THE BEAN
The coffee beans are like the kernels in the apple in the coffee cherry. In both cases it is simply the seeds of the fruit. Each coffee cherry usually has 2 beans, with the exception of the so-called pearl bean, which only has 1 rounded bean.
More than 130 different types of coffee are now growing around the equator.
Numerous mutations and crosses have emerged over the years. In the meantime, however, very few species have made it so far that you can hear about them. Including the Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora, better known under the name Robusta.
Arabica or Robusta?
Coffea Arabica grows at heights of 600 to 2200 meters. The Robusta grows up to 800 meters in the lowlands.
In the lowlands we have high fluctuations in temperature (day / night) and precipitation, but also high numbers of pests find their way to the plant.
In the highlands, on the other hand, there is a stable climate, low temperature fluctuations, regular rainfall and fewer pests stay in the altitude. Since the ingredient caffeine is a natural pesticide, the robusta plant produces up to 3 times more caffeine than the arabica tree in the highlands.
But that doesn't mean that the Robusta is of poor quality. It has many strengths, especially for the espresso drinker. The strong aroma, the spicy note and most importantly the wonderfully thick crema! Hardly feasible without the Robusta. That's why every good espresso roast contains a not so small part of Robusta.
So what does "100% Arabica" mean?
So is this product good quality?
Unfortunately, this question can rarely be answered with a yes.
Small example .:
A coffee farmer only grows arabica plants on his plantation in the highlands. After the harvest, the beans are processed, washed, dried and then sorted into different quality levels. Size, color, and imperfections (worming, mold, lazy, etc.). The "coffee beans" that have been sorted out because they do not meet the criteria are sold as "Grinders" quality, roasted, ground and packaged. This is then in the shop with a great packaging with the label "100% Arabica".
It doesn't just depend on the type of coffee whether the end product is of good quality, but on so much more! Cultivation, harvest, processing, if you then obtain the best quality, the master roaster only has to refine the bean. Ideally, this is done in a drum roaster at a low temperature in order to roast the beans evenly.
Whether the coffee tastes good in the end depends solely on the right preparation. Whereby you can still make a lot of mistakes.
You can find tips for correct preparation here.
How do you then recognize a quality product?
As already mentioned, quality depends on many factors. In order to be able to get a good quality for your money, I recommend you to buy the coffee in a coffee shop. If the seller asks you HOW to prepare the coffee, then you've come to the right place. Because every coffee roast is better suited for one preparation option than another, e.g. B. the light coffee roast is better than filter coffee but is easily burned in the stove and tastes bitter.