You may have seen coffee experts talk all about the different roast levels, let’s understand that. Not at all like other fruits like apples, oranges, grapefruit or strawberries, coffee isn’t something you can simply cull and devour. So as to get the energized goodness from the plant to your cup, the beans should be cooked first. While the techniques fluctuate from basic (a griddle over an open fire can work) to the costly and confounded air roasters found at numerous roasters and cafés, there’s a craftsmanship and science to getting the correct dish. Mass-delivered coffee, with its dependence on volume, produces institutionalized coffee by depending on institutionalized methods. Custom broiling, then again, considers diverse bean assortments’ flavor profiles and tries to amplify them through the cooking procedure.
Coffee is one of the constants in our lives. It is considered one of the best ingredients to make moments special. There are a lot of amazing facts and coffee tips to be known, and we, in this article, will be exploring some of them. So let’s go and dig deep in the ultimate basics of Coffee.
The first basic question that comes is, what actually is Coffee?
Coffee is a crop that is selectively picked and processed. The coffee bean which you blend over at your homes to get the coffee powder is nothing else but a seed of the coffee plant. It is a crop grown during certain seasons and has a life cycle of almost a year. The coffee plant bears the seeds above the ground, just like strawberries and lettuce.
The coffee plant needs to be taken care of with lots of precision. The crop is so sensitive that even a small mistake or change in the favorable condition can ruin the whole crop or degrade the quality. No two crops of Coffee are generally the same one. Here is a coffee tip, if you ever went for planting Coffee, make sure to be specific of the temperature of the surroundings as it drastically affects the plant.
How many species of the plants are grown?
You won’t believe this, but the coffee plant has more than 100 species, although two of these species are grown and preferred the most throughout the world. These species are Arabica and Robusta. There is a significant number of subspecies of both these species. Some of the subspecies of coffee Arabica are Typica, Cattura, and Mocca. Coffee Arabica is considered a better quality of Coffee than Robusta. The Coffee Robusta is grown widely throughout the world. It needs less maintenance and is processed easily. The quality and taste of such Coffee are inferior, and most importantly, it contains lots of caffeine.
Whereas, the Arabica is grown in a very specific and well-maintained environment. The processing of such Coffee takes time, and hence the coffee Arabica has a very low content of caffeine. Also, this Coffee is expensive, and moreover, is limited.
Here is a coffee tip/ fact- The yield of Robusta is a lot more than Arabica; hence it is grown for commercial purposes.
What are the proper conditions to grow Coffee?
Coffee is a plant mainly limited to the tropics. This region has the perfect condition to grow the plant. The plant and so do the beans get affected by the conditions such as soil texture, moisture and precipitation, and sunshine. Every factor has one or the other effect on the flavor and quality of the Coffee.
Another coffee tip/fact – A temperature of 20-25 degrees Celsius is considered ideal for growing Coffee.
Here are some tips with environmental conditions regarding Coffee-
- They grow best in the shade as it helps them to ripe slower hence more time for inducing flavors.
- The fertilizers and pest control used must be highly selective as it can easily ruin the plant.
- Coffee pruning and picking is an art, and the quality of your yield highly depends on this factor.
Coffee brewing and roasting
Coffee is roasted at different temperatures. The intensity of the roast of coffee beans decides how the texture of the powder will be. The coffee beans are roasted from light to dark. The more the beans are roasted, the stronger taste will be. The quality also changes with the roasting time.
The concept of brewing a perfect cup of Coffee is purely a piece of art. From ages people have tried and perfected the art of brewing. Brewing a perfect cup of coffee is very hard and is all about patience and techniques.
Storing of Coffee
Coffee after brewing is stored under very strict conditions. They are stored in relatively dry and warm conditions. Moisture can easily ruin the product and degrade the texture. Coffee is usually packed in thick sacs and transported.
Here are some coffee tips for brewing Coffee at home-
- Coffee brewing is best at high temperatures. If you brew Coffee under proper temperature, you can witness the best aroma and taste.
- Usage of right water is the key
- A perfect cup of Coffee is made by correct volumetric measures. Weigh your Coffee and use it in the proper amount.
- Never hurry in mixing up the Coffee, or you will spoil it.
Conclusion
I hope this article was helpful enough to you, we tried to deliver all the basic knowledge regarding coffee. During these quarantine days, you can follow the coffee tips as mentioned above for brewing some amazing coffee at home!.