Week 6 (20.04-26.04) Coffee

Coffee

Loved by a lot of people and probably hated by as many, coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Everyone must have heard about it at least once and probably tasted it too. It's a bitter drink containing caffeine, sometimes consumed with milk, sometimes with sugar (or both) and a variety spices like cinammon or cardamon.

A coffee plant is an evergreen bush or tree that can grow up to 3 meters. It requires specific conditions and prefers high altitudes, but it doesn't tolerate freezing temperatures, so it's quite difficult to cultivate. The biggest producers of coffee are Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia and Ethiopia. All of them are located in the so-called Bean Belt which is an area between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer where coffee plants thrive.

Coffee berries/ cherries

A bit of history

There is a very well known legend about the discovery of coffee. It tells a story of an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi who noticed one day that his goats became very lively and jumped all the time after eating berries from a certain bush. Curious about it, Kaldi ate the berries himself and this way he discovered their energizing quality.

It is unknown when and where exactly coffee was started to be grown, but the first documented signs of this activity come from the 15th century Yemen. Coffee cultivation and beans distribution was monopolized by the Yemenis of that time until a man named Baba Budan stole the bushes and fled with them to India.

Coffee arrived to Europe in the 17th century thanks to widely-spread trading connections Venice had with the Muslim world. At first Europeans had mixed feelings about the drink, some even called it the bitter invention of Satan, but this did not stop the opening of the first coffee house in Europe, in Rome in 1645, and spreading coffee to the rest of the continent.

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Coffee Species & Roasts

Arabica (Coffea Arabica)

Grown in Latin America, India, Africa and Indonesia. It's very difficult to cultivate and harvest because it needs high altitudes, takes long to ripen and must be hand-picked at the right moment. Yet it's the most popular (70% of the coffee bean market) and most prized from the species used in coffee production. The famous and most expensive coffee in the world, the Kopi luwak is made mostly from Arabica beans eaten by civets.

Robusta (Coffea Robusta)

Grown mainly in Africa, but also in India and South East Asia. It can be grown at lower altitudes and is less susceptible to disease, so it can be planted in areas where it's impossible to cultivate Arabica. It contributes to 25% of coffee bean production in the world and considered lower in quality by most. Usually used in instant coffee which you can find in almost every shop.

Liberica (Coffea liberica)

I must say I've never heard about this species before, but it's not that surprising because Liberica contributes to only 2% of world's coffee production. Similarly to Robusta, it's more resistant to vermin and diseases and can be grown on lower altitudes. It's native in central and western Africa.

There are three main roasts based on the color of beans. The Light roasts, as you probably guessed, are light brown in color. The beans have no oil on their surface because the roasting process wasn't long enough to squeeze it out. It's used in milder coffee types. Medium roasts are slightly darker in color and stronger in taste, with no oil on its surface. They're most common in United States, and because of that often called the American roast. Dark roasts are black and shiny from oil that breaks out to the surface in the process. The colors range from dark brown to charred. It's most popular in Europe.

Green, unroasted beans on the left, dark roast on the right

Popular types of coffee

There are many ways to make and serve coffee. One of the most popular is the Brewed Coffee. It's made using drip coffeemakers that pour hot water through ground coffee beans, filter the grounds and collect the essence in a pot or other container.Espresso is a strong black coffee made using steam that is forced through finely ground dark-roasted coffee. It has a richer taste and more caffeine than coffee made using other methods. It's a base for many popular drinks like caffe latte, macchiato, mocha and Americano.Turkish Coffee is made by boiling roasted and ground coffee beans in a pot and then served in a cup with the grounds still in the beverage. Of course, there's also Instant coffee which you only need to dissolve in hot water.

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There are some unusual things you can add to your beverage. For example butter which is said to make the coffee even more energizing. Adding salt can reduce the bitterness and boosts the taste of iced coffee.You can also try to make Norwegian Egg Coffee – add an egg and water to ground coffee, mix it into a paste, then boil this mixture in water for two or three minutes, add some cold water at the end and strain. The result? Extra-clear coffee with perfect color. 

Coffee and health

Coffee is often blamed for many health problems, including cancer and heart diseases. There are certain risks of drinking coffee, especially when consumed in high amounts. It can hamper the absorption of certain minerals ( like magnesium and iron), raise blood pressure and change sleeping patterns. But studies show that coffee and caffeine it contains can also contribute to our well-being. Apart from the obvious improvement of our cognitive functions and energizing quality it can decrease depression. It also protects against certain diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes and liver cancer.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee

http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=68

http://www.thekitchn.com/9-surprising-things-to-add-to-coffee-beyond-cream-sugar-smart-coffee-for-regular-joes-203866