When it comes to the best coffees on the planet, I went along to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) for research. They are the organization that sets the product quality standards for specialty coffee, which the general public calls “gourmet” coffee. All specialty coffees use arabica beans. Another sounding is the robusta bean, that will be of inferior taste quality to arabica. Within these categories, there are many varieties of bean. Arabica beans are grown at an increased altitude than robusta.
Coffee is the next most traded commodity on the planet and is graded in a similar manner as wine. This event is called a “cupping” and has a couple of strict standards. Winning a cupping is quite prestigious and includes a direct effect on the costs a coffee grower will get for his crop.
History of these “cupping” winners indicates that three regions of the entire world produce probably the most winners. Interestingly, 磨豆機 these regions have a very similar latitude when taking a look at the entire world map. The three regions are Ethiopia, Sumatra and Panama.
Ethiopian/Kenyan Coffee (Africa)
Ethiopian coffee is aromatic, highly flavorful, and also regarded as some of the best coffees in the world. It can be the origin of most coffee. The Ethiopian individuals have a legend that says that a goat herder discovered Ethiopian coffee around 850 AD. This legend claims that the goat herder noticed that his sheep were very excited and nearly dancing after eating red berries from a tree. The legend of the founder continues to state that the herder sampled the red berries for himself and took a number of the berries home to his wife who insisted that he take them to the monks. The monks supposedly threw the berries right into a fire and noticed the delicious smell that the berries produced. The monks are said to own removed the berries from the fire and boiled the berries in water to produce the beverage that we now know as Ethiopian coffee.
Whether this legend does work, or actually only a legend is forever a mystery. Regardless, Ethiopian coffee has been employed for religious ceremonies. These ceremonies continue to be held today and in case a guest is invited to participate in the ceremony, it established fact to become a very beautiful experience.
Locally, Ethiopian coffee is served with either sugar, or in a few parts of Ethiopia, salt. Milk or almost any creamer is never utilized in traditionally brewing. The process of making the coffee varies by region. In some regions it’s dry processed and in a few other regions it’s washed. The Ethiopian coffee within stores today is dry processed.
The process is frequently grueling and along with with importing enhances the reason of why Ethiopian coffee could be expensive.
When consumers purchase Ethiopian coffee to be brewed at home, it’s a good idea to consider fair trade Ethiopian coffee. The obvious reason to consider fair trade is so your producers with this wonderful product can reap the benefits of their hard work. Ethiopian coffee has a wealthy, bold, and exciting history and a taste that has been favored by lots of people for an extended time.
Sumatran Coffee (Indonesia)
Sumatran coffee originates from the island in Indonesia called Sumatra. The taste of Sumatran coffee is spicy, herbal, and very distinct. It’s regarded as being one of the best coffees on the planet and was introduced by the Dutch around 1699 when the Dutch wanted to maintain with the demand of coffee to Europe. The Dutch traders knew the difference between Sumatran coffees and other coffees by the looks, which are irregularly shaped and bright green.
Sumatran coffee is one of the best coffees on the planet and includes a low acidity which makes it highly favored among other types of coffee. The beans usually are grown in full sunlight and without any chemicals. A highly popular form of Sumatran coffee, yet thoroughly disgusting in several peoples opinion, is the kopi luwak Sumatran coffee. The kopi luwak coffee is coffees which were eaten by the little animal called a luwak. After the luwak digests and excretes the coffees, local villagers collect the excreted beans and roast them. These excreted and roasted beans are thought to cost about $300 a pound. Of course, not all of Sumatran coffee originates from the excrement of the luwak. There are many other varieties of Sumatran coffee as well.
Most of the Sumatran coffees are processed utilising the wet and dry processing method. This processing method is another reason why Sumatran coffee is so popular. Almost every other types of coffees are processed by using either a wet method or a dried method, hardly ever both.
When purchasing Sumatran coffee for use at home, an individual should try to purchase fair trade Sumatran coffee. Fair trade beans is found at various trusted online retailers and also at gourmet coffee retailers. This insures that the growers benefit from every one of the work that they put into growing this delicious coffee.
Sumatran coffee includes a taste unlike any and after you check it out yourself, you could find so it will quickly replace your overall brand or at the least be described as a coffee that becomes among your favorites.
Panamanian Coffee (Central America)
Although Panama is the littlest of most coffee producing countries, they grow most of the best rated coffees every year. The coffee region surrounds town of Boquete in the western province of Chiriqui close to the Costa Rican border. Some say Panama has the ideal micro climate to develop coffee receiving winds from the north along with a light mist and cool breeze. Most of the coffee is grown on farms and is called an Estate coffee which signifies the farm it’s from.
The process includes hand picking, washing and sun drying. The farms work closely with the indigenous people enhancing town with social, medical and educational services. Due to this, fair trade is not just a concern. It is a harmonious relationship between farm and worker.
For years, coffee from Panama was not well known amongst the general public but the product quality was apparent to the traders. So much so, that certain trader was caught selling the reduced cost Panamanian coffees as Hawaiian Kona beans, a much well known high end arabica bean.
Currently, Panamanian coffee has come old winning numerous cuppings to the point in 2003 when the competition was changed. Previously, each entry was individual and Panamanian entrants would win up to five of ten awards. Now, they’ve groupings and each group can produce up to two winners that move up to another location level.
It must be noted that although Panamanian coffee has been established as the best in the region, wonderful coffees do come from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Columbia.
Although most of the world favors the western coffees, a genuine coffee lover must be adventurous and taste the best coffees of the world. Try Ethiopian and Sumatran coffees along with those that have been in close proximity to those regions. Maybe you are surprised at everything you have now been missing.