The difference between commercial coffee and selected coffee is distinguished by variety, treatment, freshness and name.

Coffee is already a common drink, but the number of people who really understand it is still very limited. Most people think that coffee is just a refreshing drink, but in fact, coffee can be divided into two categories:

(1) Commercial coffee Commercial Coffee-mostly drinks that contain caffeine and generally belong to low prices.

(2) selected coffee Specialty Coffee-excellent flavor and taste, enough to represent the real coffee culture.

So far, no one dares to define a selection of coffee. It is not a variety, nor a trademark, nor a brand. However, coffee is a concept, a comprehensive phenomenon of coffee quality and flavor.

◎ looks at coffee in terms of variety

The main varieties of coffee are "Arabica" Arbica and "Robusta" Robusta, but there is also a relatively unused "Riperica" Liberica.

Arabica Arbica

Growing in cool (mild) areas of the highlands, it has a better flavor, accounting for about 70% of the world's coffee production and is the main source of selected coffee.

The height of the coffee tree is about 5m, the number of chromosomes is about 44, and the suitable rainfall is about 1200mm / year. The leaf is small and thin with an oval shape of about 15 cm, the surface of the leaf is smooth and dark green, and the flower is smaller in shape, with roughly 5 petals.

The suitable temperature for cultivation is 15-24 degrees Celsius, and the elevation lies in the sloping land of 800m~1500m. Due to the constraints of climate and fine land, production is relatively barren.

The shape of raw coffee beans is slightly longer and is oval-shaped in half, while the central line of raw coffee beans is more curved S-shaped, with a caffeine content of about 0.9-1.4% and an average of 1.2%.

Countries that produce this coffee include Brazil, Peru, Jamaica, Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Kenya, Indonesia, India, Guatemala, El Salvador, Tanzania and so on.

"Robusta" Robusta

Grow in low altitude (warm) area, strong disease resistance, but have a strange smell, the flavor is not good. It accounts for about 30% of the world's coffee production.

The height of the coffee tree is about 10m and the number of chromosomes is about 22. The suitable rainfall for growth is about 2200mm to 3000mm / year. The leaf is larger and wider than 20 cm, the mesophyll is thicker, and the edge of the leaf is undulating. The flower is larger in shape and roughly has 6 petals.

The suitable temperature for cultivation is 18-36 degrees Celsius, and the elevation is 0m~800m. Trees grow very fast and are easier to manage, and harvest more per unit area than Arabica.

The shape of the raw coffee bean is a little short and fat, and it is semicircular spherical in half, and the central line of the raw coffee bean is more linear.

The caffeine content is about 1.8-4.0%, with an average of 2.2%.

Countries that produce this coffee include Uganda, Cameroon, Indonesia, Madagascar, Thailand, Congo, India, Vietnam and so on.

However, not all Arabica beans are selected coffee, only a few high-end beans come from high altitude, or have been strictly selected and graded, and the coffee beans are hard, rich in taste and excellent in flavor.

Yet it accounts for only about 10% of the world's coffee production.

As for Robusta beans, almost all of them have entered the commercial coffee market, and only a few (very few) fine beans can be regarded as selected coffee.

◎ looks at coffee from the way it is handled.

Due to the different ripening time of coffee fruit, good coffee must be harvested by hand in 3 to 6 times. However, in the process of treatment, whether it is the sun method or water washing method, the whole process must be careful. Raw coffee beans also have to be strictly selected and graded to ensure the stability of the quality of coffee beans.

In some places, although the climate and soil conditions are added, good coffee can be produced, but it is not handled properly or only the remaining inferior products are selected.

Can't be classified as a selection of coffee.

For example, almost all Brazilian beans are Arabica, but many of them are harvested by machines, resulting in a mix of good and bad in terms of quality. On the other hand, some of the lower grades of Mantenin are the second-grade products left after the selection, and they are not considered selected coffee.

◎ looks at coffee from the way it is roasted

The year, type, room temperature, moisture content and baking temperature of raw coffee beans are closely related to each other. Usually a selection of coffee is used to roast Small Batch in small quantities. There must be strict testing and analysis before baking, and then it will be taken care of by the baker until the baking is at its best. In this way, the outside of the coffee beans can be evenly ripe, ensuring the perfect quality.

Commercial coffee, on the other hand, is roasted in large quantities for the purpose of roasting raw coffee beans to a brown color, only to make ordinary people feel like coffee.

◎ looks at coffee in terms of freshness

The most important and most important thing about selected coffee is freshness. "freshness" refers to the freshness after baking, not the freshness of coffee and raw beans after harvest.

After coffee beans are roasted (coffee beans are cooked), the flavor will reach its peak in about 3-7 days, and it is also the best time to drink. However, once the coffee is stored for too long, the coffee will naturally decay and suffer oxidation, and the flavor will not be as good as before.

Therefore, freshness is the most basic law of coffee, not fresh enough coffee can not be said to be selected coffee.

◎ looks at coffee from the perspective of selling.

Specialty stores with selected coffee types generally sell whole beans and let customers take them home to grind themselves. on the other hand, if there is a valet grinding, they will also ask the customers what kind of coffee utensils they use and grind out the appropriate particle size of the coffee powder. will also tell the guest to "taste within the fresh period".

Guests will also be told to store coffee cooked beans or ground coffee powder in vacuum cans to avoid contact with air.

Will also tell the amount to avoid light damage.

Just because the selection of coffee absolutely emphasizes the importance of freshness!

On the contrary, commercial coffee types use iron cans, glass bottles or carry-on packaging to make poorly packaged coffee powder, coffee beans, and instant coffee, which are placed on the shelves waiting for customers who accidentally come to the door.

Generally speaking, if a real selection cafe also sells coffee drinks, be sure to use fresh beans for fresh grinding and cooking, and bring out a cup of fresh and delicious coffee.

However, the use of stale, sub-grade (poor) beans, although gorgeous packaging, on-site grinding, cheap, can not be said to be a selection of coffee.

◎ looks at coffee in terms of name

Good coffee will have its own characteristics, unwilling to be incognito only called "coffee". Therefore, in order to highlight a variety of unique styles, good coffee will have its own name.

For example: blue Mountain Blue Mountain in Jamaica, Andi Antiqua in Guatemala, Kona Kona in Hawaii, Yegashev Yirgacheff in Ethiopia, Sulawesi Sulawesi in Indonesia and so on.

Sometimes it is even marked with its grade as part of the name, such as Kenya AA (AA is the highest rating in the local rating system).