Coffee Library - Coffeeco Costa Rica Gourmet Coffee

Cof"fee\ [Turk. qahveh, Ar. qahuah wine, coffee, a decoction of berries. Cf. Caf['e].]

1. The ``beans'' or ``berries'' (pyrenes) obtained from the drupes of a small evergreen tree of the genus Coffea, growing in Abyssinia, Arabia, Persia, and other warm regions of Asia and Africa, and also in tropical America.

2. The coffee tree. Note: There are several species of the coffee tree, as, Coffea Arabica, C. occidentalis, and C. Liberica. The white, fragrant flowers grow in clusters at the root of the leaves, and the fruit is a red or purple cherry-like drupe, with sweet pulp, usually containing two pyrenes, commercially called ``beans'' or ``berries''.

3. The beverage made from the roasted and ground berry.

HEALTH NOTE: For Your Health

Research has shown that there are four times the amount of anti-oxidants in coffee than in green tea, that coffee is an excellent anti-depressant and an effective performance enhancer in improving one’s memory and energy levels for both mental and physical activities. —Information from: wwwcoffeescience.org

New evidence in 1999 strongly indicates that consumption of coffee and caffeine does not contribute to CVD, finding neither caffeinated nor decaffeinated coffee associated with the risk of stroke—even for those drinking more than four cups of coffee a day. (13)

Warren G. Thompson, M.D., noted in a 1994 literature review on this subject: "The largest and better studies suggest that coffee is not a major risk factor for coronary disease." (1)

Willet et. al, in a prospective study reported in the February 1996 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), examined data collected from more than 85,000 women over a 10-year period. After adjusting for known risk factors, the authors found no evidence for any positive association between coffee consumption and risk of CVD for women consuming six or more cups of coffee a day. (2)

A 1990 study of more than 45,000 men found no link between coffee, caffeine and CVD for those drinking four or more cups of coffee a day. (3)
—Information from: wwwcoffeescience.org

Basic Cupping Terms

Acidity/Brightness
Not to be confused with bitterness. The zing or life in a cup of coffee. It can be described as a pleasant tangy or sharp (Acidity) feeling left on the sides of your tongue. It is often present in a lighter roasted coffee, producing a distinctive sharpness as opposed to a mellow, smooth coffee. A coffee that has little or no acid will taste very flat, lifeless and one dimensional. Like a fine wine, coffee must have the perfect degree of acid to bring out the complexity of its fine flavor.

Aroma
The immediate appeal to the olfactory (smelling) senses. Specialty coffee will exhibit a complex floral Aroma. Aroma often sets up a level of taste expectation just before the coffee touches your tongue. It should be subtle enough to evoke anticipation yet not artificial or overpowering.

Body
The sense of richness, heaviness or thickness of coffee in your mouth. Coffee professionals refer to this as "mouth feel." It is the impression of lightness or of weight one experiences when drinking coffee. The body of a coffee is very simple to analyze when conducting a tasting. Simply move the liquid from the front of your mouth to the back, working it over and around your tongue. A full-bodied coffee will feel as if it has more volume and texture, while a light-bodied coffee will seem to be watery or thin.

Flavor
The method by which the tongue interprets the aromatic characteristics of the coffee while in the mouth. Flavor refers simply to the taste of the coffee. Look for specific flavor elements described as winey, earthy, sweet, nutty, smoky, chocolate or spicy.

Top of Page

Coffee Terms

Arabica: The species of coffee shrub producing Arabica beans. These trees grow between 4,000 and 6,000 fee above sea level. Arabica beans are used by specialty roasters and coffee shops, and are considered by most in the trade to yield the finest coffee. Coffee belongs to the coffea genus, and there are over 100 Coffea species. Only Arabica species are grown in Costa Rica, and only three other species are grown for commercial purposes worldwide: canephora (robusta), Liberica and dewevrei.

Barista: A person who works at the espresso machine to brew espresso and makes espresso based beverages.

Bitter: A harsh unpleasant taste detected on the back of the tongue. This experience is usually associated with over-extracted brews as well as over roasted coffees.

Blend: A mixture of one or more varieties or species of coffee beans.

Bright: A characteristic of fine coffees. Describes a lively, sparkling taste and appearance.

