The pedigree and variety of selected coffee

The flavor of each coffee variety is different. Lovers of selected coffee usually care about the taste and should be aware of the differences between them. The famous Blue Mountains of Jamaica, Kona of Hawaii and Sumatra are all Tibika species.

Coffee pedigree: Rubiaceae contains at least 500 genera, of which Coffea is one of the evergreen shrubs. In the genus Coffee, there are dozens of varieties, most of which have no economic value, and only three of them can sweep all mankind. Arabica (Arabica), Robusta (Robusta), Libya (Liberica).

Arabica beans have a good flavor and are the main source of selected coffee, but they are weak in disease resistance and are only suitable for growing at high altitudes. Arabica coffee has been planted for more than 700 years, and 40-50 new varieties have been developed, mainly from Typica and Bourbon.

Tibica is the original coffee of Arabia. the early Dutch brought it to European greenhouses and spread it to Asia, Central and South America and other places, and developed many varieties, most of which were descended from it.

The bourbon species was planted in the 18th century by the French on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, which was then called Bourbon Island. As a result, the coffee beans grown were curved in shape, with smaller seed particles, which were suitable for planting in the highlands. More importantly, they had a good flavor and became an important blood in the coffee family and a treasure in the selected coffee market.

With the exception of the Ethiopian variety (Ethipica), Arabica coffee in the world today is descended from these two varieties.

Marogogipe, a descendant of Tibika, occurs in the village of Marogogipe in Brazil, bearing yellow fruit and large seeds.

Mundo Novo (Mondonovo), a descendant of Sumatran coffee and bourbon.

Mokka, a descendant of the bourbon species, was first planted in Java.

Santos (Santos), a descendant of the bourbon species, was first planted in Brazil.

Caturra (Kaddura), a descendant of the bourbon species, originated in Brazil, has a high value and does not need to be sheltered.

Catuai (Kaduai), the mixture of Mundo Novo and Caturra.

Timor, a natural mixture of Arabica and Robusta, has 44 chromosomes.

Colombia (Colombian species), a mixture of Timor and Caturra, has a high yield.

The main varieties of selected coffee: the purpose of mixing coffee is to enhance disease resistance, avoid shading and increase yield, but the flavor of coffee is often ignored for economic purposes. Not all Arabica varieties are selected coffees. only a few top quality coffees are eligible for inclusion. There are only about 10% of them in the world.

In Colombia, one hectare of Kaddura can produce 2000 kilograms a year, while Colombian soybeans can reach 2500 kilograms, but Tibika can produce 750kg a year, slightly higher than Bourbon.

The Robusta species, which also originated in Africa, has a bitter and moldy taste and contains more caffeine than Arabica beans. At present, Indonesia, Vietnam and West African countries produce the most, most of which flow into the instant coffee and canned coffee market, which is the main material of commercial coffee.

There are 44 Arabica chromosomes with an average caffeine content of 0.9% 1.4% and 22 Robusta chromosomes with an average caffeine content of 1.8% to 4.0%.

The growth of coffee: because Arabica is most afraid of frost and high temperature, it is usually planted in higher places, about 1200 meters in the tropics and 600 meters in the subtropics. Generally speaking, the higher the coffee is, the slower the coffee grows, the denser the texture and the better the flavor. The quality of coffee depends on its variety, soil properties and climatic conditions (wind, rain, temperature, sunshine 0). What the farm can do is to protect its quality. at present, there is no artificial way to change the original flavor of coffee beans.

Shelter trees: coffee trees love the sun and are afraid of high temperature and frost, so they need to shelter trees. Guatemala is sheltered by banana trees. Hawaii has an island climate. Every afternoon, there is often a dark cloud, followed by a shower of rain. This natural shielding effect makes Kona coffee with a slight chocolate flavor.

Coffee trees: the coffee trees on the farm are usually maintained at about 1.5 meters. Wild coffee trees may grow to 7 or 8 meters, or even as high as 10 meters. It takes about five years for coffee to grow after it has been planted. Blossom and bear fruit for the first time for farmers to harvest. The peak production period was from 3 to 5 years after Arabica results, and the growth trend declined gradually in the 6th year. Generally, it needs to be renewed and rejuvenated in 6-7 years, that is, it is sawed off at 30 centimeters of the trunk to regenerate branches and leaves. This step is called Cut back.

Generally speaking, the coffee produced after 1-4 years is of better quality and flavor. Brazil with 1-4-year-old has smaller particles and dense texture, which is called "Bourbon Santos" (Bourbon Santos). After that, the growing particles become larger and flattened, which is called "flat bean Santos" (Flat Bean Santos) on the market, which is the common Brazilian coffee.

The fruit of coffee: the fruit of coffee is a berry, a bit like a cherry, so it is called "Coffee Cherry". It is green when it grows, and then turns yellow and red when it is ripe. It is sweet to eat when it is ripe.

The fruit of coffee is wrapped by pericarp, pulp, endocarp (Parchment), silver film (Sliver Skin) and so on.

In the selected coffee market, round beans from Tanzania are generally common. Because round beans have good consistency and good aroma, round beans are often treated as adults and become "adult coffee" (Aged Bean), which is even more precious. The farm must properly remove the peel and pulp in order to produce good quality coffee beans.

Various names of coffee beans: unbaked beans are called Raw Bean or Green Bean; roasted beans are called Roaster Bean. In the coffee market, the beans that have just been collected are generally called "Current Crop"; the raw beans of the first year are called "New Crop"; those harvested the year before last are "Past Crop"; and those that have been stored for too long are "Old Crop". Old beans are not equal to "Aged Bean".

Raw beans can be stored for a long time, but poor storage will change the flavor of coffee and even produce miscellaneous smell. The new bean is lively, with natural floral aroma and high-quality sour taste, while the old bean is calm, mellow and thick.