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The
Romance of Coffee |
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| History |
The
history of coffee extends back over a thousand years to Arabia when it
was probably discovered by nomads who ate the coffee
cherry for its energy effects. Arabica coffee (a
particular genus of tree grown in high altitudes) is
believed to have originated in tropical Africa and is
what gourmet roasters will use over its cheaper and poorer
tasting Robusta cousin. It can still be found growing in
the wild in Ethiopia and Arabia. Around the year 1700,
the Dutch carried the plants to Java via India to export
to Europe where coffee was consumed by the rich and famous.
From there, it traveled to the Caribbean and South and
Central America, becoming popular and affordable with the
masses until now where it is the world's second most
traded commodity after oil, at around sixty billion
dollars annually.
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| Roasting |
Roasting
is the most important factor in getting the best coffee
experience. Safari Coffee controls all its own roasting
and blending. Much like fresh bread, coffee is only at
its best for a period of days or weeks, depending on if it's
ground or whole bean. When you grind coffee, you release
nitrogen trapped in the bean, and for a few minutes the
aroma is at it height. Unfortunately, as the flavor
escapes, you start to compromise quality if you don't
immediately start the brewing process. |
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| Storage |
Storage
of whole bean coffee is best in an air-tight
container. Refrigeration does not help preserve flavor.
Freezing is better than leaving it in your cupboard
if you grind the coffee when it's purchased (which is
very naughty). |
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| Decaffeinated |
Decaffeinated
coffees are created mainly in several ways. The
traditional process uses a solvent. This is the
best tasting method because it removes most of the
caffeine but as much flavor. More importantly, there is
never any chemical intake because what little is left
over is removed by the high temperatures during the
roasting process. CO2 and Swiss water are growing in
popularity as the beans
are treated to remove the caffeine without any use of
chemicals. At this time Safari does not purchase
beans that have been treated with chemicals. |
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| Environmental
Grown Coffee |
Organic
coffee is of growing interest because of the natural environmental farming
practices it promotes.
Because the
non-organic coffee tree may be heavily sprayed with
bug-fighting chemicals, the soil and
water supply is affected in a negative manner.
Fortunately, the coffee cherry or skin protects the end
user from harmful spraying. Organics are a bit more
expensive because of the extra care in managing the
trees due to the extra care in farming. It's been our experience that
there is little taste difference between organic and
non-organic coffee. Shade-grown
as opposed to Sun-grown coffee describes a type of
coffee tree that thrives best under the
natural canopy. Today we see trees
that are planted in large plots which were designed to
handle full sun
exposure maximizing acreage. Although this leads
to a larger harvest, if the canopy is destroyed during planting
it can be harmful to migratory birds and other
animals that depend on the variety of plant life found
in the forest.
Fair
Trade Certified has come about recently because the
coffee marketplace was so glutted with beans that the
un-roasted price has fallen to low for the farmers to
make a living. This has resulted in many small farms closing and
continued poverty in a world that is always struggling
economically. When a coffee is certified
Fair Trade it means the roaster has paid a minimum price
for beans insuring a decent living wage to the
farmer. The more small farmers growing coffee who
receive a fair return, the better it is for their
economy, quality of life and environment.
For
more information, click above
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| Taste |
Taste
can be best described with the following adjectives.
Rich, body, smooth, bright, spicy and acidity. They are
somewhat vague and hard to quantify but acidity is a
good feature found in many African coffees.. Certain
countries, regions and farms have distinctive flavor
profiles that may vary slightly year from year much like
wine. The roasts name is based on color. The lighter
beans have a chestnut color and move
from medium brown or dark brown, Vienna Roast, to very
dark brown, Espresso Roast, and finally black French and
Italian Roast. |
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Keys
to the Perfect Cup
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vary based on the coffee equipment used. For example
an espresso machine uses almost a fine powder while
your common drip coffee maker uses a gritty grind
and a non filter paper system like a French Press
uses coarsely ground coffee.
| Water
should be of high quality both to keep your machine
running well and also for a smoother cup. Remember
coffee is 98% water.
| Optimum
temperature to extract the oils and flavor is
between 194-198 F. Most common cheap coffee makers
won't even heat to 185F. The consumer can buy the
most expensive beans and not reproduce the
experience in a coffee house which use high
temperature commercial machines. I have found that
the French Press or Vacuum Method (sold at Safari)
will allow you to bring the water to a boil which
gets the job done. The next best is a high quality coffee maker like the
Krups or Bodum lines. Naturally
you want to use decent water that isn't loaded with
minerals to achieve a nice smooth profile. San Diego
has high mineral content water so we use a Reverse Osmosis
system in the store.
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| Portion
control needs to be accurate. Too much will produce
a bitter or strong cup and naturally too little will
make it weak and undrinkable. We like to recommend one
level tablespoon for every ten ounces desired. Do not pay attention to
markings on coffee pots since they do not signify
ounces. You need to measure your pot and work from
there.
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| Color
of bean. Deciding which color roast you prefer takes
a bit of tasting but cant be overlooked as a factor
towards enjoying the brew. Today the tendency of the
major chains is to roast dark but this makes coffee
taste uniform which takes away the fun of the
various brews. The roast can be left in the drum for
fifteen to twenty minutes which determines the color
of the coffee. The darker the roast the more bite
you experience. It is our belief that coffee taste
best at a medium roast. The body is there without
the smoky aftertaste of a dark roast.
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| Coffee
bean options: These include Varietals, Blends, Flavors and
Decafs. When you go to our order page you will
learn more about the profiles of each kind. You can
purchase sampler boxes which will give you a nice
spectrum without committing to significant amounts. |
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