[Basic knowledge of coffee beans] novice quick introduction, Xiaobai advanced must read!

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What's the key to a good cup of coffee? Good brewing skills and utensils are indispensable, but high-quality coffee beans are the most important element. Do you have no idea about coffee beans, or are you often dizzy by a bunch of coffee nouns? It doesn't matter. In the following article, we will introduce the important knowledge about coffee beans in the easiest way.

Only when there are high-quality coffee beans can there be good coffee.

In China, drinking coffee has gradually become an indispensable enjoyment for many people, and more and more people choose to make coffee at home, not only for interest, but also for better coffee quality. If you have, or are planning to do, then the first thing you need to know is: good coffee comes from high-quality coffee beans.

This is the same as most food. A fish that is not fresh, no matter how gorgeous it is to cook, must not be very delicious, but a fresh fish, steamed with ginger, is very delicious. The same is true of coffee, poor quality coffee beans, no matter how good brewing skills or utensils can not be saved, destined to only make bad coffee. It may be possible to turn decay into magic, but you can't do it.

So, what is high-quality coffee beans? Think back to the coffee you have tasted in the past. There are probably two characteristics. The first is that the aroma is attractive, and the second is that it tastes good. Different varieties of coffee beans taste different, personal preferences of course also have different opinions, but the so-called high-quality coffee beans, is to retain the aroma and taste of coffee as much as possible, in the final brewing completely emitted.

Coffee aroma, from coffee roasting

The aroma and taste of coffee are produced only after roasting. During the roasting process, the water content of the green coffee beans is slowly released, the weight is reduced, the color is deepened, the volume is expanded, and the oil containing aroma is slowly released. In addition, a large amount of chlorogenic acid originally contained in raw beans will gradually disappear with the baking process, releasing a pleasant fruit acid, and its taste varies with the length of baking time. Below you can see how the shape of the coffee beans changes during roasting.

We will slowly elaborate on the details of roasting. What you must know is that the special flavor of coffee is roasted, which is related to how to choose good coffee beans.

Coffee bean VS coffee powder

After deciding to make your own coffee, the first choice you face when buying coffee is to buy coffee beans (whole coffee beans) or ground coffee powder (ground coffee beans). Leaving aside other personal equipment and time factors, we have only one suggestion: buy coffee beans, just buy coffee beans.

Of course, there is a reason for such a firm recommendation. Remember what we said earlier? The aroma of coffee comes from the roasted oil, which is sealed in the holes in the coffee beans. after grinding, the aroma and oil begin to volatilize, and the flavor of the coffee is naturally greatly reduced.

In addition, the area of the powder in contact with the air increases and is vulnerable to moisture or deterioration. Under the same conditions, coffee beans can be preserved nearly twice as long as coffee powder.

The only advantage of coffee powder is its convenience, especially if you always oversleep in the morning and don't have time to grind your coffee slowly, or if you haven't bought tools to grind beans, coffee powder can help you enjoy a nice cup of coffee quickly. If you decide to buy coffee powder, then we have the following two suggestions: (1) buy about two weeks at a time, retain the flavor as much as possible, and (2) keep the coffee powder in a good sealed jar.

Is it troublesome to grind your own beans? In fact, it's fun and can maintain the flavor!

Coffee beans are the most complete form to preserve the flavor of coffee and ensure that the coffee is fresh and original. Some manufacturers will mix coffee from different sources in the same bag of coffee powder, so it is difficult for consumers to ensure the source of coffee.

Although grinding beans is also a great knowledge, believe us, once you start grinding your own beans, you will never go back to the days of coffee powder. It is definitely one of the pleasures of homemade coffee to try the different flavors brought about by brewing various powders.

The best time limit for coffee appreciation

Do you still look at the expiration date on the package before you buy coffee? We want to tell you another important thing: the best taste period of coffee is not equal to the shelf life of coffee, you should pay attention to the baking time.

The roasting date of coffee beans represents freshness, and fresh coffee beans baked within 2-3 days are usually a good choice. However, baking and buying now is not actually the best time for beans to taste. In addition, coffee beans will continue to emit carbon dioxide (exhaust) for about 48 hours after baking, in addition to the smell of tobacco and the smell of beans themselves. therefore, freshly baked coffee beans are not very tasty.

It is recommended that you buy coffee beans for about 2 weeks at a time and keep the coffee beans indoors. It is also recommended that the coffee beans should be used in 2 weeks when the flavor is the best.

Types of coffee beans

At present, there are more than 100 kinds of coffee in the world, of which two of the most common are Arabica and Robusta/Canephora. These two kinds of coffee are very different in taste, composition and growing conditions. We will compare the differences between them below.

Arabica: expensive, supple taste, low caffeine

Coffee advertisements often emphasize that they use 100% Arabica coffee. Yes, in terms of price alone, Arabica is indeed more advanced, the average price of Arabica coffee beans is twice that of Robusta.

In terms of composition, Arabica has low caffeine (0.9-1.2%), 60% more fat and twice as much sugar, so taken together, Arabica tastes sweet and soft, with a plum-like sour taste.

