What is Coffee?

Coffee is the seed of a berry from a tree that grows around the world in a narrow subtropical belt from sea level to approximately 6,000 feet.

Coffee trees are evergreens and grow to heights of 20 feet. To simplify harvesting, the trees are pruned to 8 to 10 feet.

Coffee berries ripen at different times so they are predominantly picked by hand. It takes approximately 2,000 Arabic cherries (about 5 pounds) to produce just one pound of roasted coffee. Since each berry contains two beans, your one pound of coffee is derived from 4,000 coffee beans.

The average coffee tree only produces one to two pounds of roasted coffee per year and takes four to five years to produce its first crop.

As with all fruits, the coffee plant first produces delicate clusters of white blossoms resembling jasmine in shape and scent. These blossoms last only a few days. Small green coffee berries then begin to appear and ripen to yellow, red and then almost black, in six to nine months.

Once the coffee berries are picked they are transported for processing. The fruit is then removed from the seed. This is accomplished by drying the berries and processing them through a mechanical husker, or by a soaking method in which the fruit seperates away from the seed. The green beans are then dried, sized, sorted, graded and selected, all by hand. The green beans are then bagged and ready for shipment to local roasters around the world.

Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta:

Arabica trees are grown best at altitudes over 3,000 feet. They produce beans of a much higher quality that are more aromatic and have greater flavour. they contain only half the caffeine of the Robusta bean.

All Moka House Coffee Beans are 100% Arabica Beans.

The Robusta trees grow at lower elevations. They are easier to grow, produce higher yields and are more disease resistant than the Arabica trees. Robusta beans are much less expensive and are considered inferior to Arabica. They are used when a lower price, or the addition of caffeine, is desired.

Desalination Processes:

The Direct Method: A chemical Process that removes caffeine with methylene chloride

The Water Process: In which the caffeine is removed with water contained solvents.

The Swiss Water Process: The best-kown specific process, removes caffeine without the use of chemicals.

The CO2 Method: A process that removes caffeine from the water with carbon dioxide gas.

Roasting:

A lightly roasted bean may range in colour from cinnamon to alight chocolate-tan. Lighter roasts are generally not used for espresso since they produce a sharper, more acidic taste than do darker roasts.

Darker roasts, in contrast have fuller flavour, approaching a bittersweet tang. The amount of oil drawn to the surface of the bean increases proportionately to the length of roasting time. Dark roasts can range in colour from a medium chocolate colour with a satin-like luster, to an almost black bean with an oily appearance.

The darker the roast, the more you will taste the char, rather than the flavour of the bean. Many extreme dark roast will tend to have a smokey flavour and are better suited for brewed coffee rather than espresso. As the roast darkens, caffeine and acidity decrease proportionately.

Be careful not to confuse ACIDITY (considered a good quality) with BITTERNESS(considered a poor quality)