The Coffee Bean

Coffee grows between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The best coffee grows above 5000ft, where there are no frosts, and temperatures rarely rise above 90c. There are over 50 strains of coffee plant, but the two most financially viable are Coffea Arabica, and Coffea Canephora; two thirds of the world's coffee is harvested from the Arabica plant as it is widely recognised as providing a more refined flavour, and a fuller tasting experience. Coffea Canephora, more commonly known as Robusta is a much hardier plant but has a much less refined flavour, meaning it is used widely in instant coffees and blends. It also has higher caffeine content. The coffee bean is actually the seed within the berry of the plant: the pulp is removed and the green seed is roasted.

Though there are only two widely used species of coffee plant, the region in which the coffee is grown is a major factor in determining much of the flavour characteristics of coffee beans, a fact which is becoming more and more important to the modern day consumer. The main world areas are; the Pacific's, Central and South America, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The Pacific's majority export is robusta, but their Arabica exports (such as those from Java and Sumatra) have a rich, earthy character, and a long finish. The coffees from the Americas are a different breed entirely; a light body, sharp acidity and bright flavours with a clean crisp finish, Columbian and Costa Rican coffees are good examples. African and Arabian coffee again reflects the nature of the climate; dry acidity, an intense aroma and exotic fruit with chocolate undertones. As you can see from the following table, however, these are only regional generalisations, and individual coffee tastes are affected by the various roasting and processing techniques used for different coffees:

Pacific	Hawaii	Medium-bodied brew, spicy, buttery characteristics.
	Java	Light-bodied, acidic, with smoky, spicy flavours.
	Sumatra	Full-bodied, low acidity, herbal notes and a smooth flavour.
	New Guinea	Well-balanced, fruity aroma and earthy body.
Americas	Costa Rica	Full-bodied, sweet and rich, with a lively acidity.
	Columbia	Medium to heavy bodied, with a balanced acidity.
	Guatemala	Medium body, high acidity, with spicy, chocolate flavours.
	Panama	Sweet, bright and balanced, similar to Costa Rican coffee.
	El Salvador	Mild, balanced, medium-bodied with sharp acidity and a hint of sweetness.
	Peru	Mild character, often used for blending.
Africa and Arabia	Kenya	Heavy-bodied, with a winy acidity and fruity flavours.
	India	Full-bodied, with spicy undertones of clove and cardamom.
	Ethiopia	Light to medium body, with high acid and berry undertones.
	Yemen	Balanced coffee, medium to full body, good acidity and chocolate undertones - known as Mocha beans.

Processing the Coffee Bean

Though regionality of the coffee bean has a definite impact on the end flavour of the coffee there are other factors. Surprisingly, before the bean has even been roasted, the processing of the bean has a sizeable impact on the eventual final character of the coffee.

The first stage of the process is of course the picking of the coffee berries. Although picking berries may seem a simple process, it can have a significant effect on the end product in the luxury coffee market. Berries can either be picked by hand or by machine, in one of two methods. Strip picking is where the entire plant is harvested, whether berries are all fully ripe or not. Selective picking (somewhat self-explanatory - as the name suggests a more careful approach is taken) is usually reserved for the higher quality Arabica coffee berries. Using this method, the best of the beans can be picked; the berry is a strong red colour, usually providing a more aromatic end product.

After harvesting, the berry must go through further processing; the outer layers must be stripped to reveal the heart of the berry. Again, there are different ways this can be achieved, each affecting the taste of the coffee. Wet processing is a method by which the fruit is immersed in water; bad berries rise whilst the good ripe fruit sinks. The skin and some of the pulp is then removed by pressing the fruit through a screen. At this point the fruit still has a lot of pulp attached, which is removed by one of two methods. The ferment and wash method is when the beans are fermented with microbes, for between 24 and 36 hours, and then washed with large amounts of water. Machine assisted wet processing removes the fermentation process, and the remainder of the pulp is removed via mechanical scrubbing. This method allows the coffee to gain characteristics of both wet and dry processing, retaining both sweet and acid flavours. Coffees processed using this method are often classed as cleaner and brighter tasting, highlighting the acidity in some beans.

