Coffee is one of the best drinks known to civilization. Perhaps the civilization itself owes much of its prosperity to coffee. For this drink awakens thoughts, helps to paint pictures and novels, solve problems at the negotiating table and even restore health after yesterday's party.
The story of where and how coffee spread throughout the world has overgrown with many legends. Here is one of them. Once the archangel Jabrail presented an amazing plant to Allah. The Almighty has brewed from its grains a divine drink that drives away sleep and sharpens the mind. And he called it "kahwa" - "exciting". One of the seeds accidentally hit the ground and sprouted. While a shepherd named Kaldi was grazing his goats, the animals came across a bush with bright red fruits and gnawed at it. Then they became unusually vigorous and mobile. And then it dawned on the shepherd: it's all about the extraordinary fruits! According to another version, the case took place in the Ethiopian province of Kafa. It was there that those wonderful goats grazed, who discovered this magical drink to the world. Be that as it may, the rumor about a miraculous tonic quickly spread throughout the East.
For centuries, it was believed that drinking coffee was a seductive but rather bad habit. However, the results of recent studies indicate that if it is not abused (0.3 g per day is considered an acceptable dose of caffeine - and this is no more than two to three cups), coffee is very useful: it relieves fatigue, stimulates the brain and the digestive system. It has also been proven that people who usually drink two to three cups of coffee a day have a more stable psyche and are less prone to depression.
Ripe coffee fruits are harvested by hand. During the harvest season, pickers walk through the entire plantation once a week, pick the ripe red coffee berries and sprinkle them on a cloth spread under the bushes. In this case, the fruits are immediately sorted to remove unripe or overripe.
Harvested coffee berries cannot be stored for a long time; they must be peeled immediately. There are two cleaning methods - dry and wet.
Dry cleaning is traditionally used in areas with pronounced periods of rain and drought. Pre-separated from debris, unripe or overripe fruits, coffee berries are spread in a thin layer on a large flat surface and left in the sun until completely dry.
They are stirred several times a day so that they dry evenly. During this time, they ripen, chemical changes take place in them, thanks to which the coffee gets its taste and "strength". If rain is approaching, as well as at night, the fruits are collected in heaps and covered with foil.
The drying process is complete when the water content of the harvested berries is reduced to 13 percent. This happens after about 3 weeks. Then the fruits are peeled and removed from the shells of green grains.
Wet cleaning is common in regions where there is a lot of rain and not enough sunny days to dry coffee quickly and well.
Ripe coffee berries are poured into large rotating drums immediately after harvesting, where most of the soft shell of the fruit is removed under a strong jet of water. Then they are unloaded into special containers and left there until the remnants of the pulp are finally soaked, after which they are washed off with running water.
The washed grains are poured onto flat areas and left to dry in the sun. To make the grains dry evenly, they are constantly stirred.
Refined grains undergo several more stages of processing: shelling, polishing, sifting, sorting and roasting.
Roasting is a very important stage in the processing of grains. Raw coffee beans are not suitable for consumption. When roasted, moisture evaporates from them, they become hard, easily grind and change color - from green to light and dark brown. The taste and aroma of a coffee drink very much depend on the degree of roasting: the stronger it is, the more bitterness is expressed in coffee and the less sourness; low roasting, on the other hand, has strong sour notes and almost no bitterness. There are four roast levels, each of which imparts a different flavor to the same coffee variety (see below under the coffee varieties section). To preserve all the taste and useful properties of coffee, immediately after roasting, the beans must be cooled.
Packaging is the next step in coffee production. Coffee beans, cooling after roasting, emit carbon dioxide, and the package will simply explode if the coffee is not freed from carbon dioxide. Moreover, gas is released from whole grains more slowly than from ground ones. Therefore, coffee beans are packed in bags with a ventilation valve, which allows carbon dioxide to escape outside, but does not let oxygen inside. Such packaging is called gas-filled.
And ground coffee is placed in a vacuum package - briquettes, from which carbon dioxide is first drawn out by vacuum, and then tightly sealed. Coffee in unopened packaging cannot be stored for a long time, since under the influence of oxygen, the fats in coffee beans are oxidized, and the drink prepared from them loses its taste and aroma.
For a long time, coffee has been drunk in coffee houses; in different nations and in different languages, these establishments are called differently. The first coffee shops were opened in Mecca in the 12th century. They soon spread throughout the Arab world and turned into lucrative places where visitors played chess, exchanged news, sang and listened to music. Soon they became centers of political activity, which caused the discontent of the authorities. In the decades that followed, coffee houses were either banned or allowed again. The problem was resolved after the introduction of a tax on them.
