Next to oil, coffee is the most widely traded commodity. The consumption of coffee is about 400 billion cups a year and continues to grow. Like any other popular commodity, coffee has its share of controversies. People around the world have both loved and hated coffee for many years. Many expletives have been used to describe coffee over the years, including "the drink of the devil", the drink that caused men's impotence and an evil brew. Still, coffee has always been there, as literary masterpieces were written, national testaments and oratories created, medical advances made and world-changing business deals brought to fruition. While these landmark events were not reached only because of coffee, it surely had something to do with them. Coffee is surely more than a simple beverage. The world loves it, and for good reason. Fine coffee, like wine, takes special preparation. Coffee is the antithesis of wine, but it requires the same amount of dedication, specialized processes and cultivation. Wine relaxes the body and tends to slow the mental processes. Coffee has quite an opposite effect. Coffee is calming, rather than intoxicating. It stimulates the senses, rather than dulling them. Someone once said that "It cheers the spirit without making one mad." Like wine, coffee needs blending, brewing and various other preparations that go with excellent drinks. Coffee also has its own vocabulary of terms. If you wish to be truly familiar with coffee, here are some of the more notable terms to learn: Acidity of Coffee Carrots and coffee have nearly the same pH. Acidity in coffee contributes to its special liveliness, color and brightness. Arabica Coffee Arabica is one of the primary types of coffee. The other is Robusta. Coffee Arabica contains less caffeine, but it is harder to cultivate as it grows best at altitudes between 3,500 to 7,000 feet. It has a superior full bodied taste compared to Robusta and is consequently more expensive. Bourbon is a variety of Arabica coffee that is grown in Africa. For some time, the cultivation of bourbon Arabica coffee was not seriously pursued, because although it has more character and taste, it does not yield as large a crop as the other Arabica varieties. However, our insatiable love affair with coffee has brought about increased cultivation and a rise in popularity. Coffee Blends The art of blending coffee is much like an artist mixing colors on the palette. Coffee blenders use beans from various coffee-growing regions, and then mix them to craft a specialized flavor that cannot be achieved with coffee of single origin. Body or Feel The "body" of the coffee is a term used to describe the way it feels in the mouth. The body may be thin, delicate, light, syrupy or buttery. Decaffeinated Coffee When the caffeine content of the coffee beans is minimized, it's called "decaffeinated" or "decaf" coffee. There are several processes that may be used to reduce the caffeine content in coffee including chemical, carbon dioxide and water system procedures. Regardless of the decaffeinating process used, efforts are always made to preserve the delicious natural flavors of the coffee bean. Grades of Coffee This is a classification of the beans by their density and size. The highest grade is known as premium and is sold at a higher price. Methods of Processing This term is used to describe the separation of the flesh from the coffee bean. Drying and washing are the two main methods of processing coffee. In drying the coffee, the beans or "cherries" are spread across the ground to dry out in the sun. Every day, the beans are raked several times to ensure even drying. After two or three weeks, the dried flesh cracks and the beans emerge. This type of dry processing produces an earthy flavor and a syrupy texture to your coffee. With washed processing, the skin is cut from the coffee beans and the beans are allowed to stand. When the beans begin to ferment, the skins are easily washed off with water. Then, the beans are dried. With this washing process, the natural flavors of the coffee are preserved. Now that you can talk the talk, it's time to walk the walk. Meet your friends for coffee and wow them with your inside knowledge of everyone's favorite bean.
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