(WFN) As a coffee lover, I feel I know the difference between a quality coffee and lesser varieties just by taste. But can we really know the difference between the finest grown and roasted coffees and the standard store bought beans in a bag just because we consider ourselves to be coffee aficionados?
The truth is there is more to coffee than meets the eye, nose and taste buds. How and where a coffee bean is grown is as important as the roast. There are primarily only 2 kinds of coffee beans used to brew coffee. That statement of fact may come as a surprise to you since commercial coffee distributors market their products as uniquely different. We are indoctrinated to believe that coffee from Columbia is superior to that grown in other areas thanks to a brilliant long running ad campaign. In fact, coffee beans are not beans at all; rather they are the seeds of the coffee plant.
Even Maxwell House, a world renowned brand, advertises that it uses only 100% Arabica beans. The fact is that most of the coffee we drink in the U.S. is made from Arabica beans. Arabica is generally considered the best quality coffee bean and accounts for about 75% of the coffee grown in the world. The other major type of coffee is grown in areas where Arabica doesn’t and generally is subject to inferior harvesting practices as well.
Starbucks, Maxwell House, Timothy’s, Peet’s, Chock Full O’ Nuts, Newman’s Own, and Dunkin’ Donuts – what makes them different? Well, first and foremost it’s about the roasting. Next it’s about where the coffee is grown – the richest coffee is shade grown mountain coffee. And of course we all want to drink an organic product free of dangerous pesticides. But there is another factor that has nothing to do with the coffee plant itself or the bean that is picked. It has to do with the quality of human life.
Many coffee roasters today promise to buy only Fair Trade coffee from growers that incorporate strict rules for protecting and insuring an honest wage for the mostly poor plantation workers. The philosophy behind Fair Trade is simple. Its intent is to work with marginalized producers and workers so they can move from a position of vulnerability to financial security and economic self-sufficiency. Another aim is to have these workers become stakeholders in their own organizations and to actively play a wider role in the global economy.
Since I put away at least four cups of java every morning, it gives me some satisfaction if I know that the labor that it takes to produce my favorite brew is at least getting a fair shake.
But as I mentioned earlier, when it comes to flavor, it’s all about the roasting. The style of coffee you drink, be it mild and aromatic, a rich dark roast, Viennese, French or Italian espresso or Café Cubano, is created in the roasting process. That is why the quality and care that goes into the making of the finished product is so important. Just like a great brew master creating a quality beer, the coffee roaster has to be a master of his art. This is why roasting small batches of beans instead of mass amounts makes for a better coffee; the roaster has greater control over his or her final product. And that is why so many coffee lovers today look for the small, independent, neighborhood roaster when they want a delicious, full-flavored cup.
I’m sure it’s the last thing you want to think about when you reach for that morning cup or after dinner Café Ole but next time you smell that familiar aroma and get ready to sip, remember the four elements of a great cup of coffee:
- Shade grown Arabica coffee beans
- Skilled roasting in small batches
- Organic growing without harmful pesticides
- Fair Trade growers and distributors for a better world.
