WBC Champion Wang ce column: roasting and Choice of Coffee beans From Seed to Cup

WBC Champion Wang ce column: roasting and Choice of Coffee beans From Seed to Cup

For baristas, especially contestants like me, coffee needs to be analyzed, understood, and reorganized. The three states of coffee, raw beans, cooked beans and liquid, are the topics we will reveal in these articles. What's the key to a good cup of coffee? Cooking skills are indispensable, but high-quality coffee beans are the most important element.

"roasting of coffee beans"

In the process of baking, the water of raw coffee beans will be slowly released, the weight will be reduced, the color will be caramelized, and the fragrance substances will be released and changed accordingly. At the initial stage of baking, the enzymatic flavor of flowers and fruits will be released, and then with the extension of time and temperature, caramel flavor will be formed.

Most boutique coffee roasters choose to finish baking before or after the coffee explosion (Note 1) in order to retain high-quality flavor and avoid bitterness and scorching taste.

Note 1: "explosion" is a baked bean term often used as a signal to describe the sound produced by the first crack of coffee beans in the boiler.

Photo courtesy of Dongran Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Green coffee beans turn brown after roasting to produce aroma and flavor.

"Coffee bean choice"

I always encourage you to buy fresh coffee beans. No beans taste better and better. I suggest you choose unground coffee beans and grind them before rinsing.

The roasting date of coffee beans represents the freshness. I think coffee beans baked within 3-14 days are considered fresh. However, it should be noted here that 48-72 hours after roasting, the coffee is in a state of continuous exhalation, the flavor of the coffee has not yet been released, and the body contains a high level of carbon dioxide, so freshly roasted coffee is not suitable for immediate consumption.

"Coffee description"

Tasting coffee is the same as tasting wine, it will be described by descriptive words. In our World Cup of Cooking (WBrC), the judges will have a score sheet in hand. The following are some of the items that they will judge and grade.

Photo: Ikawa official

Flavour: in addition to drinking directly, the tester will sip the coffee with a spoon to atomize the coffee to the nasal cavity. Usually the flavor found in the aroma will find a similar description in the flavor.

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Aftertaste: the smell that remains in the mouth or nasal cavity after swallowing. Different coffees are brewed in different ways, there will be different lengths.

Acidity: lightly roasted coffee is often sour. The "acidity" and "acid value" of coffee are both very important quality monitoring items. Bright and sour with sweetness, similar to peach, describes a very high-quality sour feeling.

Body fat (body): the feeling of coffee in the mouth. Like "acid", it can be divided into strength and quality. Medium and low strength, similar to tea, as smooth as silk, doesn't it sound very attractive?

Balance (balance): usually refers to the sweet and sour balance of coffee, and the strength.

Aroma: the wet aroma of coffee liquid, this project is monitored by nose. It can be noted that if the coffee is in a paper cup, it may be affected by the smell of the paper.

Take the competition beans I use this year as an example, the aroma I describe is "melon", "peach", "cream sugar" and "Luo Shenhua".

As a "world champion barista", I hope to turn my end "experience" into a driving force for the production of higher quality raw beans. If such a virtuous circle helps each other, it will be the drinkers who will benefit in the end. There are still a few steps to go from the manor, to baking, to choosing your favorite beans, and then to your cup. Please listen.