For a long time, the Arabs had a monopoly on coffee. To preserve it, they carefully watched so that not a single grain was taken to a "foreign land." To do this, they were even specially "spoiled" - they peeled off the outer shell from the grains so that they would lose germination. However, in 1615, Venetian merchants still managed to bring coffee to Europe. It was first marketed as a drug that relieves fatigue, increases mental alertness, and sharpens perception. And only in 1683 - all in the same Venice - the first European coffee houses appeared.
Coffee came to Russia in two ways: from the East and from the West. The "Eastern Route" lay through trade routes with the countries of the Near and Middle East. However, coffee moved on Russian soil with difficulty. Much more significant was the influence of the West, or rather the decisive actions of Peter I, inspired by European customs. Returning from Holland, he simply ordered to drink coffee at his famous "assemblies".
In Russia, the first coffee shop was opened in 1740 in St. Petersburg, by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna. In Moscow, the first coffee establishment was located on Tverskaya, in the same building where the famous Filippovskaya bakery was later located.
The coffee maker who works in a coffee shop is called a barista in many countries.
Types and varieties
Today coffee is grown in South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia - in about 80 countries located in the so-called "coffee belt". The largest suppliers are Brazil and Colombia, followed by Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico. Some countries, such as Kenya, Jamaica and Yemen, supply small quantities of high quality coffee.
The family of plants to which coffee belongs has about seventy species. However, there are only two main ones - arabica and robusta. They are evergreen shrubs with oval dark green leaves. In the dry period, they are covered with white flowers, flowering continues until the first rains. Then the flowers turn into dark red fruits - "coffee cherries". From the moment of flowering to ripening of Arabica fruits, it takes 5-7 months. Robusta matures a little longer - 9-11 months.
Arabica (Arabian coffee tree) is a very demanding plant. It needs strong and regular rains, an average air temperature plus 15-24 C, deep fertile soil. A drink made from Arabica beans has a more subtle taste and aroma than a drink made from robusta. Almost 80% of the ground coffee produced today is Arabica.
The word Mild refers to the highest category of coffee varieties, including the best varieties of Arabica; this designation is assigned only to high-quality coffee harvested at an altitude of 1000-1500 meters above sea level; another, more complete name for this category is “soft coffee grown on high mountain plantations”.
The coffee tree Knefor robusta is quite unpretentious, it grows in the equatorial forests and savannas of the Congo basin. It tolerates high temperatures and high humidity well. The drink from its beans turns out to be more bitter, without a subtle aroma. Mostly robusta is used to make coffee blends / blends.
The third most important and quantity in the world coffee variety (after Arabica and Robusta) is Liberica. Liberica is characterized by a low caffeine content, a strong aroma and a weak, unsaturated taste. In its pure form, Liberica is not intended for export, it is mainly used in the regions of growth. It is used in coffee blends to enhance the aroma of the drink.
The fourth most important type of coffee is excelsa, the least common, not of industrial importance and used mainly in coffee blends to enhance the aroma of the drink.
According to experts, there are no less coffee varieties than wine brands. Although until the beginning of the twentieth century, lovers of this drink knew only mono-varietal coffee made from beans harvested from one plantation.
Single varieties are usually named after the country in which the coffee is grown ("Kenya", "Colombia"), or a smaller administrative unit - the city, province, state, district or even the port from which the beans are exported, for example Brazilian "Santos" … There are varieties named after mountain peaks ("Kilimanjaro") and ridges ("Blue Mountain").
Over time, coffee became an increasingly popular drink, and producers began to mix beans from different trees, plantations and crops. They did this in order to emphasize the merits of each variety, to create certain taste and aroma characteristic only for this brand and to maintain them throughout the entire production period. The mixture, which is made from beans of different types of coffee, is usually called a blend or blend.
In fact, the currently known varieties of coffee are the names of brands of manufacturers.
Most of the varieties known today are blends. Different types of coffee are made by mixing between two and fourteen varieties of coffee beans. A variety of flavors are especially appreciated in coffee of certain varieties: in some, fruity sourness prevails, in others - nutty tones, there is even coffee with a wine flavor.
