Coffee - The Addictive Stimulant
Author: Elsie Shan

Coffee is one of the important commodities in the world. It is
consumed by many people around the world and plays a major part
in some economies of the world. It is traded through some major
commodities board around the world, e.g. New York Board of Trade
(NYBOT). Currently, Brazil is the worlds largest coffee producer
which constitutes about 32% (year 2006) of the total world
production.

Coffee is an "addictive" beverage made from grounded roasted
coffee beans. The pleasant aroma and taste makes it irresistible
to coffee lovers. There are many ways to consume this
concoction. Some like it hot and some like it cold. It can be
consumed with or without sweetener, cream, milk or any other
combination you can think of. Its very versatile and creative
people can create new taste and flavor. Many businesses have
built an empire around coffee, like Starbucks.

The Origin Of Coffee

According to legend, coffee was first discovered in the
highlands of Ethiopia during the 9th Century by a shepherd
called Kaldi. While tending to his herd, he was intrigued by the
strange behavior of his goat. They were happily dancing and
leaping after eating strange red berries. He plucked those
berries and brought them to a neighboring convent and relates
his observation to the priests there. They decided to boil those
berries and after drinking the brew, found an extra boost of
energy. From there on, the beverage starts to spread to other
areas in that region from Egypt to Yemen before reaching Turkey,
Persia and some parts of Africa.

Coffee eventually reached Europe in 1690 when the Dutch managed
to smuggle coffee plants out from the Arabian land. It was first
introduced into Moka (Mauritius), Sri Lanka, India and finally
the island of Java in Indonesia before finally brought home to
Europe. It was later introduced to the French Caribbean
colonies. The coffee plant eventually spreads throughout the
American Latin and soon the coffee beans become a major export
commodity of some countries here.

Major Coffee Species

There are two major species of coffee plants cultivated for
consumption, namely Coffea Arabica Linnaeus (commonly referred
to as Arabica) and Coffea canephora (commonly called Robusta).
The Arabica variety has a better taste compare to Robusta which
is much bitter but less aroma. Sometimes, Robusta is used in the
coffee blend to reduce cost. There are also other species of
coffee plant like Coffea liberica and Coffea esliaca which is
indigenous to Liberia and Sudan respectively.

The Art Of Roasting Coffee

The coffee beans have to be roasted before it can be consumed.
After the coffee berries are harvested, the berries are stripped
off their flesh leaving only the seed or beans. It is left aside
to ferment in order to remove the slimy layer present on the
coffee bean. When this process is completed, the fermented
coffee bean is washed to remove fermented residue before being
dried and graded.

There are several ways to roast coffee, such as traditional
roasting, 10 minute quick roast, 90 second flash roast and many
others. Different methods will give rise to different taste and
aroma. As heat is applied, the coffee beans will loose moisture
and turn dark. This is due to the natural occurrence of
caramelized sucrose. When there is no more water in the coffee
beans, the sugar and acid will begin to release their aroma.
This is called the Maillard reactions. The roasting process is
then halted and beans cooled and stored. Grinding can be
performed and stored in an air tight container to maintain
freshness.

Conclusion

Coffee is a favorite beverage of many people. It is now
available in convenient forms like instant coffee granules. Some
creative coffee companies have introduced pre-mixed sachets so
that coffee can be consumed at any time, any place. Just add hot
water and your coffee is ready. Canned coffee has also started
selling in parts of Asia especially Japan and South Korea.


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