Coffee Culture 101
Coffee is like the phoenix that rises from its own ashes in renewed trend after trend, the Nineties American specialty coffee phenomenon being its latest incarnation.
by
Rhonda
Adair
In the not-too-olden days of a decade ago, the weary American traveler would be lucky to find a little freeze-dried packet of coffee in his motel room. Now, a drip coffee pot complete with a pre-packaged filter full of ground Colombian is more the norm, if needed anyway, since there is probably a coffee house within a couple of blocks ready to provide that morning latte. Thanks to the entrepreneurial encouragement of one major coffeehouse chain, several reputable copycats, and many worthy local establishments, Americans have joined the happy but jittery throngs that make coffee the world's most popular beverage after water.
Coffee is like the phoenix that rises from its own ashes in renewed trend after trend, the Nineties American specialty coffee phenomenon being its latest incarnation. But coffee is no spring chicken; from ignomius and somewhat mythological roots among frisky goats on the moonlit foothills of Yemen, coffee has inspired philosophers, revolutionaries, inventors, and businessmen for centuries.
Coffee was first cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula from coffee imported from Ethiopia; hence the term for the most widely-used and respected variety, Coffea arabica. Its cousin, Coffea robusta, is considered inferior in taste, while cheaper and easier to cultivate, and incidentally, higher in caffeine. Specialty coffee uses the Coffea arabica variety almost exclusively. One exception is some Italian espresso blends, which use a little Robusta for complexity, and perhaps, that extra jolt.
Sorting through the types of beans, roasts, and drinks may seem a little daunting, especially first thing in the morning after you've waited ten minutes in line and just want that fragrant, comforting paper cup in your hand. So here are a few basics you can read at your leisure for a more enlightening java encounter next time.
Coffee is primarily grown in three regions of the world: Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indonesian Islands. Colombian, Guatemalan, Jamaican, Ethiopian, Kenyan, Java, and Sumatran all describe subspecies of Coffea arabica grown in those respective places. Like wines, coffees from different regions offer a range of taste characteristics. Coffee enthusiasts, like wine enthusiasts, have a set of criteria for judging a coffee's merits. These criteria include acidity (a positive sense of dryness left on the palate, not to be confused with bitterness), body (the sensation of richness; typically highest with Indonesian coffees), flavor (adjectives almost as extensive as they are with wine), and of course, aroma.
Place names are often used to describe not just where a coffee was grown, but how (not where) it is roasted, which can be confusing at first. Italian, French, Spanish, Viennese, City, and American describe types of roasts. All coffee beans are initially green, and then roasted to light, medium or dark brown. The longer the roasting time, and darker the color, the more oily and flavorful the resulting bean. The darker roasts (French and Italian, or espresso, roasts) tend to be used more with espresso drinks. Medium roasts are more acidic, and actually higher in caffeine.
Once the coffee is roasted, it is ground and brewed for drinking. At this point, coffee drinks are divided into two categories: the ones that are poured immediately, and the ones for which you have to wait over to one side. In all seriousness, this illustrates a distinction between standard American brewed coffee, and the espresso that forms the basis of most specialty drinks. Espresso is prepared by forcing hot water, under pressure, through finely-ground, dark-roasted coffee in a very short time. This also provides that punctuated hissing sound that contributes to coffeehouse ambience. A cappuccino is espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam; a caffe latte is the same, only typically with more milk and less foam; a mocha, as it is popularly known, is a caffe latte with chocolate and whipped cream added. And then there are the iced versions…
Whether you take your coffee by the demitasse, pint-sized mug, or vitamin-fortified and iced through a straw, you are one of the millions who partake in the simple, time-tested pleasure of sipping and savoring. What could be better than a drink that enhances the mood and productivity of the world, without any known health risks?
Coffee Culture 101