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Next to oil, coffee is the most widely traded commodity. The consumption of coffee is about 400 billion cups a year and continues to grow. Like any other popular commodity, coffee has its share of controversies. Over the years, worldwide controversies have arisen over coffee. It has been called many expletives including "the drink of the devil", an evil brew and a beverage that causes men's impotence. On the other hand, literary masterpieces, national testaments and oratories have been created, medical advances have been made and huge business deals have changed the course of history, all over a cup of coffee. Of course, none of these advances were due to the coffee, but may well be indebted to it. A cup of coffee is so much more than a humble beverage. For so many reasons, the world just loves its java. Fine coffee, like wine, takes special preparation. Coffee is the antithesis of wine, but it requires the same amount of dedication, specialized processes and cultivation. Wine relaxes the body and tends to slow the mental processes. Coffee has quite an opposite effect. Coffee is calming, rather than intoxicating. It stimulates the senses, rather than dulling them. Someone once said that "It cheers the spirit without making one mad." Coffee requires blending and brewing, along with various other preparations that go into creating wine and other excellent beverages. There is also an entire vocabulary associated with coffee. If you wish to be truly familiar with your friend "coffee", here are some of the terms that you must know: Acidity of Coffee Carrots and coffee have nearly the same pH. Acidity in coffee contributes to its special liveliness, color and brightness. Coffee Arabica One of the most popular types of coffee is Arabica, the other being Robusta. Coffee Arabica contains less caffeine, and it is harder to cultivate as it grows best at altitudes from 3,500 to 7,000 feet. This type of coffee has a more full-bodied taste as compared to Robusta, and it is consequently more expensive. Bourbon is an African variety of Arabica coffee. The cultivation was not seriously pursued for some time because, although it has delicious character and taste, crop yields are smaller than the other Arabica varieties. The growing popularity of coffee, however, has increased the cultivation of this wonderful bean. Coffee Blends The art of blending coffee is much like an artist mixing colors on the palette. Coffee blenders use beans from various coffee-growing regions, and then mix them to craft a specialized flavor that cannot be achieved with coffee of single origin. Body The term "body" pertains to way the coffee feels when it's in the mouth. The body of the coffee may feel light, thin, delicate, syrupy or buttery. Decaffeinated Coffee When the caffeine content of the coffee beans is minimized, it's called "decaffeinated" or "decaf" coffee. There are several processes that may be used to reduce the caffeine content in coffee including chemical, carbon dioxide and water system procedures. Regardless of the decaffeinating process used, efforts are always made to preserve the delicious natural flavors of the coffee bean. Grades of Coffee This is a classification of the beans by their density and size. The highest grade is known as premium and is sold at a higher price. Methods of Processing This term is used to describe the separation of the flesh from the coffee bean. Drying and washing are the two main methods of processing coffee. In drying the coffee, the beans or "cherries" are spread across the ground to dry out in the sun. Every day, the beans are raked several times to ensure even drying. After two or three weeks, the dried flesh cracks and the beans emerge. This type of dry processing produces an earthy flavor and a syrupy texture to your coffee. With washed processing, the skin is cut from the coffee beans and the beans are allowed to stand. When the beans begin to ferment, the skins are easily washed off with water. Then, the beans are dried. With this washing process, the natural flavors of the coffee are preserved. So now that you have a grasp of some of coffee's vocabulary, don't neglect to get your daily dose!
Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com
Columnist Benedict Neel is a writer for a variety of web magazines, on leisure centres and leisure time issues.
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