The World of Coffee: A Deep Dive into the Bean that Powers Our Lives
Widely accepted as the most preferred drink across many cultures and countries, coffee has no boundaries. From having a first cup of the day in the morning to get one on with his/her day, to having an espresso with friends, or enjoying a cappuccino while watching the world go by, coffee is an integral part of the lives of many. There is more to coffee than providing the much-needed caffeine in the bodies of many people. There is a history that is quite rich, economic factors at play and the whole cultural aspect is worth looking into. In this essay, we shall analyze the aspects of coffee such its history, types and health advantages as well as the coffee business around the world.
The Origins of Coffee: A Drink Born in Legend
Countless myths are available on the origins of coffee. The most renowned one often takes its roots in the ninth century Ethiopia. It tells the story of Kaldi, the highlander who experienced an unusual attitude in his goats. After consuming the berries of a certain tree, the goats appeared to be rather lively and highly agitated. Kaldi informed a nearby monk who used the same berries to prepare a bear that helped him in praying for a long time without losing his focus. Thus the bear beverage spread and became famous from those Ethiopian mountains to those Islands in the Arabian Peninsula.
By the turn of the 15th century, coffee had already begun growing and commercially utilized in the Arabian countries, especially in the Yeman region. Apart from the diet, Islam adopted it as a result of its effect on promoting alertness and increased resistance to sleep during long prayer sessions and hence its ready acceptance into the religion. In the Arab world, the first coffee houses called qahveh khaneh appeared in the cities providing a place for socializing and exchange of information. This is due to the fact that such places were also known as ‘Schools of the Wise’ because of the activities that occurred in them, namely, conversations.
The Spread of Coffee Around the World
The Arabs weren’t to benefit much from the new beverage it seems, for coffee was widely spread to the whole of Europe by the 17th century. This new drink was welcomed with wariness by the European societies. Some referred to it as “the evil bitter invention of God,” but it is said that Pope Clement VIII tasted the drink and authenticated it by declaring it delicious.
As in the Arab world, coffeehouses in Europe also became major places of trade and interaction. In England, instead of using the common term coffee houses, people referred to them as “penny universities” because for just a penny which was the price of coffee, one could be involved in an intellectual affair. Great coffee shops like “Lloyd’s of London” began as coffee shop, but they became a business and insurance hub.
Due to the increased appetite for coffee, the European powers started looking for ways to grow coffee in warm tropical regions. The Dutch were the first ones to grow coffee successfully outside of Arabia by growing it in the island of Java in present-day Indonesia. Coffee became a cash crop almost instantly, as several plantations were established in the Caribbean regions, the Americas, and even up to Australia.
Types of Coffee Beans: Arabica vs. Robusta
Arabica and Robusta coffee beans are the most common species found in the market today. Each of the species has distinct characteristics, tastes, and conditions for growth.
- Arabica Coffee: Arabica beans are regarded as the high quality beans and are sought for their wonderful taste and aroma. These beans however, do not thrive well at lower elevations which is why they are mostly grown at elevations of about 2000-6000 feet. This type of coffee grows in specific conditions which include; cool weather, good moist soil and plenty of rain. Arabic coffee tends to focus on the most intricate of tastes and is characterized by the presence of some sweet tasting fruits, sugar and mild tartness. – It accounts for about 60 – 70% of all coffee’s produced in the world.
- Robusta Coffee: Well, robusta beans are more rgw brown beans and second crunchy ones in the plantation. To begin with, they can be cultivated at about sea level. They have better immunity making the cost of growing cheaper for farmers. Where Robustas are often used, they are characterized by the strong bitter flavor accompanied by an increased level of caffeine. Such beans are frequently added to the espresso in order to provide strong flavor and crema. Robustas are however not as luxurious as Arabicas but they are essential in the coffee business.
On the other hand, other coffee varieties like Liberica and Excelsa, are not as popular and they have a very small share of the global coffee production.
The Coffee Brewing Methods: A World of Flavor
The process used to make coffee can greatly determine the taste and strength of the finished product. Following are some of the ways that are popularly used in different countries.
- Drip Coffee: This method is prevalent among many people especially in the U.S.A. It involves pouring hot water on the ground coffee and waiting for the coffee to trickle down a filter. The end product is a clean and straightforward cup of coffee.
- Espresso: This drink is of italian origin, it consists of forcing a small volume of nearly boiling water through ground coffee. This allows producing an aromatic concentrated drink with a thick foam on it called crema (a concentric golden layer of thick foamed milk). Many everyday drinks such as kitchens, or caprices in parentheses.
