Monday, 27 October 2014

Types Of Coffee Beans: A Short Introduction


                             Caffe Latte Mug 

A popular hot and cold beverage, coffee is extremely popular in almost all the regions of the world. However, the flavor and taste of coffee is affected by a number of factors. These factors include coffee bean, type of bean, region in which the bean was grown and roast type. This article hopes to highlight the main factors that affect the taste and flavor of coffee that you drink.

Coffee shops all over the world have a wide selection of blends and flavors of coffee like iced coffee, cappuccino and espresso. So while some may enjoy a blend that has the same color and consistency, others tend to like their coffee light and accompanied by sugar and cream. In other words, when you are aware of the coffee blend and flavor, you will find it easier to choose the cup that suits your taste buds in the perfect manner.

The first thing to keep in mind is the coffee bean variety as that impacts the quality of coffee to a great degree. There are two varieties of coffee bean produced in the world namely coffee Arabica and coffee Robusta. Some of the major coffee-growing in the world are the Americas (South and Central American Countries), Exotics (Jamaica and Hawaii), the Pacific (Sumatra and Java) and Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia). The variations in regions, climates and soil type results in very different flavors and coffee bean types. It is always a good idea to ensure that you go to coffee shops that use Arabica beans as this has a much higher quality as compared to Robusta and is used to make more than seventy per cent of the coffee in the world.

cold coffee

Arabica beans are produced from Cofea Arabica which is native to east Africa and Arabian peninsula. This bean grows well in warm and temperate environment (20 degree Celsius) and at an ideal altitudes of 1300-1500 meters or 3000 meters above sea level. Arabica coffee is made from the seed or bean of the coffee plant, where farmers pick the berries and remove the flesh. After this the beans are washed, dried and roasted before being sold to various coffee homes around the world. Coffee trees producing this variety of bean may be planted and harvested throughout the year, or there may be a specific planting and harvesting season. Further, in comparison with robusta beans, Arabica coffee beans contain less caffeine content.

Second most popular coffee bean, robusta coffee is much more easier to cultivate and therefore priced lower than Arabica. These beans have double the caffeine content and are more bitter in taste as compared to Arabica coffee beans. In addition, they are grown in low altitudes like Brazil and West Africa. Further, robusta beans tend to have a much higher crop yield than Arabica trees due to its resistance to disease and pests. Kopi luwak, is a robusta coffee variety that is grown in Indonesia and is relatively popular and expensive.

Coffee beans cannot be directly used to make beverages until they are roasted properly. The coffee beans are picked and sent to their destination before they are roasted to ensure the beans are at maximum freshness when they are served. It goes without saying that a certain roast will give you different flavors than other roasts. Some of the major types of roasts are
American roast (beans are medium-roasted for a fairly moderate flavor), French roast (strong roasted resulting in deep, chocolate brown color and strong flavor), Italian roast (predominantly for espresso drinks because of its strong flavor and brown-black appearance), European Roast (blend of roasts consisting of around two-thirds heavy roast and one-third regular roast) and Viennese Roast (a blend of roasts, it consists of one-third heavy roast and two-thirds regular roast).

Today, the market is filled with a variety of coffee which integrates the best of taste and flavor. Ice cream coffee is one such variety that combines the amazing flavor of coffee with ice cream to create a new and distinctive flavor. So over all when you are aware of the different flavor and aroma of coffee, you will be in a position to select the best flavor and blend that suit your taste and choice in the perfect manner.

For more details about coffee shop menu visit www.barista.co.in

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