When we meet friends in a coffee shop, we always discuss which coffee shop to drink, which cup is the most cost-effective, and how to scare the cashier with accurate pronunciation. But do you know where the coffee you drink comes from on earth? What kind is it? Why does it smell like this?

Last time I studied how to buy coffee beans in Amway, I mentioned the process of coffee beans from trees to coffee cups, so this time we need to understand one of the links: how to choose the coffee beans that suit us.

There are generally three options for buying coffee beans: raw beans, cooked beans and coffee powder.

Raw beans: beans that have not been baked can be preserved for a long time and have almost no coffee flavor. They need to be baked with special baking machines to stimulate the taste. If you bake by yourself, you not only need to buy a baking machine, but also have high technical requirements for the baker. Novices are advised to purchase with caution.

Cooked beans: roast coffee beans and grind them by yourself. Roasted coffee beans lose their flavor easily, so choose freshly roasted coffee beans when buying.

Coffee powder: Coffee beans are ground into powder and can be used directly. After grinding, the contact surface between coffee beans and air is greatly increased. Compared with coffee beans, coffee beans are more likely to lose flavor, get wet and deteriorate easily.

To sum up, my suggestion is: buy fresh coffee beans in small batches as much as possible, preferably within a week. When you need to drink, drink it now and grind it now. Storage should be moisture-proof, sealed and protected from light.

All kinds of coffee beans

First, introduce the varieties of coffee. There are more than 500 kinds of coffee trees, including 6000 varieties. There are mainly four kinds of coffee trees in the world, only two of which have real commercial value and are planted in large quantities. The quality of coffee beans produced is also higher than that of other coffee trees.

Different varieties of coffee beans have different tastes, but even coffee trees of the same variety have their own unique tastes due to the influence of different soils and different climates.

Comparison of three common bean shapes

1. Arabica species

Arabica beans, world-famous blue mountain coffee, mocha coffee, etc. Almost all of them are Arabica species.

Appearance: small bean shape, rectangular front, narrow and tortuous crack in the middle, flat arc on the back, uniform size, uniform color and luster.

Origin: Arabica coffee is mainly produced in Brazil, Colombia, Central American countries, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico and Ethiopia in the Caribbean. Coffee beans that are generally familiar to everyone, such as Santos in Brazil, Mantinen in Sumatra, Mocha in Yemen, Blue Mountain in Jamaica, etc. Are all high-quality coffee beans belonging to Arabica.

Climate demand: Arabica coffee is difficult to grow. It likes mild days and cold nights. It needs to be planted on the slope with higher altitude, and it grows luxuriantly in the highland (600~ 1800 meters), which requires special climatic conditions. The annual average temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius, with abundant rainfall and no frost. Only more than 50 countries in the world have such conditions, all of which are about north and south of the equator 160 km. It is difficult to harvest it by hand.

Arabica coffee beans have excellent aroma, balanced taste and low caffeine content, which is only about half that of Luo basta, so the planting amount accounts for about 70% of the total coffee planting amount, and the price is relatively high.

2. Luo basta species

Luo basta species, the output accounts for about 20%~30% of the world output.

Appearance: the bean shape is large, the front is gradually rounded, the back is convex, and the crack is straight.

Origin: Luo basta coffee tree is native to Madagascar in central and western Africa and Indonesia in Asia.

Climate demand: Luo basta coffee tree is suitable for planting in lowlands below 500 meters above sea level. It has strong adaptability to the environment, can resist bad weather, resist pests and diseases, does not need too much manual care when preparing soil, weeding and pruning, and can grow in the wild. This is an easy-to-cultivate coffee tree.

However, the finished product tastes bitter than Arabica, with higher caffeine content and much worse quality, so it is mostly used to make instant coffee. As it is mainly produced in Africa, most Africans drink Luo basta coffee.

3. Liberian species

Liberia is a big seed, originating in a few countries such as Liberia and Malaysia in Africa.

Its cultivation history is slightly shorter than that of the other two coffee trees. Coffee trees in Liberia are suitable for planting in lowlands. Its trunk is tall and stout, as high as 18 meters, with large and tough leaves, large fruits and coffee beans. Its seed coat is close to the kernel and is vermilion when it matures.

Strong fragrance, moderate caffeine content, strong irritation and poor quality. Because of its unique taste, low demand and small face value, its output is less than 5% of the world coffee production.

4. Ethelsa species

Ethelsa was discovered in 1904. Native to Charles Valley in Africa, it has small fruit and high yield per plant, especially drought-resistant varieties.

The product is rich in flavor, slightly bitter and less cultivated.

Flavor turntable

The flavor of coffee beans is not only influenced by different tree species, but also by soil and climate. When you buy coffee beans, sometimes you will see all kinds of incomprehensible descriptions: tropical fruit flavor, caramel flavor, nut flavor and cocoa flavor. When you really taste them, you find that there are no such flavors at all, and it is even difficult to distinguish these different flavors of coffee. Maybe you think it's because of yourself? Don't know coffee? Or? Born dull? But in fact, these descriptions are not true and appropriate. They come from the flavor turntable made by SCAA (American Special Coffee Association).