- French Press: In this technique, coarse coffee particles are allowed to remain for about several minutes in hot water after which they are mechanically pressed out with a filter mesh and a plunger. One consumes french press coffee as it is ad because coffee oils also pass with the fine particles of coffee.
- Pour Over: A more tactile way of brewing, this method allows hot water to flow slowly over grounded coffee in a filter and extracts flavors from the coffee without soaking it in water. This technique provides more opportunity in the escalation of the brewing process and lets to make a rather intensive and distinctive coffee.
- Cold Brew: Of late the cold brew method has become more widely embraced in the last few years. It involves brewing coarsely ground coffee beans in cold water for a duration of about 12- 24 hours. The result is a smooth brew which has less acid content, served either cold with ice or with milk.
All the processes have various merits, which in a sense the means the coffee has many layers and one can be very selective in how they use the drink.
The Economics of Coffee: From Bean to Cup
Coffee ranks among the world’s most exported goods, only around oil. The economy revolving around coffee is multi-billion dollar and supports millions of individuals, from the smallholder coffee farmers in the developing world to the urban casual venders of the commodity.
- Coffee Farming: The coffeee crop is mostly produced in the developing nations; Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Ethiopia are the key players in the coffe production. Coffe farming is labor-intensive, with most activities like chopping the cherries being done by hand. A lot of small-scale producers grow coffee, as it usually becomes the cash crop, and because of this price changes of coffeee can easily make or break them.
- The Supply Chain: When the beans are picked, the cherries are processed in order to extract the beans from the cherry fruit. The beans are then processed through eras, roasted, powderized and processed in a way of making the beans ready for the beverage. The provision of the commodity follows a linear structure where each provision adds value to the final commodity and its end consumers have had many intermediaries who have handled the product. The structure of coffee’s supply chain management is very complicated, where all parties – producers, traders, roasters and retailers are included in the process.
- Fair Trade and Sustainability: In the last decade or so, people have also begun to understand what coffee growers go through – most especially with regards to equitable remuneration and environmental issues. A fair trade certificate does not allow any farmer to sell their coffee’s at a lower price than the minimum defined by the organization irrespective of the current market price. Besides, it has become a trend with many customers investing in coffee’s that is grown organically, grown in shade, or certified by Rainforest Alliance for a more environmentally friendly way of farming.
Health Benefits and Concerns
Health benefits of coffee are widely acclaimed; however, there are also several glaring issues. Below is an outline of the positives as well as the negatives:
Positives:
- Antioxidants – This is a beverage which contains a lot of antioxidants which always work towards preventing the body cells from wear and tear.
- Enhanced brain power – The caffeine content present in coffee’s is recognized as a drug that enhances memory, moods and cognitive activities.
- Enhanced physical performance – The intake of caffeine causes one to produce more levels of adrenaline, making physical activities subsequent to drinking the beverage easier. As a result, the beverage has become common for use pre-exercise.
- Less likelihood of suffering from certain ailments: According to research, it has been shown that those who take coffe on a regular basis lower their risks of developing certain illnesses such Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and also type 2 diabetes.
Negatives:
- Nervousness and Halting Sleep Patterns – Overindulgence in caffeine may spark restlessness extreme enough to interfere with sleep, easily learnt by those who drink large amounts of coffee’s, or drink it late in the day.
- Dependence – Caffeine is associated with a slight dependency, that bears some people with headaches and irritability when they try to abstain.
- Stomach upset – Caffeine, being acidic in nature, causes stomach discomfort as well as aggravates gastroesophageal reflux disease in certain individuals.
Coffee’s Role in Modern Culture
Though once a mere commodity, the drink that is coffee’s evolved into a culture. Back then, coffee’s houses offered refreshments, but in present – they are already embedded into many regions of the social and business sprits of the world. It does not matter if it is a friend’s get together where discussing anything and everything is the norm, or rather, working away on the laptop in a nice and warm cafe or chasing a busy day with a to-go coffee cup – coffee’s culture is there and doing well.
So has the journey of ‘ specialty coffee’s ’ begun to revolutionize the industry as well. People no longer mere order coffee’s. Rather, they demand single origin beans, alternate preparation techniques and more of such. World Barista Championship and many other similar competitions have popularized this form of art of coffee’s making giving rise to very highly skilled professionals known as baristas.
Conclusion: Coffee’s More Than Just a Drink
The history of coffee’s contains many interesting facts: from its mythical beginnings in Ethiopia to its development into a global product. There’s more to it than coffee brewing; it’s an intricate culture, a money-making activity, and millions’ everyday practices. Be it a sip of an exquisite espresso or a plain drip coffee’s; hardly anyone can refute that this tiny bean has changed the entire world.
