The great adventure of coffee
In contrast to wine growers who grow their vines for their own production, coffee rosters purchase their green coffee beans on the same international market.
Choosing the origin (Brazil, Columbia, Cameroon, Kenya, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Honduras and India) and the variety (Robusta or Arabica) the individual characteristics of a particular brand start to take shape. The specific recipes of each company give the final drink it's own unique taste and flavour. The decisive phase in the creation of a coffee of distinction or a cheap and bitter drink is the roasting.
The discovery of coffee is shrouded in countless tales but the legend of the young shepherd, Kaldi, is still the best known. |
Coffee originates from the Kaffa province of Ethiopia. Since the 8th century, Arabs used infusions as a remedy. Until the 15th century, Yemen was the only country to grow coffee, with usage spreading eventually throughout the middle east. |
The coffee tree comes from the Rubiaceae family. Of its 73 species, only two are cultivated: Coffea Arabica Linné which bears the Arabica beans and Coffea Canephora Pierre for the Robusta beans. |