Coffee varieties also differ in the degree of roast. When roasting, the first few minutes of the beans remain light yellowish and have a “grassy” smell, then smoke with a more aromatic smell appears and soon there is a “first crackle” - a distinct sound signaling at which stage the roasting is. After that, the active caramelization of the sugars contained in the grains begins, and the essential oils gradually come out. The grains grow in size and become darker. At this point, a "second crackle" is usually heard, the color of the grains becomes even darker, and the smoke is thick and pungent - at this stage the sugars are completely burned out. There are many types of coffee roasts, each of which imparts a different flavor to the same type of coffee. In general, each roast can be categorized into one of four main roasts - low, medium, high, or high.
- cinnamon roast (Cinnamon Roast), approximate temperature 195 ° С, the lightest roast, the grains are light brown in color with a slight richness of taste, noticeably pronounced sourness and subtle bread aroma, there is no oil on the surface;
- Light or New England Roast, approx. 205 ° C, light roast in which the beans are light brown, slightly darker than the cinnamon roast. The taste still has a pronounced sourness, but without the bready notes. There is still no oil on the surface;
- American Roast, ca. 210 ° C, medium light brown, just after the first crackle, still no oil on the surface; this roast got its name because of its popularity in the eastern part of the United States; this roast (like cinnamon roast) is often used during professional coffee tastings;
- city roast (City Roast), approximate temperature 220 ° C; strong roast; deep brown, with a still dry surface; roasting is popular in the western United States and also works well for coffee tastings;
- Full City Roast, approx 225 ° C; drops of oil begin to appear on the surface of the grains; the taste is dominated by caramel and chocolate notes; the beginning of the “second crackling”;
- Vienna Roast, approx 230 ° C; strong roast; moderate dark brown with a slightly oily surface; the appearance of sweet-bitter, caramelized notes in the taste; sourness drops to a minimum, giving way to saturation; in the middle of the "second crackle"; sometimes this roast is used for espresso;
- French Roast, approx. 240 ° C, dark brown, shiny oily surface; sourness is practically absent, burnt notes appear in the taste; at the end of the "second crackle"; popular espresso roast;
- Italian Roast, approx. 245 ° C, very dark brown, beans covered in oil; roasting is similar to French, only with a more pronounced taste; common espresso roast; Spanish Roast, approx. 250 ° C, darkest roast; the grains are very dark, almost black in color and have a very oily surface; very few coffees withstand a Spanish roast without turning to ash.
Coffee is sold either in beans, ground, or instant. Ground coffee, i.e. the ground coffee beans differ by the type of grinding (see the section on preparing coffee).
Coffee lovers are often dismissive of instant coffee, but in terms of sales, it is in no way inferior to coffee in beans and ground coffee. Instant coffee was first introduced to the public in 1901 - at the All-American Exhibition in Buffalo - and immediately sparked a lively controversy. However, today many people cannot imagine their day without this drink.
For the preparation of instant coffee, the famous arabica is almost never used: it is aromatic, but not very strong; in the "powder" it practically loses its characteristic taste. Robusta, a strong African variety with twice as much caffeine as Arabica, makes the coffee richer.
Those who prefer instant coffee need to know that intense pressure changes the molecular structure of the grain - and the beneficial properties, as well as the amazing aroma and taste of coffee, are lost.
There are three types of instant coffee depending on the production technology: powder, granular and freeze-dried.
- Powdered coffee is the cheapest way to make instant coffee. The fried grains are finely ground, then processed under pressure with a stream of hot water for several hours. The resulting infusion is filtered and the extract is sprayed into chambers filled with hot inert gases. On the fly, droplets of the extract curl up and dry, turning into a powder..
- Granulated coffee. Its production is almost no different from the production of powder. The only difference is that the ready-made coffee powder is knocked into small lumps under pressure with steam, and the coffee no longer looks like a powder, but like granules.
- Freeze-dried coffee. For the production of freeze-dried (this method is also called freeze dry) coffee, the coffee extract is frozen at a very low temperature. Then it is dehydrated under vacuum at low pressure. The dehydrated mass is crushed and crystals of an uneven shape are obtained, which we see in coffee jars. This is the most expensive way to produce instant coffee, but it allows you to maximize the beneficial properties of coffee beans, their taste and aroma.
Finally, there are various coffee drinks such as carrot coffee or chicory coffee. They have nothing to do with real coffee, although they are very interesting in their own way.
