For centuries, coffee has remained the favorite drink of mankind. The homeland of
coffee trees is Ethiopia, Africa, but later they spread around the world. Moreover, grains are one of the main products of
world trade, second only to oil. The bulk of coffee is produced by hot tropical countries: Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam, but today coffee plantations can also be found in Australia or China, and, surprisingly, in some countries of Europe. Trees that require special care are grown by experienced professionals in certain soils, and coffee berries, ripened, are harvested by hand. Later, they make such a favorite drink, without a cup of which many do not think the beginning of a new day.
Arabica coffee: main characteristics and regions of growth
Arabica and Robusta ... you constantly come across these words when you buy or order a cup of coffee in a cafe. It is no secret that they denote the names of two main varieties. So what is the difference? Arabica coffee is more expensive and has a delicate, sweet, but at the same time quite intense aroma. The smell may have shades of caramel, honey, spices or fruit. The trees on which arabica coffee is grown are very moody and require special soil, air humidity and specific climatic conditions. The best Arabica coffee varieties are supplied by Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Robusta coffee
In contrast to the aristocratic sophistication of arabica, the robusta variety has a more bitter, so to say “earthy” taste with a woody, slightly astringent hue. But in general, robusta has much less flavor characteristics compared to Arabica coffee. That is why this variety is not particularly represented on the market, although quite cheap. Robusta trees are much less capricious than their species counterparts, they do not require any specific growing conditions, are frost-resistant and widespread. As a rule, well-known cafes and restaurants do not offer their visitors this type of coffee.
How to choose the best arabica coffee
Attention, not all Arabica coffee varieties are the same. They can also be grown in inappropriate conditions, which, without a doubt, affect the taste of the drink (as we recall, coffee trees are very moody), not collected at the right time to ripen, and are subject to improper storage or roasting. Therefore, the words "this is arabica" do not mean that from the beans you get high-quality aromatic coffee. When choosing beans, first of all pay attention to their aroma: coffee should not smell like burnt grains. If so, then there were gross violations in roasting: they must be dry, without visible changes and damage. Also look at the country of manufacture: today, Brazil and other countries of Central America supply the best Arabica to the world market. Also, one of the determining factors is the price, which averages from $ 50 per kilogram of good coffee. And the most sophisticated and expensive today are the varieties Jamaican Blue Mountain, Tarrazú, Colombian Supremo, Costa Rica, Guatemalan Antigua and some others.
Arabica coffee - care, storage and roasting
Gourmets should also understand how to
roast coffee, because it pretty much affects its taste characteristics. For example, medium-roasted coffee will give you a clean, sweet flavor with a nutty touch. But the same grains with maximum roasting will give a more pronounced smell with inclusions of spices, citrus fruits and chocolate. The nuances of the shades, as a rule, depend on a particular type of coffee. Let me remind you again that coffee beans should in no case have a burnt smell.
Store arabica coffee beans in a hermetically sealed jar, in a dry and dark place. Make sure that no moisture gets inside. Each new serving is best served with a special spoon that can be put inside the container. And after grinding the aromatic grains and making coffee to your taste - espresso, latte, or Turkish - you will get a fragrant drink that will help you to cheer up at the beginning of a new day.