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What are the origins of Coffee?
We know that the origins of this fruit go back to Ethiopia in the XI century, where the first coffee trees were found, and the properties of the seeds within the fruit were discovered.
However, in actuality, coffee is cultivated in many tropical and subtropical zones of Africa, America and Asia. Therefore, for example, when coffee is cultivated in altitudes 800 meters or less above sea level, we can classify this variety of coffee as arabica or robusta.
Today we consume coffee as an infusion, however, originally coffee was consumed by chewing the seeds. It was through mashing techniques with cold water that people began to consume it as a beverage. During the XIII century, the processes of obtaining a better infusion were improved by placing the grains in the sun to dry and subsequently toasting them on the fire.
Types of coffee according to their origin.
We can group the different types of coffee in service of the grains into two mayor groups. This are the Arabica and Robusta varieties.
Arabica Coffee
The coffee of this variety represents 75% of the coffee production on a global scale and it is characterized for having a more delicate flavor and a more refined aroma. It is cultivated in America, Africa and Asia.
Robusta Coffee
This variety of coffee represents 25% of the global production and it has a stronger flavor, with a touch of acidity more elevated, it has more body and less aroma. It is cultivated in Brazil, Angola, Cameroon, Uganda and Ivory Coast.
Phases of the coffee production:
Planting:
This is the first and most important phase of the coffee production, because it is the start of the process which expands from planting of the seed to the growth of the plant. The planting can be done in the sun or in the shade, as needed. Once the plant has been planted in the ground, we have to wait 3 to 4 years for the plant to yield its first harvest. After that, every plant lives approximately 20 years.
Harvest:
Coffee plants yield a harvest once a year when the coffee fruit reaches its ripeness. There are two different collection methods.
- Picking: it is the process of picking the coffee grains manually when they are at the peak of ripeness, leaving the grains that are still green on the plant.
- Stripping: it is the process by which the grains are collected the industrial way, which means, mechanically. In this case the beans collected represent different
Pulp removal and processing:
Once the harvest is done, the grains are then dried through a dry or humid method, in function of the flavor that we want to obtain.
Subsequently, all the outer layers of the grains and any residue are eliminated to obtain the clean coffee grains. Once this process has been finalized, the product is classified according to different criteria.
Toast
It is during this phase that the product obtains the flavor and aroma by which we recognize it in our cup of coffee. Thanks to the processing in ovens we get to augment the size of the grains, reduce its caffeine content, lose the humidity and acquire the toasted color which characterizes the coffee drink.
Packaging and Commercialization
We finally arrived at the last phase of the coffee production. If we are referring to whole or ground coffee, It can be vacuum packaged at the country of consumption.
Coffee preparation
There are many ways in which we can prepare a good cup of coffee, in the function of pleasing the final consumer. Choose the best coffee maker for your home or business, and enjoy the best recipes available for this precious infusion.
Cafe Brisas del Mar (seabreeze coffee), is a coffee produced in the south region of Costa Rica, above 900 meters, where it is around 60 to 70 degrees all year round.
The owners of Cafe Brisas del Mar ® are coffee specialists who have put a lot of effort into developing a new coffee production concept which is sustainable and at the same time yields a coffee of superior quality.
They have selected 14 of the best varieties of coffee in the world. They plant each variety separately, going to great lengths to keep the varieties separate, even washing the collections baskets and bags in between varieties.
No pesticides are ever used. Strategies to preserve the richness and consistency of the soil as well as the biodiversity of the land are implemented throughout the farm.
The collection of the coffee it's done manually and at the peak of ripeness. It is done carefully so that only the ripest grains are collected, so that the green grains are left on the plants undisturbed for future harvest, and that the plants are preserved healthy.
After the ripest harvest has been collected, the coffee grains are then carefully sorted to remove any green fruits and any other debris that may have accidentally fallen into the sacks.
After sorting the coffee is then washed with plasma rich water using the only system of its kind in Costa Rica.
There's a reason why one of the words most often used to describe a washed coffee is "clean".
Washing also helps further sort the coffee as unripe and damaged beans often float in the water because they are less dense than the fully ripened fruits.
This producer uses plasma rich water to wash their coffee because it means that the coffee will be deeply cleaned while preserving the flavor of the beans.
After the wash, the coffee's pulp is removed. The coffee fruit is made of several layers, the beans, the outer skin or exocarp and the mucilage or mesocarp, which is the silky, sticky layer that is responsible for much of the coffee's sweetness. Pulping is usually done by a machine.
Next, it's time to ferment the coffee beans. Traditionally, coffee is fermented in tanks; it usually takes 18 to 24 hours, depending on the temperature and coffee value. During this time, the microorganisms in the beans create the enzymes responsible for breaking down the mucilage.
One of the biggest criticisms of washed processing is its high water usage. Not only is this an issue in places with water shortages, but also the poor disposal of the wastewater. At Cafe Brisas del Mar ® they make sure the water is reused in the irrigation on the plantation.
The next stage is the drying one, but producers can't relax yet. "Drying is a high-risk operation, where we have a product extremely vulnerable to damage by microorganisms, as well as its own physical deterioration."
Here the coffee is dried under the sun and on raised beds.
After drying comes the personalized part of this coffee concept, the coffee is then toasted to the client's specification, and ground taking into consideration the client's preferred brewing method this way delivering the perfect cup of coffee every time.
But the job is not done just yet, how the coffee is stored it's as important as the way the coffee is produced, collected, toasted and ground. To preserve the coffee flavor and richness, as well as its health benefits, it must be stored in dry, moisture free areas. At Cafe Brisas del Mar ® they go to great lengths to package and store their coffee in moisture controlled containers, even going as far as placing electronic moisture detectors inside each container which send notifications to their devices advising them of any moisture changes.
The bags the coffee is packaged in are fitted with a breathable valve which allows any moisture to leave the bag and at the same time keeps moisture from outside and toxins out. This ensures that the coffee will not develop any mold and will not collect any toxins from outside sources while in storage and transit. Keeping this amazing coffee truly clean!
