A COFFEE BEAN’S JOURNEY
STEP 1: CULTIVATING
Here are some factors that change the taste between varietals from different locations:
- Type of Nursery
(grown wild vs. monitored plantations/nurseries)
STEP 2: HARVESTING
The possibilites are endless with the different processing methods. Some popular methods are: natural process, washed process, and wet-hulled process. With natural process, no layers are removed and the beans are dried in sunbeds with the berry fruit still around it. With the washed process, layers 5-7 of the bean are removed by a machine that depulps the berry. The remaining papery parchment surrounding the bean itself is washed with water to clean it off and left to ferment.
STEP 3: ROASTING
The roaster (can refer to the bean or person) is like a baker's oven, and these three phases are required to produce any good tasting roast:
1. Drying Phase
The moisture dries from the bean, reducing grassy, acidic tastes
2. Caramelization Phase
The temperature slowly increases causing the bean to expand. Like a cake rising, this is when the bean's sweetness is cultivated.
3. Development Phase
The bean encounters the First Crack, popping like popcorn. The oil trapped inside the bean escapes and rounds out the bean's flavor to create a full-bodied richness.
As the bean is roasted longer, it becomes more cooked all the way through. In darker roasts, the outside bean color is very close to the color inside. In lighter roasts, there is more variance between the outside and inside of the bean, creating different layers of flavor.
STEP 4: BREWING
Common brewing methods, based on the
time you have to spend:
- Loved by Europeans on the go. Sharp and bitter for a pick-me-up in one shot. Suited for med. dark and darker.
- Clean and simple, a convenient single serve tool. Because it immerses the coffee, it's perfect for nutty, chocolate, and caramel tastes. Suited for med. dark and darker.
- A must for your lazy morning coffee ritual, this elegant method is more mild. extracting smooth, tender textures from fruity and floral tastes. Suited for med. light.
This method can reduce acidity and bring out sweetness because it brews for longer. Don't forget to grind coarser. Suited for med. dark and darker.
Theatrical and dramatic, this tool looks like it comes straight from a science lab and is sure to entertain guests! This tool uses boiling to bring out sweetness and bring each varietal's unique flavor to the surface. Suited for med. dark.
All of these different steps result in so much variation in the coffee we taste. Though coffee flavors are traditionally thought of as bold, chocolatey, and nutty - darker flavors, there is also much more out there, as long as you choose the right beans to complement and emphasize what you want to taste.