Character: Refers to the general quality of a coffee. The character of specific coffee can be associated with a country, region, or even garden of origin.

Complex: Refers to a taste or aroma with many aspects present in the coffee as opposed to simple.

Cupping: A process of sipping coffees to assess degree of roast, as well as flavor, acidity, body, aroma, and other characteristics.

Top of Page

Decaffeination: A process which removes 97 percent or more of the beans naturally occurring caffeine.

Endocarp: The part of the coffee cherry right underneath the fruit pulp, which is washed away in the processing of the beans.

Espresso: Commonly a medium to dark roast, depending on the philosophy of the roaster. The roaster, or a specialty coffee shop may sell what they refer to as their "espresso blend", or "espresso roast." Although an espresso blend or roast may be brewed by any method (such as with a percolator or a filter) espresso is generally intended to be brewed in an espresso machine. This involves grinding coffee beans to a relatively fine "grind," placing some of the ground coffee in a small filter device called a portafilter, tamping (packing), and then locking the portafilter into the machine where hot water is forced through the coffee to produce a "shot" of espresso. "Espresso" also refers to the drink itself. An excellent cup of espresso is rich and full bodied but should not be overly strong or bitter.

Estate Coffee: Coffee beans grown on one plantation. The grower will take greater care of the beans because his concern for the taste and quality is more important than the money he may make on the beans.

Full: A prefix to good characteristics such as body, acidity, or certain flavors, to indicate a strong character.

Grassy: Refers to a tainted flavor to the coffee. Usually occurs when impure water is used to wash the beans or from improper drying during processing.

Green: Refers to unroasted, but processed coffee.

Top of Page

High Grown: All fine coffees are grown at high elevations. Plants grown at higher altitudes mature more slowly and give beans having more concentrated and intense flavor.

Organic Coffee: Refers to a coffee bean cultivated without chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Processing: The act of removing the coffee cherry pulp from the seeds. Coffee cherries are either sun dried and milled, or fermented and pulped.

Quaker: A coffee cherry picked that holds an under ripe bean.

Rich: A coffee with depth and complexity of flavor, full body, and an overall satisfying taste and aroma.

Roasting: The application of radiant and/or conductive heat to green coffee beans for the purpose of bringing out certain flavor characteristics. The "cooking" of the green beans to prepare them for brewing.

Robusta: One of the most abundant species of coffee beans. Robustas are highly disease resistant and grow well at lower elevations. They do not have the more desirable flavors of the Arabica. They are used in instant coffees, most commercial grade, and "supermarket" coffees. Occasionally, a special roaster will blend Robusta beans with Arabica beans to "stretch" the finer Arabicas and save some expense. The quality of the resulting coffee beverage is therefore compromised. Robusta also contains more caffeine than Arabica.

Screen Size: Refers to a grading system used to separate the different size beans. Larger beans are more expensive. However, bean size does not necessarily have a direct correlation on the taste. Specialty coffee is usually between screen 15-19 (sizes expressed in /64 if an inch).

Stinker: A coffee cherry picked in an over ripe state.

Varietal: A single variety or origin of coffee beans, as opposed to a blend.

Top of page

Coffee Tasting

Trust Your Taste. Our sense of taste is as individual and personal as each person doing the tasting. Tasting coffee for some is a learned school of sorts called cupping. True cupping is an art, but the ceremony of cupping has become more scientific through out the years, and because taste is personal, no two cuppers will be exactly the same in their assessment of the finished product, thus we term it as an art. With that in mind trust your taste buds and enjoy the experience!

Cupping Coffee

All roasters use a method of tasting the finished coffee product called cupping. Similar to a true wine tasting, you do not swallow the coffee. When cupping you simply taste the coffee by swishing it around in your mouth to get the full variety of notes from the brewed coffee and then spit into a nearby container.

Expert "cuppers" begin by roasting a small batch of the beans. The beans are then ground and placed in a cup. Hot water is poured over the grounds and once it cools slightly, the coffee grounds and hot water create a foamy crust. By using a spoon to quickly break the crust, the cupper starts by checking the aroma of the coffee. The coffee is then tasted.

Top of Page Costa Rica Businesses Espresso Machines

E-MAIL YOUR WHOLESALE INQUIRIES

Home | About Us | Our Coffee | Order Our Coffee | ProfitSHARE