THE ESSENCE OF COFFEE
SCAA
Trainer’s Guide to Specialty Coffee
Myth, History, Cultivation through
Export
COFFEE BASICS:
Coffee Species
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Coffee Species
The Development of the Coffee Cherry
Coffee Species
roasted Specialty Coffee beans
The passionate care and devotion to coffee
does not END with the development and
success of the coffee house.
Rather, it BEGINS with the meticulous care
given to coffee from seed to cup.
Coffee is truly a hand-made product and the
50 or so beans that make it to our morning
cup do so through individual scrutiny and
great care.
fruit covered arabica tree
Arabica and Robusta Species
Many species of coffee exist in the world.
However, Coffea arabica and Coffea
canophora (Robusta) are grown principally
for commercial use.
Visibly, these two species differ slightly.
However, as a consumable product, they
differ tremendously.
At a glance, the robusta plant’s leaves are
larger and have a more corrugated
appearance than do those of the arabica
plant.
Additionally, the arabica coffee fruit or cherry
is more oblong in appearance when
compared to the more rounded robusta
version. The robusta beans are also larger.
While arabicas represent 75% of the world’s
commercial production, only about 10% of
these make the grade as Specialty Coffees,
which are sold by gourmet coffee retailers.
Of the two species, arabica coffee is more
delicate and flavorful.
Generally, arabica coffees offer a
balanced aroma and a sweet, bright
taste.
These refined qualities of arabica beans
stem in large part to where they are
grown.
Arabicas primarily grow at altitudes of
2000 to 6000 feet above sea level.
Some coffees, such as those found in the
Caribbean basin, grow at lower altitudes
where conditions replicate those found at
higher climates.
Due to the increased quality monitoring of
and production costs in cultivating,
harvesting, and processing, arabica beans
command a higher price on the world coffee
market.
mountainside covered with growing coffee
Robusta beans grow at a lower altitude
than do arabicas and represent 25% of
the world’s commercial coffee supply.
Robusta coffees are more disease
resistant than are arabicas and have a
more pungent flavor and a heavier body
than their higher grown relative.
Robustas’ disease resistance stems, in
part, from their caffeine content which
acts as a natural pesticide.
Robusta coffees have up to twice the
caffeine content as do arabica beans.
Less expensive to produce, robustas
are most often found in instant or
commercial grade coffees.
The Development of the
Coffee Cherry
Coffee beans are the seeds contained
in the coffee plant’s ripe cherry.
It takes about 5 years of careful tending
before the mature coffee tree will bear
fruit.
This requires producers to make years
of tremendous investment and effort
prior to harvesting a first crop.
Branch with ripe cherries
The development
of fruit begins
when delicate
jasmine scented
flowers appear on
the tree.
These flowers last
about 3 days.
Within 6 to 9
months, the tree’s
fruit, or cherries,
develop.
coffee flowering
As the
cherries
mature, they
change in
color from
green to
yellow, to a
deep ripe red.
varying degrees
of maturation
Ripe cherries are comprised of several
layers, which include:
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Cherry skin: the outer red fruit covering
Mucilage: a sweet pulpy substance
Parchment: a protective membrane
Silver skin: the last thin protective membrane
And 2 oval beans: facing each other with 2 flat
sides
open cherry revealing inner membranes
In rare instances, about 10% of the time
for arabica beans, one of the coffee
seeds will fail to develop.
When this occurs, the remaining seed
will take on a smaller, more rounded
shape.
The resulting peaberry has more flavor
intensity than the typical arabica bean.
peaberry