How to cook
Grinding. Like roasting, grinding coffee beans is an important step in developing the aroma of the beverage. It is better to brew coffee immediately after grinding. Different brewing methods require different grinds of coffee.
- Coarse or coarse grind (coarse grind) is suitable for brewing in a piston coffee machine (french press) or in any jar.
- Medium grind can be used for different brewing methods.
- Fine grind is good for making a drink in filter coffee makers.
- A fine espresso grind is required for espresso machines in which a jet of hot water flows through the ground beans.
- Powdered, pulverized - The coffee powder is similar to flour and is used exclusively for brewing Turkish coffee in cezve.
Over the centuries-old history of coffee, many options for its preparation have been invented: once balls from the pulp of crushed grains were mixed with fat, dried coffee leaves were brewed. Over time, advanced "coffee" technologies began to appear. Today, there are five most popular ways to get a fragrant drink: espresso, oriental coffee, French press, coffee filter, coffee geyser.
Espresso is the youngest, most modern, fastest way. No wonder in their homeland, in Italy, espresso is considered the "coffee king". For its preparation, you need coffee beans of a strong roast (then the drink will have a characteristic light bitterness) and very fine grind (fine espresso grind), preferably a mixture of arabica and a small amount of robusta. The drink is being prepared literally before our eyes: the espresso machine in a matter of seconds doses and grinds the beans, presses coffee powder, brews coffee - and gives out a cup of a delicious aromatic drink. Brown crema on the surface of the coffee is a sure sign that the espresso is great.
Oriental or Turkish coffee also has many fans. They say that in order to properly prepare it, you need a flair: no instruction will mark the line that separates a great drink from a hopelessly ruined one. It is worth skipping the moment of the appearance of bubbles along the edge of the cezve (aka ibrik, aka a Turk) - and the coffee boils, which means it has failed.
To prepare oriental coffee on an ordinary stove, a Turk with water and sugar is put on a moderate heat. When the water boils, coffee of the finest grinding is added to it, stirred, put back on the stove and brought to a boil. Only in no case do they boil.
As soon as small bubbles appear along the edges of the "lid" formed from the coffee grounds, remove the cezve from the heat. Then put on fire again - and remove again as soon as bubbles appear. And so two or three more times (more can be). Before serving, it would be nice to let the coffee brew in a cezve under the lid.
For Turkish coffee, they usually take heavily roasted beans - they give the drink a pleasant bitterness. However, the degree of roast is not as important here as for espresso; if you wish, you can use both low and medium roasted coffee. But the "correct" grinding (pulverized, "powdery", the finest of all existing types of grinding) is very important. Only when brewing coffee, it does not give a thick crunching on the teeth, but a thick, dense aromatic foam, without which oriental coffee is simply unthinkable. And finally, the proportions. For 200-250 ml of water "four teaspoons (32 grams) of coffee powder.
Press coffee. Making coffee in a French press - a piston coffee machine invented in France in the 1920s - is like brewing tea. Rinse the coffee pot with boiling water, pour coarse coffee into it, pour boiling water over it and let the drink brew for five minutes. Next, you should lower it onto the piston, thus separating the thick, and pour the finished drink into cups.
Unlike tiny cups in which espresso and Turkish coffee are served, French press coffee is usually poured into rather large cups (approximately 120 ml of water is taken for 8-10 grams of coffee powder).
To prevent the strainer from getting clogged, it is best to use coarse coffee. But the French press does not have any requirements for the grains themselves - mixtures or certain varieties, as well as for their roasting. Any coffee can be brewed this way.
This method has many advantages: firstly, you do not need to stand over the stove, and secondly, in a heat-resistant flask of a coffee pot, the drink remains hot for a long time under a closed lid. In addition, it can be cooked in almost any conditions. There would only be water heated to the state of "white key" or slightly cooled after boiling (in a heat-saving flask, boiling water can continue boiling, which significantly impairs the taste of the drink).
Funnel for coffee. Recently, when espresso machines, French presses and coffee-on-the-sand machines have reached us, filter coffee is losing its former popularity. However, it is quite simple to prepare it: put a paper filter in the funnel of the coffee maker and pour ground coffee at the rate of 8-10 grams per cup. Water is poured into a special compartment, it heats up to 100 ° C, drips on top of the coffee powder, and after a few seconds the brewed coffee, drop by drop, flows into the jug. The degree of grinding is selected depending on the filtration time: the shorter the time during which the coffee is prepared, the finer the grinding is required. And vice versa.
