The American Specialty Coffee Association SCAA Definition of Specialty Coffee Where does coffee grow best?

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In 1972, Ms. Erna Knutsen co-founded the American Fine Coffee Association (SCAA,Specialty Coffee Association of America) with six others, including Donald N. Schoenholt, and the word "Specialty Coffee" became a global language.

Ms. Knutsen has always been opposed to the coffee industry blindly pursuing the invariance and monotonicity of flavor with low-cost formula beans, ignoring the unique "Terroir" of coffee from different producing areas, that is, different soil, variety, climate and soil and water, resulting in different coffee flavor, which is the soul of fine coffee. Without the unique regional flavor, it is not fine coffee, but ordinary commercial beans or canned coffee (large canned coffee beans or powder).

Boutique coffee (Specialty Coffee), in simple definition, is actually good coffee, but what is good about it? the American Fine Coffee Association, referred to as SCAA, has established a set of evaluation system.

From the perspective of consumers (demanders): when consumers enjoy a cup of coffee, what they care about most is its flavor and its delicacy, which actually comes from the freshness of coffee beans, a very fresh coffee bean is healthy coffee, and the brewed coffee has a delicious flavor.

From the producer's point of view: the American Fine Coffee Association SCAA defines: Form seed to cup has five requirements from coffee seeds to the formation of a cup of coffee

1. Good varieties, right climate, right soil, right farming.

two。 The fruits are well preserved and transported after harvest.

3. The correct roasting process to develop the best flavor of coffee, as well as good packaging.

4. The correct grinding thickness.

Five minutes. A good way of brewing.

Ms. Knutsen first put forward the concept of boutique coffee, emphasizing the relationship between upstream growing environment and coffee quality. Now, the American Fine Coffee Association has redefined the concept of boutique coffee: carefully select the most suitable variety and plant it in the altitude, climate, soil and water environment that is most conducive to the development of coffee flavor. Careful washing and sun processing, select the most advanced raw beans without defects, and deliver them to customers with zero defects in the transportation process. After the superb craftsmanship of the roaster, it leads to the richest regional flavor, and then brews delicious coffee in a recognized way of extraction. According to this definition, the connotation of fine coffee not only includes the most core factor of planting environment, but also includes three key processes: raw bean treatment process, baking process and extraction (brewing) process. In short, boutique coffee should be a high-quality coffee with "good raw beans, good roasting and good extraction".

Boutique coffee is the definition of high quality coffee from seed to fruit to selection to roasting to extraction.

The American Fine Coffee Association (SCAA) has strict requirements for raw beans. Every 300g of coffee beans with more than 8 defects are not considered fine beans. Defective beans include all black beans, sour beans, moth-eaten beans, infected beans, dried berries / peels, and foreign bodies.