Opposite to the wet form of processing, the dry form is the oldest and most traditional method. After harvest the fruit is cleaned and then laid out in the sun to dry, which can take up to four weeks (though machines are sometimes used on larger plantations to speed up the process). The dry method is common in countries where rain is scarce and sunshine is plentiful, such as Indonesia and Brazil, and results in a coffee which is heavy in body, smooth and sweet.

With the berry now beginning to resemble a bean, the final steps before roasting are hulling, whereby the remnants of the fruit are removed from the bean, and the final polishing, sorting and the all-important grading. In the premium coffee bean market, grading is carried out to provide all the aforementioned information about provenance, picking and processing methods, and tasting notes.

The Decaffeination Process

Some people prefer a cup of coffee without the kick of caffeine. If you enjoy your coffee but the caffeine does not agree with you, or if you simply want a late night cup of coffee without the loss of sleep, decaffeinated is a good option.
For a coffee to class as decaffeinated, it must have 97% or more of the caffeine removed. There are three methods by which this can be achieved; the traditional process, the water only, and the sparkling water process.

The traditional process uses methyl chloride. The green processed beans are soaked in water to draw out the caffeine, and then methyl chloride is added to the water which bonds with the caffeine molecules. This water is then removed, the beans are dried and then roasted. One of the cheapest methods of decaffeination, this method was banned in Europe in 1995 as it is environmentally unfriendly
The carbon dioxide method involves the CO2 being pressurized and then forced through steamed green coffee beans. The caffeine adheres to the carbon dioxide, and is removed.

The water carbon technique, also known as the Swiss water technique is considered to be the kindest to the coffee, but is the longest, and most expensive. Water is the only solvent, and the green beans are rinsed in water for a period of time. This water is then circulated through carbon filters which absorb the caffeine. Some of the water is then reintroduced to the beans which are then dried and roasted.

It is generally accepted that the decaffeination process will always impact on the eventual flavour of the coffee in a negative manner. As the beans must always be soaked in some fashion, flavour loss, most would argue, is inevitable. For those concerned abut their caffeine intake, perhaps a change to espresso is the way forward, as of all the coffee brewing methods, it provides the least amount of caffeine, but the largest flavour. Filter coffee for example has between 60 to 180 milligrams of caffeine per serving, whereas an espresso has between 30 and 50 milligrams.

Coffee - the Ethics

It is important in the current era of the conscientious consumer to mention the social impact of coffee. The modern day consumer is often aware of the need to buy ethically produced products (be it environmentally, economically, or socially sustainable), but what does this actually entail? The major areas are sustainable farming, fair-trade, organics, and shade grown and bird friendly coffee.

Sustainability in coffee farming is hard to define, but it loosely equates to a notion of responsible farming. This usually means farming in a manner, which is kind to the environment, and to the people, involved in the process of manufacture. As a rough guide sustainable farms should:

seek independence from non-renewable resources

utilise renewable resources wherever possible

minimize pollution and water consumption

clean used water

renew the land by using environmentally friendly fertilisers

In addition to this, sustainable farms normally participate in organic coffee farming and shade growing, and participate in fair-trade schemes.

The notion of fair-trade coffee is as the name suggests; bypassing coffee traders and allowing the producer a higher income rectify the previous injustices present in the process of coffee trading. Fair-trade agreements set out minimum prices deemed to be fair. Once these are agreed and set, guidelines are put into place to ensure a fairer deal for the coffee growers.

Organic coffee at the most basic level is coffee that has been farmed without the use of herbicides or pesticides. This can be extended to also include promoting good soil health, responsible composting, utilising waste from the processing of the coffee, and the protection of the surrounding environment. Organic coffee is also usually shade grown, and this in turn leads to bird friendly coffee. Shade grown coffee means that the trees in the area are not cut down, and as a result, the birds in the local habitat are protected. At this time, shade grown coffee is not seen to be financially viable, and only makes up a small portion of coffee produced. The rate of growth is slower for shade grown coffee, and therefore they obviously provide lower yields. Due to this slower growth rate, these coffees have more sugars present, and offer a greater acidity in the final flavour.