Judge the quality of coffee beans

Freshness is the most important factor affecting the quality of coffee brewing. After selecting the varieties to buy, we must first judge whether the coffee beans are of high quality:

Look: Fresh and high-quality coffee beans are round, big, fat and shiny. It also depends on whether the internal color of coffee beans is consistent with or close to the appearance. Coffee with the same appearance is naturally roasted well and belongs to high-quality beans. If the coffee beans are different inside and outside, it means that the heat is too urgent or the heat is not well mastered.

Press: put the beans in your mouth or hands and press gently. Fresh beans are crisp and fragrant.

Pinch: It is best to pinch by hand, and whether it feels solid or not, the solid one is preferred.

Chewing: When shopping, it is best to chew one or two coffee beans. Fresh coffee beans are crisp and loud (indicating that the coffee is not wet), and the teeth and cheeks are fragrant.

Smell: Fresh coffee beans smell rich in the original aroma of coffee, while stale or over-oxidized coffee beans will have poor or almost no taste. In severe cases, they will have a musty, earthy and iodine taste, and even a fermented taste.

Selection of finished beans

When selecting finished beans, we can not only judge the flavor according to the introduction of merchants and the fixed properties of existing products, but also judge the baking degree:

Coffee beans will show different colors because of different baking degrees. Light-colored coffee beans are sour. With the deepening of roasting, the acidity in coffee beans will gradually disappear, while the bitterness will increase step by step.

The roasting degree of coffee beans can be divided into shallow roasting, medium roasting and deep roasting. These three categories can be subdivided into eight sub-categories, which are listed in detail as follows: shallow roasting, meat roasting, medium roasting, deep roasting, city roasting, whole roasting, French roasting and Italian roasting, among which Italian roasting is the deepest.

Now there are many merchants baking beans, most of which are baked at home and then sold. Generally, it will indicate which manor it comes from, the treatment method, grade, roasting depth and flavor of coffee beans. So you can choose according to your favorite taste, and there is nothing recommended by the store.

Toy Jun can introduce some varieties of finished beans, but due to the large number, it is impossible to introduce them one by one. Here, I only choose some common ones I have drunk.

Mantinin:

Produced in the south of Sumatra Island, Indonesia, it has high mellow degree, obvious bitterness, low acidity and generally deep baking degree.

Especially? Gold mantening? PWN company chose the bean with full grain and large volume, named it Jin Manning, and registered the trademark. Therefore, only the beans produced by PWN company can be called golden mandolin.

Yega Sheffield:

Produced in Siddharma, Ethiopia. What is the usual description? Rich floral fragrance, subtle fruit acid, soft bergamot and lemon flavor? You can really smell a little floral and fruity, but it tastes sour. If you like this sour taste, Yega Sheffield is a cost-effective choice.

Yega Sheffield has two scoring systems. The first type: according to SCAA, it is divided into washing: G 1, G2, sun exposure: G 1, G3, G4, G5; The second type: A few years ago, Ethiopian official standards divided Yejiahe into A 1 and A2. Both criteria are that the smaller the number, the higher the grade.

Blue mountain:

In most people's minds? The most expensive and best? Coffee. Blue Mountain, which is produced near Kingston, Jamaica, is monopolized by Japan because of its low output, and its price has remained high. Now you can buy authentic Blue Mountains in China. There are three common brands: M.B.C.F, Conasdale and Valenfo.

The biggest feature of Blue Mountain Coffee is the balance of various tastes. From high to low, it is divided into Blue Mountain No.65438 +0, No.2, No.3 and Blue Mountain Mixed. There are also special blue beans (PB).

In addition to Blue Mountain Coffee, coffee grades in other producing areas in Jamaica are also classified from high to low: Alpine Coffee, Jamaican Premium Coffee and Jamaican Select Coffee.

Kona, Hawaii:

There is a saying that Blue Mountain is the king of coffee, and Kona is the queen of coffee.

Due to the island topography and volcanic soil, Hawaiian coffee has a very special taste, not too strong, not too sour, mellow taste, pleasant bouquet and sour taste.

Kona coffee is divided into four grades, namely, the top grade fancy, fancy, gourmet and GRNo. 1 etc. Small output and high production cost. With the increasing demand for fine coffee in recent years, the price of Kona in the market is almost catching up with the blue mountain in Jamaica, and it is increasingly difficult to buy good Kona natto.

Summer of roses:

Guixia is a new variety that has caught fire in recent years. In Panama, Guatemala, Colombia and other Latin American countries, the quality is very high, and now the reputation and price are catching up with those of Blue Mountain and Kona. The taste is mainly fruit and aroma similar to oolong tea.

Brazilian coffee:

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world, with the total output ranking first in the world. The coffee it produces is mild in taste, slightly sour and bitter, with no major defects or outstanding advantages. Moderate, mainly used for mixing beans.

Colombian coffee:

Colombia has the second largest coffee production. The overall quality of coffee beans is higher. Moderate alcohol content, low acidity, sweet taste, a little nutty taste, suitable for moderate or deep baking, suitable for drinking and blending alone.

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finally

After talking so much about coffee, some people can't wait to buy coffee beans in coffee shops ~ If you want to drink a cup of authentic and healthy coffee, you might as well learn about this article in your spare time and go to the coffee shop to buy coffee beans yourself.