shopping for your coffee, please take a moment to consider whether or not it is fair-trade. The world of coffee harvesting is tough stuff, and most of the people who do it never receive proper financial credit for the amount of time and effort they put in. With different fair-trade companies around the world, many of which are easy to buy (just walk into Whole Foods or Trader Joes and ask), it makes giving credit where credit is due a whole lot easier of a task. - 17273
The great tasting varieties of coffee are lucky, because they're made from products grown on the sides of volcanic mountains, or assisted in their harvesting by exciting and exotic animals, in the far-flung regions of the world. That's why the coffee tastes so great, not the brewing process. For a little bit of information on some varieties of coffee beans, or the countries that grow them, read on.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Ever enjoyed a drink at a bar that included Tia Maria? Then you know the secret of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, which is known for its surprisingly mild flavor and serious lack of bitter aftertaste. In addition to flavoring one of the tastiest coffee liqueurs around, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee also is brewed as regular coffee. The coffee beans grow between Kingston and Port Maria in the Blue Mountains, where a cool and misty climate with a huge annual rainfall ensures the soil is just right to grow these special beans.
Kape Barako One of the types of coffee grown in The Philippines, not many people are familiar with Kape Barako, because of an infestation of Coffee Rust in the 1990s that almost wiped out the plants forever. A type of Liberica species, the coffee, when available, is popular with gourmets, who enjoy a blend where it's mixed with Arabica to get the best tasting coffee with a distinct aroma.
Ethiopian Harrar One of the oldest coffee beans used, Harrar coffee beans grow only in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia, and require sorting and processing done entirely by hand, due to the brittle nature of the bean. The bean itself is medium in size, but has a distinct flavor that most people compare to an expensive glass of fruity red wine. The aroma is equally pleasant, and Ethiopian Harrar beans are sold in many gourmet stores around the world.
Kopi Luwak Always wanted to try a coffee made from beans that have already been eaten and digested? Well, you might have done that inadvertently, with Kopi Luwak coffee beans. Grown in Java, the coffee is some of the most popular around, all thanks to Asian Palm Civits, which love the coffee beans, eat them, and then digest them in a remarkable process that adds more flavor for us humans later. Apologies in advance if coffee was just ruined for you forever.
Remember, while different countries all produce different types of beans, it doesn't mean that the names on this list are the only type of coffee bean grown in that particular country. Furthermore, it is possible that many of these beans have shown up in different names and varieties through United States importers.
Regardless of how or where you're shopping for your coffee, please take a moment to consider whether or not it is fair-trade. The world of coffee harvesting is tough stuff, and most of the people who do it never receive proper financial credit for the amount of time and effort they put in. With different fair-trade companies around the world, many of which are easy to buy (just walk into Whole Foods or Trader Joes and ask), it makes giving credit where credit is due a whole lot easier of a task. - 17273
About the Author:
For a sizable weekend gathering, Damian Papworth's 8 cup coffee maker comes in real handy. On any other standard day though, one cup coffee makers are more appropriate.
posted by X - Men at
1:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home