In addition, Arabica has lower chlorogenic acid (5.5-8%), and chlorogenic acid is not only antioxidant, but also an important component of resistance to pests, so Arabica is more vulnerable to insects and climate, generally planted at higher elevations, bearing less fruit and slower. The fruit is oval.

At present, Brazil is the largest grower of Arabica, while Colombia produces only Arabica coffee.

Robusta: cheap, bitter, high caffeine

In contrast, Robusta, which is high in caffeine (1.6-2.4%) and low in fat and sugar, tastes bitter and strong, and some even say it tastes rubber.

Robusta has a high content of chlorogenic acid (7-10%), which is not easy to be affected by insects and climate. It is generally planted at a low altitude, bearing many fruits and fast. The fruit is round.

At present, the largest grower of Robusta is Vietnam, which is also produced in Africa and India.

Price is not equal to quality.

Because of its low price, Robusta is often mixed with coffee powder on the market to reduce cost. at present, most of the cheap instant coffee on the market is Robusta, but the price is not equal to quality. Good quality robusta beans are often used in espresso (espressos) because of its rich crema. Robusta with good quality tastes even better than Arabica beans with poor quality.

Therefore, the choice between the two kinds of coffee beans mainly depends on personal preferences. Some people may think that the aroma of Arabica is too strong, while others like Robusta's mellow bitterness. The only thing we want to remind you is that if you are sensitive to caffeine, pay special attention to the amount of caffeine. Robusta has twice as much caffeine as Arabica.

Of course, these are not the only two varieties of coffee, you can also try Java (Java), Kona (Kona), Sumatra (Sumatra) and other varieties to add new flavor to your coffee experience.

Coffee beans recommend what to buy?

Coffee flavor is influenced by where it is grown, processed, packaged, roasted, etc. How do you pick good coffee beans and identify the flavors you might like? Well, that starts with coffee beans.

The flavor of coffee

Before we get to the point, let's get to know a few proper terms to describe the flavor of coffee:

Acidity (acidity): the stimulation felt at the edge of the tongue when drinking coffee. Unlike the acid of lemon, coffee is a refreshing, refreshing feeling that boosts the taste, sometimes called brightness. Acidity is a very important characteristic of coffee, coffee without acidity will be very insipid.

Aroma: the aroma of brewed coffee is more varied than that felt by the tongue. The adjectives commonly used to describe the aroma of coffee are fruit-like, earthy, smoky, flowery, berries, nuts and so on.

Body: the taste of coffee in the mouth, from light as water or skim milk to thick as milk or cream, syrup.

Aftertaste: similar to the concept of wine tasting, it refers to the taste that remains in the mouth after drinking coffee. Some coffee has the aftertaste of cocoa or chocolate, while others have fruit, berries, nuts and so on.

Balance (balance): this is an assessment of the overall taste of coffee. Good beans have a balanced, layered, and soft aroma, while bad beans usually show a single flavor.

In addition to the above proper nouns, there are several common adjectives that describe high-quality coffee:

Mellow: coffee with low to medium acidity and good balance.

Mild (mild): indicates that coffee has a harmonious, delicate flavor, usually refers to high-altitude South American coffee.

Soft: low-acidity, slightly sweet coffee, usually Indonesian coffee.

Now that we know the terms that describe the flavor of coffee, let's take a look at what factors affect the taste of coffee.

one

The origin of coffee beans

Coffee connoisseurs all know: drinking depends on the year, drinking coffee depends on the origin. The soil, climate and altitude of the place of origin are the most fundamental elements to shape the taste of coffee. The taste of coffee grown from different places is naturally very different. Below we have sorted out the coffee flavor characteristics of several major producing areas for you:

Brazil: part of the Robusta is strong on the palate with a chocolate finish. Large quantities of coffee products usually come from Brazil.

Columbia: it has a light taste, good balance, low acidity and a fruity finish; it is popular in the United States.

Indonesia Mantenin: earthy or smoky, bitter cocoa aftertaste, mellow and full-bodied.

Ethiopia: the origin of coffee is high in variety. Many are described as syrup, sweet and sour citrus and a strawberry or blueberry finish.

Kenya: clean, berry-flavored, a little sour tomato.

Jamaica Blue Mountain: sweet and sour balanced, mild, mellow, supple, dark chocolate flavor.

two

The process of planting and treatment of coffee beans

In addition to the origin, the method of planting coffee beans (shade planting, organic cultivation, fertilization) and the process of picking coffee beans (whether the working conditions of farm workers enable them to have good working quality) also affect the taste of coffee. A good coffee tree may also produce bad beans.

The process of post-harvest treatment of coffee beans is also very important. There are three kinds of post-processing methods, such as sun exposure, water washing and honey treatment. Sun-dried coffee beans have rich fruit aromas, sweet aftertaste and high mellowness. Washed coffee beans have fruity or floral aromas, moderate acidity and low mellowness. Honey-treated coffee beans have a sweeter aftertaste, delicate fruit aromas and high mellowness.

