The effect of altitude on coffee quality and flavor Why is higher altitude better?

Have you asked the barista about the origin of the coffee? If you ask, the answer you get is bound to confuse you. Among all kinds of technical terms, you must have heard the word "altitude". The question is, what does "altitude" have to do with the coffee we drink? Why is altitude so important for coffee?

1 the importance of altitude

Altitude, that is, the altitude at which coffee grows, will directly affect the size, appearance and taste of coffee beans. Of course, you can't just walk into the coffee shop and tell the barista how much altitude you want to drink, but understanding altitude can help you understand coffee better.

In another article about how growers choose coffee varieties, I once said that altitude and climate affect coffee growers' choice of coffee beans. To put it simply, Arabica coffee likes to grow in the plateau with cool climate between 1800 and 6300 meters above sea level, while Robusta coffee likes to grow in lowland areas with warm climate between 600 and 2400 meters above sea level. From this we can see that altitude will greatly affect the quality and taste of coffee.

2 how to judge the altitude of coffee growth?

Altitude will directly affect the appearance of coffee beans. When you take a closer look at raw coffee beans, you will find that the size and density of each kind of coffee are different. Are the coffee beans in your hand small and dense? Is the gap in the middle of the bean tightly closed or open? Is the gap straight or curved? Is the color of coffee beans close to jade, light green or blue? The shape characteristics of the bean body can directly reflect the growth altitude of coffee beans.

The best quality coffee beans are usually strong and grow at an altitude of more than 4500 meters. The growth of these coffee beans is very slow, so the density of the beans is very high, and the gap in the middle of the beans should be curved. In contrast, coffee beans grown at low elevations usually have a lower density and slightly open gaps in the middle. As for the color of the bean, the growing environment of the coffee bean and the processing technology of the raw bean will affect the color of the coffee bean. If the same kind of coffee beans produced on the same plantation are treated differently, for example, one batch is washed with water and the other batch is treated with honey, then the colors of the two batches of beans will be very different. Generally speaking, the density of bean body is the most powerful basis to judge the altitude of coffee bean growth.

Why the higher the altitude, the better?

To put it simply, the higher the altitude at which coffee beans grow, the better they taste. Coffee beans grown at high elevations have pleasant acidity, rich aroma and rich taste, which everyone likes; on the contrary, coffee grown at low elevations has almost no sour taste, single taste and plain taste. That's why baristas always emphasize altitude. If your barista tells you that your coffee grows on a plateau 5200 meters above sea level, then this cup of coffee is definitely worth savoring.

Although altitude is only one of the many factors to measure the quality of coffee, it is definitely the most important one. The next time you go to the coffee shop, please ask the barista to tell you the origin of the coffee in the cup, which will not only enrich your coffee knowledge, but also improve your overall coffee experience!