Coffee geyser. Moka (geyser) machines predate the emergence of espresso machines, and this type of coffee machine is still widely used in Italy today. The coffee pot consists of two screw-on vessels. Fresh water is poured into the lower part. Pour into the built-in filter to the top and lightly press medium-ground coffee (roast - medium to dark) at the rate of 5-7 grams per cup. Then both parts of the coffee pot are screwed together and, depending on the model, are either placed on the stove or connected to the mains.
When heated, overpressure builds up in the lower part of the coffee maker and hot water is forced into the upper vessel through the layer of coffee powder. The problem is that the water temperature in such units exceeds 100 ° C, so the drink ends up being "boiled over". And, of course, it does not have the very creamy foam that crowns a real espresso.
Here are some more terms related to the preparation and serving of coffee:
- glace (from Lat. glacies - "ice") - coffee with ice cream: served in a high conical glass with a capacity of 250 ml with a coffee straw and a dessert spoon for ice cream;
- demitas (from the French demitasse - "half a cup") - a small cup for coffee with a capacity of 60-70 ml with very thick walls that keep heat well; used mainly for espresso, but also for oriental coffee;
- cappuccino - espresso with hot milk and thick milk foam (in equal parts);
- cafe-o-le - coffee made from lightly roasted beans, mixed in equal proportions with very hot frothed milk;
- corto - a type of espresso, very strong and rich coffee; it is made with the same amount of coffee powder as a standard espresso, however, much less water is used in the korto;
- latte - a drink made from one part espresso and three parts hot milk with a little milk foam; as a rule, sprinkle the froth on top with grated chocolate or cocoa; sometimes cinnamon and syrups are added, such as caramel, chocolate or vanilla; served in a tall glass;
- mazbout - oriental coffee of medium sweetness (sugar is added during the brewing process: for a teaspoon of coffee - a teaspoon of sugar); macchiato - a standard espresso (30 ml) with a little hot frothed milk (15 ml);
- melange (from the French melange - "mixture") - traditional coffee with milk (how much coffee, and how much milk - depends on your preferences);
- ristretto - very strong espresso, a portion no more than a sip;
- yesh - the foam formed from the coffee powder ground to a dusty state when brewing oriental coffee; it is laid out with a spoon in cups, and then coffee is poured; uesh in the East is considered the "face of coffee";
- Granita espresso - in Italy, this is a very cold and unsweetened espresso with sweetened whipped cream; in America, it is a mixture of espresso, milk and sugar, strongly cooled in special machines;
- espresso con panna - hot espresso with whipped cream, sprinkled with grated chocolate.
Here are some more coffee tips:
- the coffee that you are going to brew in a coffee pot should not be ground too finely, but for cezve the beans should be literally ground into dust;
- in no case should you boil coffee - acids that are released during the boiling process can spoil both the smell and taste; however, it must be brought to a boil, otherwise aromatic substances will not have time to be released from it;
- for the aroma to "infuse", wait about five minutes and only after that pour the drink into cups;
- you cannot store already brewed coffee for more than half an hour - there are a lot of fats in the beans that can turn rancid; the coffee pot must be thoroughly washed after each coffee drinking - fats deposited on the walls will spoil the taste of fresh coffee.
We add that ground coffee, as well as instant coffee, often become ingredients for various dishes - from coffee chocolate to cakes and liqueurs.
How to choose and store
A person who understands coffee first pays attention to the type of product - coffee beans, ground coffee, instant coffee. When choosing coffee, its type is important - country of origin, brand, mono-varietal or blend, which blend (at least the percentage of Arabica and Robusta), type of roasting and grinding, etc.
Only coffee beans are sold by weight.
High quality natural ground coffee is usually packed in a vacuum briquette. If it is soft in places, it means that it is damaged.
The average shelf life of natural ground coffee is 18 months.
Quality instant coffee is usually packaged in a glass or tin can. Look at the composition of the product: there should be no extra ingredients (chicory, barley, etc.), otherwise it is not coffee, but a coffee drink. There should be no powder at the bottom of the packaging for granulated and freeze-dried coffee.
It is better to keep coffee in a cool dark place (but not in the refrigerator), in a tightly closed ceramic or glass container, while it is advisable to leave as little space as possible between the surface of the coffee and the lid of the container. If the coffee is stored in a soft package, it is better to squeeze the air out of it and seal it tightly, for example, with scotch tape.
