Coffee beans, coffees from around the globe, and one very unique way of making the most expensive coffee in the world.
Ah yes, morning coffee, how sweet it is. Actually, I wouldn't know because I don't drink the stuff, but I make up for that part with other bad habits. However, I am fascinated by the fact that coffee has become the second most popular drink, (water, my favorite, is first), and is the third largest commodity in the world, just behind water and oil. The morning motivator, the day breaker, or night stimulant: whatever you call it, coffee has gone on to develop from the days where some Ethiopian goats got high off the red berries of local shrub, to the hands of the goat herder who decided that he wanted a little buzz as well, to some of the biggest empires including Arabia and the New World, to every little house, shop, corner, and street in any country, city, town, and village. Coffee is big business, so even though I don't crave it, I make sure to try the local coffee at places that I visit. And just like the goat herder, I too get a buzz cause of not drinking it all that often. It's like anything you do, abuse it and it will get boring, enjoy it for what it is and you will reap its benefits.
I thought it would be beneficial to describe the two basic types of coffee beans before posting some of the world's coffee. Each bean has its own characteristics and each is unique for various reasons.
Arabica:
The higher quality bean which is expensive to produce and more difficult to cultivate. This bean needs very specific conditions of temperature, altitude, and soil. As soon as they are ripened, the berries fall to the ground and must be harvested immediately. This bean however is full of flavor and aroma, and also is low in caffeine. Arabica beans make up just about 75% of the beans grown around the globe.
Robusta
These beans are more receptive concerning temperature and altitude. Having twice the amount of caffeine with regards to the previous bean, the Robusta bean does not fall when ripe, meaning that it can be harvested at a simpler pace. Their minimal flavor and aroma are usually the main content of instant coffee, and this is a result of the bean maturing rather rapidly.
Coffees of the World
Ethiopia: Coffee Arabica
I remember on my way to Kenya, I had to go through Ethiopia. Once at the airport I, along with other fellow passengers, found a small sitting area. Sitting down on a pillow in a semi-circle, a man in traditional Ethiopian clothes pours you a cup of Ethiopian coffee, called Coffee Arabica. Mountain coffee as it is also sometimes referred to is highly acidic but with a delicate body that is gentle on the throat. Since there is less caffeine in this coffee, the kick was disappointingly short-term.
Jamaica: Blue Mountain
A friend of mine was working out in Jamaica as part of a new hotel project not too far from Kingston. When he came back for a visit he brought back some Jamaican coffee. I asked him if it was laced with anything but he disappointingly said no. I sighed as well. The expensive Blue Mountain coffee is made of flavorful beans similar to Tia Maria coffee liquer, and has a mild taste to it with a bitter-sweet kick. It was a nice booster but honestly speaking, I would rather the other product Jamaica is well-known for…ya mon!
Hawaii: Kona
Every year in Hawaii there is a Kona Coffee Cultural Festival that displays various ways in traditionally using the coffee plant. Kona coffee is one of the most wanted coffees in the world, but it also comes with a rather high price tag. Its overwhelming aroma is backed up by its soft sweet flavor and a delicate wine-like after-taste. Could be interesting but might have to drink a few cups to feel anything since wine isn't really my thing.
West Africa, Brazil, Vietnam: Coffee Canephora
A very bitter taste and about twice the amount of caffeine compared with that of Coffee Arabica, and this is due to the Robusta bean. It usually comes as instant or filter coffee, but can also be drank as espresso blends. I haven't had the pleasure to try this particular coffee, but when I do will probably go for an espresso, or 4.
Japan, Philippines, US: Kopi Luwak
If you saw the movie “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, you know a little something about the most expensive coffee in the world. Kopi Luwak can reach up to $600 a pound, but the real story is how it is actually made. The berries are eaten and then passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet, however the beans pass through their system undigested. These beans, it is believed, get their powerful flavor from the stomach of the civet cat which also gives the coffee its richly bitter taste. I'm going to hold off trying this coffee for the meantime.
