The concept of Fine Coffee Specialty Coffee (1)

The traditional classification of coffee beans is usually based on the classification criteria defined by the coffee producing countries, and then agreed to become common in the international market and traded under such a tacit understanding. For a long time, coffee producing countries have their own classification and evaluation criteria for coffee, which serve as the pricing guidelines in the coffee market. But slowly in recent years, coffee consumers began to demand a unified evaluation criteria, which is the rise of the so-called boutique coffee Specialty Coffee concept.

In the past, there were three grading and evaluation criteria for coffee producing countries:

1. Graded according to the altitude of the producing area

two。 According to the coffee bean sieve, that is, the coffee bean size classification

3. According to the screen, the proportion of defective beans and the comprehensive method of taste test

1. Graded according to the altitude of the producing area

Because the higher the altitude and the lower the relative temperature, the coffee fruit can mature slowly, such beans have good expansibility and are easy to bake, and the coffee beans produced in the highlands can not be operated on a large scale by machine, so they can only be picked by hand, with high cost and few defective beans, so the coffee products produced in the highlands are better than those in low real estate, so almost all coffee-producing countries in Central America use this as a grading and evaluation standard. For example, SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) is the highest quality coffee bean in Guatemala, which is mainly grown above 1350 meters above sea level, while SHG (Strictly Hard Grown) is the highest quality coffee bean in Mexico, which is mainly grown above 1700 meters above sea level. For example, Honduras and El Salvador also take SHG (Strictly Hard Grown) as the highest quality, but grow above 1200 meters above sea level.

Coffee bean sieve

two。 Grading according to coffee bean sieve (coffee bean size)

This method is used in Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia and other producing countries, mainly based on raw beans through a hole in the iron plate screen to determine the size of beans, as a grading standard. The size of the sieve hole is 1x64 inches, and the so-called number 17 sieve means that the size of the sieve hole is 17x64 inches, which means that the raw bean is larger than 17x64 inches (about 6.75mm), and it will be selected if it cannot pass through the sieve. The larger the screen size, the larger the granules of the coffee beans. For example, the most advanced AA grade coffee beans in Tanzania are sieves with sieve size 18 or above; Kenya AA coffee beans with granules over 7.2mm; Colombia has sieves with Supremo grade 17 or above, and Excelso sieve 16 with 11% sieve particles mixed with 14.

In actual baking and tasting, the taste of coffee beans with large particles is usually more abundant than those with small particles, so there is a basis for grading with coffee bean sieve (coffee bean size).

On the right is Columbia Special selection (Supremo)

3. According to the screen, the proportion of defective beans and the comprehensive method of taste test

This is the method adopted by Brazil, a big coffee producer, which uses the percentage deduction method of defective beans, plus a sieve (the size of coffee beans) and a three-stage comprehensive taste test (Cup Testing) to grade.

For example, Brazilian coffee beans are marked as:

A producing country in Brazil

The first exit port of Santos

No.2 defective beans are mixed into the quantity classification, usually No.2 stands for the highest level, the blending is the least, and the lowest is the maximum lower limit of No.8 blending.

Sieve No. 19 indicates the size of coffee beans, and No. 19 indicates beans that pass through the hole of the sieve with a diameter of 7.54mm. Brazil said on the 12th and 20th.

Extremely mild (Strictly Soft) indicates the grading of the taste test done by the Cup Testing, and extremely mild means the most advanced.

Brazil will adopt this unique three-stage comprehensive classification because of its large production and high production, and the quality control method of mixing coffee beans is often made in order to adjust the special taste of exported coffee.

Grading standard of Jamaican coffee

As countries mark zero total, and there is no unified evaluation standard for producing areas such as Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, all in all, "the production of large particles in the flawless highland is good beans." Slowly in recent years, the voice for a unified evaluation standard is getting higher and higher, so the United States, as the largest consumer of coffee, put forward the concept of fine coffee Specialty Coffee 30 years ago.

The so-called boutique coffee Specialty Coffee term first appeared in 1978, was proposed by Ms. Knudsen of Knudsen Coffee Company at the international coffee conference and began to spread. Boutique coffee Specialty Coffee is defined as coffee beans with unique flavor cultivated under special climatic and geographical conditions. The special climate and geographical conditions (Microclimates) here apply the concept of so-called wine tasting. Just like the grapes in wine producing areas, they are affected by the local climate, geographical environment, harvest and other factors, which affect the flavor of wine.

At first, the effect of coffee tasting such as wine did not respond immediately, because although the United States is the largest consumer of coffee, most of the coffee beans imported by the United States are inferior or inferior, such as Brazil's No.5 grade, gradually until the European espresso trend (Espresso) is introduced to the United States, and brands such as Starbucks that emphasize the use of high-quality coffee beans begin to lead the way. It has become an importer and spokesman of high-quality coffee in just ten years.

SCAA Logo of the Fine Coffee Association of America

At present, there is no strict and unified definition of boutique coffee Specialty Coffee, which is mainly put forward by the national boutique coffee association SCA. We will introduce it in detail in the next issue.