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COFFEE
ORIGIN

The word ‘coffee’ comes from the Arabic word ‘quwah’, which through its Turkish form kahweh, became
coffee in English. Coffee originated around the Red Sea, most probably in Ethiopia. It was cultivated in Yemen
as early as the 6th century and was widespread throughout the Arab world by the 13th century. Coffee was
produced and well established in Java and the Caribbean by the 18th century. Today coffee is drunk around
the world though each nation has its own way of preparing and serving it. Brazil is the world’s leading
producer of coffee.
GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITION

Favourable climate: areas with hot-wet or hot-temperate climate, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic
of Capricorn, with frequent rains and temperatures varying from 15 to 25°C. Soil should be deep, hard,
permeable, well irrigated, with well-drained subsoil. The best lands are the hilly ones, those cut into a
mountainside, of volcanic nature with disintegrating rocks or from just-tilled woods. The perfect altitude is
between 600 and 1200 meters, though some varieties thrive at 2000-2200 meters and others at fewer than
400 meters or even on level land.

Leading coffee-producing areas are: Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, Central and South America, India and
Indonesia.

Coffee is one of the major plantation crops of India and is cultivated in southern parts of India that is
Tamilnadu, Mysore, Coorg, Travancore and Cochin.

PRODUCTION

Yield: Approximately 4000 berries produce 1 kg (2.2 lb.) of coffee.

The main parts used for processing of the coffee are coffee beans and dried seeds of coffee.

PROCESSING

There are two methods of processing coffee - wet method and dry method.

The wet method is elaborate where the ripe berries are washed and processed by machine and then
they are partially fermented before being given the final washing.

In the dry method, the berries are sun dried and then processed by machine.

After the beans have been processed and treated, they are sent to curing houses for the final process
required to prepare the coffee for the market.
Roasting brings out the flavour and aroma associated with coffee. Roasting must be done on low heat.
The beans must be uniformly rotated and when the beans stop swelling, it obtains a golden-brown colour,
which indicates the roasting is complete. If the roasting goes beyond this point the essential oil is exuded
and the beans turn shiny. A medium roast and grind is considered to give the best results.

STORAGE

Roasted beans keep fresh much longer than powdered and so grinding must be done just before use.

Ground and powdered coffee should be stored in an airtight container kept in a dry and cool place.
Refrigerated storage is the best for keeping coffee.

Too finely ground coffee deteriorates rapidly when stored. Once ground, coffee powder must be used
within four to five days.

NUTRITIVE VALUE

Coffee is not only refreshing but also nutritive! One cup of coffee contains niacin, riboflavin and folic acid. The
aroma from a freshly brewed cup of coffee is high in anti-oxidants and could be as beneficial as three oranges.
Coffee is made up of sucrose, trigonelline, proteins and chlorogenic acid.

TYPES OF COFFEE

The four commercially significant species of coffee beans are Coffee Arabica, Coffee Robusta, Coffee Liberca
and Mysore Coffee.

Coffee Arabica - is rich, aromatic and full of flavour, accounts for 70% of world coffee production.

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Coffee Canephora (Robusta) – has higher caffeine content, a rougher almost earthy flavour. Its cost is
half that of Arabica and is used in cheaper blends of coffee. For a cup of black strong coffee this is the
best option.

Coffee Liberica - is a coffee with flavour, which is slightly lower than that of Arabica and superior to
coffee Robusta.

Mysore coffee - is the best-known Indian coffee and the most commonly available throughout the
world. It has a delicate aroma, smooth and soft flavour and is often blended with Mocha (famous
Ethiopian coffee also used to make Turkish coffee) to give Mysore mocha.

CULINARY USES

Coffee is an international beverage with universal popularity.

Coffee is often used in confectionery, baking desserts and ice cream and any recipe that includes the
term ‘mocha’.

Coffee also features in several drinks with an alcohol base e.g : Irish Coffee and various liqueurs such
as Tia Maria, Kahlua, Crème de mokka, Bahia which are made from the pulp of the coffee berry.

MEDICINAL USES

A strong cup of coffee is considered a good protection from effects of malaria.

Coffee is frequently given in teaspoonful doses to patients after surgical operations as it checks
vomiting.

Coffee conceals the tastes of bitter medicines such as quinine and sulphate of magnesia.

It allays the sense of prolonged mental fatigue and keeps off sleep for some time.

BREWING OF COFFEE

The most important thing in brewing coffee is to keep all the equipment used for coffee making scrupulously
clean.

Coffee can be prepared in two ways either by infusion or by boiling.

Infusion, in particular filtration, is the most popular method of brewing coffee in the West today. In this
method, water is boiled and then slightly cooled (temperature 85º - 88ºC or 185º - 190ºF), then poured
over the ground coffee, extracting the caffeine and aromatic constituents and leaving behind the bitter
components.
Boiling coffee gives it a strong, bitter taste, as much of the aroma is steam-distilled from the brew and
the bitter components are dissolved into it.
Instant coffee is prepared in two ways.

Freshly roasted and ground coffee is brewed to obtain a strong concentrate, which is then passed
through an atomizing spray into a stream of hot air, which evaporates the water and leaves behind a fine
residue powder.

The other method is freeze-dried method, in which the brewed coffee is frozen into slabs and ground into
particles, which are then put into a vacuum with a small amount off heat. This turns the ice directly into
steam, leaving the ground particles dry, chunky and ready to use.

IMPORTANT TIPS

Too much of coffee is harmful as it reduces the circulation of blood in the brain, disturbs digestion,
leads to headache, vertigo, palpitations of the heart and restlessness.

Coffee substitutes: Roasted chicory root is a popular coffee extender. It is also added to cheaper
brands of instant coffee. Toasted barley is used to produce a drink called Malted Coffee.

TRIVIA
Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia. A popular legend refers to a goat herder by the name of Kaldi, who
observed his goats acting unusually frisky after eating berries from a bush. Curious about the berries, Kaldi
tried eating them. He found that these berries gave him a renewed energy and the news of this energy-laden
fruit quickly spread throughout the region. As soon as the monks heard about this amazing fruit, they dried
the berries so that they could be easily transported to distant monasteries.
From Ethiopia coffee traveled to Turkey where the beans were roasted for the first time over open fires. The
roasted beans were crushed and then boiled in water, creating an unrefined version of the beverage, which we
enjoy today.

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