Coffee break

Coffee is consumed all over the world, and thousands of cups full of that black drink are drunk every minute.

When one puts his empty coffee cup down, another lifts his filled one up. It is prepared, consumed and offered in many different

ways and occasions. Black coffee or flavored with vanilla, cream or milk, with or without sugar. Espresso, instant, latte or cappuccino, fortified

with cardamom or alcohol. On its own and with a cake or baklava. In some countries it is Greek or Turkish, and in others it is Arabic

or Irish coffee. Sweet coffee or medium. Pressed, filtered, dripped. You name it! It became the commodity that millions of

people are addicted to and can not start their day without it.

Coffee beans grow on plants that range from little shrubs to tall trees and about 100 species of coffee plants grow in different corners of

the world.

The coffee tree can reach the height of 30 feet and usually covered with dark green and waxy leaves. Coffee beans take about one

year to mature on the coffee tree which might live for up to 30 years. Rich soil and mild temperature provide the ideal environment

for the coffee tree to survive.

The two important species of coffee:

In the coffee industry, and for identification and commercial reasons, you will find two important coffee species; arabica and robusta.

Common varieties of coffee:

Typica, Caturra, Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Tico, San Ramon and Jamaican Blue Mountain.

Coffea Arabica:

It is believed that the origin of coffee tree is from Ethiopia and Coffea Arabica is originally from that area in Ethiopia. 

Due to the mildness and the fine aroma of coffea Arabica, 70 % of the world´s coffee production and consumption is coffea Arabica

with Brazil as the leader and the biggest coffee producer in the world.

The story of coffee:

But how did man discover coffee? The legend tells us about a man called Kaldi who lived in the Ethiopian highlands, discovered the

effect of coffee on his goats by accident. That happened when he noticed that his goats became spirited, alert and did not sleep

at night. After the abbot of the local monastry heard Kaldi`s story, he made a drink with the berries collected from the bushes of

which the goats have enjoyed. The abbot liked the drink because it helped him keep alert and stay awake long hours for evening prayers.

The facts about the “magical drink” became more known and popular when it was offered to the monks of the monastry. And from there,

Coffee as a drink started spreading till it reached the Arabian peninsula to begin from there conquering the world.

By the 15^th century, the Arabs started cultivating coffee in Yemen and from there it spread to Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey.

The “coffee-houses” like Gahwi Khaneh where coffee was sold as a drink, started to appear in many towns and villages of the Near East.

The consumption of alcoholic beverages is forbidden by Islam, so coffee as a drink became a substitute for alcoholic drinks. Having a cup

Of coffee while socializing or doing business became a very important part of every day’s life.

Pilgrims returning to their countries after visiting the holy places in the Arabian peninsula such as Mecca, took coffee with them and thus coffee

spreading beyond Arabia begun. I

Into Europe, coffee was brought by Near East European travelers in the 17^th century. And by the mid 17^th century, coffee houses were

opened in almost all major European cities. In London alone, there were more than 300 coffee houses and public places offering coffee.

Into the new world, where tea was very popular drink because of the presence of the British, coffee found its way first in New Amsterdam

(New York City now).

In 1773 “The Boston Tea Party” which was a revolt by the colonists against a heavy increase of taxes on tea (imposed by king George),

ended up the popularity of tea in North America and made way to coffee to become a favorite American drink.

Roasting coffee beans

I believe that even the most coffee-loving person can not drink a cup of coffee made from coffee beans which are not roasted. It is simply

because we are not used to that. Coffee beans must be roasted first. Nowadays, the most commonly used method of roasting coffee beans

is the “floating principle” which allows the beans to be roasted evenly by being floating over heated air. During the roasting process, the acids

in the coffee beans change into aroma. The darker roasts are stomach friendly and the taste and aroma of coffee depends very much on this

process. If Arabica is dark-roasted over the limit, it will lose some of its delicate flavor and characteristics, but robusta flavor is enhanced with

the dark-roasting.

After roasting coffee beans comes the process of cooling them down with cold air and water. When coffee beans are roasted, cooled down and

dried, they are ready for use. Freshly roasted coffee is the best and roasted coffee beans are better preserved than ground coffee.

Husein Turbi