What the taste of coffee depends on

“Coffee and good coffee are two completely different drinks.” – Aretha Franklin.

The quality of coffee depends on many factors. Let’s take a look at some of them.

There are two basic types of coffee trees:

Arabica: It is native to Ethiopia. The trees bear red or red-purple fruit and can grow up to 5 meters high. It is grown at high altitudes (900-2100 meters above sea level). The light brown grains have the shape of an oval and are up to 1.5 cm long. Arabica does not tolerate cold and is susceptible to disease.

Robusta: Congolese coffee can be distinguished from Arabica on the basis of photos. The trees reach up to 10 meters in height and are grown at altitudes of up to 900 meters. The beans have a round shape and a dark red skin.

Liberica: The oval fruits, which grow up to 2.5 cm long, grow on tall trees (up to 20 m). Due to its weak flavor, it has little industrial value.

Depending on the type of coffee bean:

SHB: Arabica with the highest degree of hardness, which grows at an altitude of 1400 m above sea level.

HB: Hard beans from plantations at an altitude of 1200-1400 meters.

MHB: Medium-hard fruits that grow in the plain.

LGA: Soft beans used for low quality coffee.

Depending on how the coffee beans are processed:

After harvesting, the fruit is processed dry or wet. In the first case, the beans are washed and dried for 3 weeks. This is followed by cleaning and inspection to remove the remaining shells. In wet processing, the grains are soaked in water for 24 hours. This is the first fermentation of the fruit, which makes it softer. After rinsing, the grains are cleaned mechanically.

Depending on the degree of roasting:

Easy: The process lasts until the first crack. The grains become dry and have a light brown color.

Medium: The beans become darker.

Strong: The grains turn dark brown, caramelization occurs.

Highest grade: The essential oil makes the fruits shiny and gives them a black-brown color.