Natural solarization

Sun drying is a traditional method for the initial processing of coffee beans. First of all, mature or half-ripe beans will be spread in the drying farm for natural drying. The specific time depends on the local climatic conditions, which usually takes two to four weeks.

When the moisture content of coffee beans is reduced to 12%, you can use a sheller to grind off the hard pulp and silver skin.

The sun treatment has a very high requirement on the climate, and if you encounter a rainy day in the sun, it will make the beans moist and moldy. When drying raw beans in the sun, the color is yellow, and the center will be brown after baking, rather than the white of washed beans.

Sun beans have relatively better sweetness and mellow thickness, while less sour taste, but the quality is more unstable, there will be greater fluctuations. Because of the low cost of tanning, it is widely used not only in Ethiopia and Yemen, but also in Robusta coffee grown in Africa and Indonesia.

water washing process

Coffee washing began in the mid-18th century. The washing process involves removing the pulp of the coffee fruit (red cherry), then removing the mucous membrane remaining on the endocarp in a fermentation tank, and drying the beans after washing. The difference between the non-washing method and the washing method is that the non-washing method removes the pulp after drying, while the washing method removes the pulp and then dries.

The washing method removes impurities (stones or garbage, etc.) and defective beans through each step, so the appearance of the beans is uniform, and it is generally considered to have high quality. The transaction price is also higher than that of coffee beans refined by natural drying method.

In addition, the equipment cost of the coffee washing method is relatively high, and the steps of washing are also quite time-consuming, and the production cost is relatively increased.

Honey treatment

The so-called honey treatment (Miel Process in Spanish) is said to refer to the process of making raw beans by sun-drying with mucous membranes. After the outer pulp of the coffee bean is removed, there will be a layer of sticky jelly. The traditional method of washing is to wash it off with clean water, but because of the limitation of water resources in some high-altitude areas, there is this way of direct drying.

The honey treatment process is vulnerable to pollution and mildew, so it needs to be closely watched throughout the process, constantly turning, and speeding up drying, so as to avoid bad fermentation flavor. Its advantage is that it can best preserve the original sweet flavor of coffee ripe fruit, making the coffee show elegant black sugar flavor and drupe flavor, while the berry flavor also supports the basic aroma of red wine, which is considered to be a very elegant product.

According to the proportion of pectin retained and the drying method, it can be divided into:

White Honey honey 80% mae 90% pectin was removed.

Yellow Honey yellow honey retains 50% pectin and has no fermentation.

Red Honey red honey basically retains all pectin and has no fermentation.

Black Honey black honey basically retains all pectin and dries at a slightly higher temperature at low altitude. It is covered with slight fermentation in the first 24 hours, and then the drying process is transferred to an African drying bed for drying.

Gold Honey golden honey basically retains all pectin, drying at low temperature at high altitude, and prolonging the drying time.

At present, there are various grading methods in the world according to the size of coffee beans, the quality of post-processing, and planting elevation, which can also be used to judge the quality of coffee beans. In addition, some coffee packaging will have Fairtrade, sustainable management, organic cultivation, high altitude and other certification labels, most of the coffee beans with these labels are not poor. Although some proofs may not be directly related to quality, they indicate that the coffee beans have been carefully processed.

three

Preservation of raw coffee beans

Raw coffee beans are very stable before they are roasted and can be preserved for a year under good conditions. But if you put it in a place with high humidity, it may produce bacteria, and coffee beans will also be contaminated with the bad smell in the air.

It is worth mentioning that the so-called old beans (aged) refers to the coffee beans stored in the low humidity and high altitude environment of the country of origin, which are turned and kept fresh regularly to cultivate a particularly mellow taste. This kind of coffee bean tastes good, but it is also expensive. The coffee beans stored in the general warehouse are not old beans, so don't be deceived.

four

Roasting of coffee

The baking time of beans will affect the appearance and taste. The simplest way to judge is that the longer the beans are roasted, the lighter the sour taste and the less caffeine. Below we briefly list the coffee flavor produced by different roasting time for your reference.

Very shallow baking (light roast): has a strong smell of grass, lack of aroma, rarely used to taste.

Light roasting (cinnamon roast): high acidity, slightly fragrant, often used to make American coffee.

Medium roasting (medium roast): sour and bitter taste, moderate aroma, retain the original flavor of coffee beans, often used to make American coffee or mixed coffee.

Medium and deep baking (high roast): the taste is rich, sour and bitter balanced and slightly sweet, with good aroma and flavor.

Urban roasting (city roast): lower acidity than medium and deep roasting, perfect display of coffee flavor, is the standard roasting degree, the most popular among the general public.

Deep roasting (full city roast): bitterness is stronger than sour taste, the aftertaste is sweet, full of aroma, mostly used to make iced coffee or black coffee.

French baking (French roast): bitter, strong, not sour, with a smoky aroma.

Italian roast: beans are glossy, bitter and scorched, and are mainly used to make espresso.

From the above introduction, you can get the basic knowledge of identifying coffee beans, and find out your favorite taste by actually tasting different coffee bean flavors. After reading this article, congratulations on entering the coffee world. Let us repeat, good coffee beans are the beginning of a good cup of coffee.