| Coffee History  According to a coffee history legend, an Arabian shepherd named Kaldi found his goats dancing joyously around a dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Kaldi soon determined that it was the bright red cherries on the shrub that were causing the peculiar euphoria and after trying the cherries himself, he learned of their powerful effect. The stimulating effect was then exploited by monks at a local monastery to stay awake during extended hours of prayer and distributed to other monasteries around the world. Coffee was born.
Despite the appeal of such a legend, recent botanical evidence suggests a different coffee bean origin. This evidence indicates that the history of the coffee bean beagan on the plateaus of central Ethiopia and somehow must have been brought to Yemen where it was cultivated since the 6th century. Upon introduction of the first coffee houses in Cairo and Mecca coffee became a passion rather than just a stimulant. Coffee Plant Overview The coffee plant is a woody perennial evergreen dicotyledon that belongs to the Rubiaceae family. Because it grows to a relatively large height, it is more accurately described as a coffee tree. It has a main vertical trunk (orthotropic) and primary, secondary, and tertiary horizontal branches (plagiotropic). The Difference Between Arabica and Robusta Coffee Beans While there are several different coffee species, two main species are cultivated today. Coffea arabica, known as Arabica coffee, accounts for 75-80 percent of the world's production. Coffea canephora, known as Robusta coffee, accounts for about 20 percent and differs from the Arabica coffees in terms of taste. While Robusta coffee beans are more robust than the Arabica plants, but produces an inferior tasting beverage with a higher caffeine content. Both the Robusta and Arabica coffee plant can grow to heights of 10 meters if not pruned, but producing countries will maintain the coffee plant at a height reasonable for easy harvesting. 
Coffee Plant Growth and Development Three to four years after the coffee is planted, sweetly smelling flowers grow in clusters in the axils of the coffee leaves. Fruit is produced only in the new tissue. The Coffea Arabica coffee plant is self-pollinating, whereas the Robusta coffee plant depends on cross pollination. About 6-8 weeks after each coffee flower is fertilized, cell division occurs and the coffee fruit remains as a pin head for a period that is dependent upon the climate. The ovaries will then develop into drupes in a rapid growth period that takes about 15 weeks after flowering. During this time the integument takes on the shape of the final coffee bean. After the rapid growth period the integument and parchment are fully grown and will not increase in size. The endosperm remains small until about 12 weeks after flowering. At this time it will suppress, consume, and replace the integument. The remnants of the integument are what make up the silverskin. The endosperm will have completely filled the cavity made by the integument nineteen weeks after flowing. The endosperm is now white and moist, but will gain dry matter during the next several months. During this time the endosperm attracts more than seventy percent of the total photsynthesates produced by the tree. The mesocarps will expand to form the sweet pulp that surrounds the coffee bean. The coffee cherry will change color from green to red about thirty to thirty-five weeks after flowing. Coffee Plant Root System The roots of the coffee tree can extend 20-25 km in total length and the absorbing surface of a tree ranges from 400 to 500 m2.There are main vertical roots, tap roots, and lateral roots which grow parallel to the ground. The tap roots extend no further than 30-45 cm below the soil surface. Four to eight axial roots may be encountered which often originate horizontally but point downward. The lateral roots can extend 2 m from the trunk. About 80-90% of the feeder root is in the first 20 cm of soil and is 60-90 cm away from the trunk of the coffee tree. However, the greatest root concentration is in the 30 to 60 cm depth. The roots systems are heavily affected by the type of soil and the mineral content of the soil. To be thick and strong, the coffee roots need an extensive supply of nitrogen, calcium and magnesium. During planting the main vertical roots are often clipped to promote growth of the the horizontal roots, which then have better access to water and added nutrients in the top soil. Coffee Leaves The elliptical leaves of the coffee tree are shiny, dark green, and waxy. The coffee bean leaf area index is between 7 and 8 for a high-yielding coffee. The coffee plant has become a major source of oxygen in much of the world. Each hectare of coffee produces 86 lbs of oxygen per day, which is about half the production of the same area in a rain forest Here's how to make the perfect cup of coffee...
Coffee Tip #1- Make sure your coffee pot is clean.
A clean coffee pot is essential and will make a world of difference in how your coffee ultimately tastes. An unclean coffee pot has residual coffee oils that remain from the previous batches of coffee. There are also other coffee chemicals and materials such as pieces of coffee grounds which can decompose and cause some bad flavors. It's not likely such small amounts will make you sick, but there's a good chance your coffee will taste "a little off".
Be careful about using a whole lot of soap unless you're sure to remove any remaining residue, following a good wash and rinse with some baking soda and water to neutralize any remaining acids and coffee oil.
Coffee Tip #2 - Clean Filtered Water
Remember that coffee is really 99% water, so you want to make sure that 99% is the best that you can make it. While using tap water isn't a bad thing, the numerous chemicals added to tap water by your local water company can dramatically change the taste of your coffee. Using bottled water is great since it's free of chlorine. However, if that seems a little on the extravagant side for you then getting one of those filters that attach to your kitchen faucet works well. Since you'll likely use it mainly for making your coffee, the filter will last much longer than normal.
Another recommendation to ensure a clean, fresh, pure coffee taste is to use either a stainless steel or gold mesh filter instead of the usual paper filters. Paper filters are OK, however there are some that can release dyes, chlorine and bleach and any of these will effect coffee taste. If you prefer using paper coffee filters then it's best to use the brown (unbleached) paper coffee filters since they are a more natural product.
Coffee Tip #3 - Use Fresh Quality Coffee
Quality coffee costs more but will consistently produce much better tasting coffee. Coffee beans are t he best choice over pre ground coffee. Coffee begins to degrade shortly after it's roasted, this is regardless if the coffee is packaged immediately. Surface area is a large part of the degradation, so ground coffee degrades considerably faster than whole-bean coffee because of the considerably larger surface area of all those individual pieces of coffee beans. You might think it's an inconvenience using coffee beans compared to using ground coffee, but once you taste the delicious difference you'll never go back to ground coffee again! If you still want to use ground coffee, make sure you use a good, drip grind coffee.
Use 2 level tablespoons of quality coffee for each six ounces of water. This can be adjusted for individual taste preference depending on whether you like your coffee weak, average or bug out your eyes strong. Make sure and spread the grounds evenly in the coffee filter so that full brewing is achieved.
Drink your fresh coffee right away for the best flavor. Coffee will break down quickly if left on a heat source and coffee should never be reheated or micro waved since both of these break down the coffee flavor. If you want to keep your coffee hot without effecting the flavor very much, it's best to use either an air pot or a stainless steel thermos. Both of these methods will keep your coffee hot for about an hour or so.
If you follow these 3 simple coffee preparation tips, you're sure to make a perfect cup of coffee for yourself, your friends and your family each and every time. |