Coffees of the World

Coffees of the World – Part 2

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Coffees of the World – Part 2There really is nothing like a good cup of coffee, is there not? Perhaps that is one of the reasons coffee is one of the most popular hot beverages in the world. How popular is it? The latest estimates suggests as many as 10 million tons of coffee are consumed every year.

The wonderful thing about coffee is the variety available to consumers. In the first part of this four-part series, we talked about some of the varieties cultivated on the African continent. In part two, we will discuss coffees from Indonesia and the Caribbean. Needless to say, there is no shortage of choices for coffee lovers.

Coffees of Indonesia

Indonesia is both a country and an archipelago consisting of more than 13,400 islands stretching from the eastern Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific, located in Southeast Asia. Its 33 provinces are incredibly diverse thanks to its rich trading history and hundreds of years of colonialism. Some of Indonesia’s most loved coffees are:

Sulawesi – The island of Sulawesi is a mountainous island in the Malay Archipelago off the coast of Borneo. Their coffee is smooth, full-bodied, lightly acidic and with a very earthy flavor. Some people describe it as being ‘bright’.

Sumatra – Coffee from Sumatra is a truly unique experience. You will notice it is different right away, due to its syrupy consistency and unusually dark, blue-green color. As for the flavor, Sumatran coffee tastes slightly chocolate-like. The flavor is very smooth, rich, and deep.

Timor – Timor is an island at the eastern edge of the archipelago divided into eastern and western regions. The western region is part of Indonesia while the eastern region is independent. Regardless, their coffee is one of the best-kept secrets of Indonesia. Timorese coffee is grown organically and dry processed. Moreover, although it has an earthy taste, it is slightly sweet. It can be musty, however.

Javanese – Among all of the cultural groups in Indonesia, the Javanese are the most popular. Their coffee is also the most popular in the region. It is wet processed for a less earthy taste; the flavor is less acidic and smoother.

That about sums up coffee from Indonesia. You might consider trying them if you are looking for something unique.

Coffees of the Caribbean

The islands of the Caribbean are mostly known for sugarcane and rum. Yet they actually have some very exciting coffees. Here are two of our favorites:

Jamaica – The most well known coffee from the Caribbean is Jamaican Blue Mountain. Genuine Blue Mountain is mild, smooth, and well balanced. It is the most expensive coffee in the world with a price that can be as much as 20 times higher than other coffees.

Puerto Rico – The Yauco variety from Puerto Rico is said to be as good as Blue Mountain. Nevertheless, since Yauco is not nearly as well known as Blue Mountain, the price is considerably lower. This is a great option if you want to try Caribbean coffee without paying an arm and a leg. Yauco is rich, smooth, and slightly sweet and fruity.

This concludes our tour of coffees from Indonesia and the Caribbean. The third part in this series will take a look at coffees from Central and South America. Coffees from these regions are what we consume most of here in the United States.

In the meantime, we hope you’ll consider Galaxie Coffee for your office coffee service. We have been proudly serving businesses and organizations in the New York Metro region with the best coffee, water and beverage service since 1969.

 

Coffees of the World – Part 1

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Coffees of the World – Part 1“Joe”, “Java”, and “wake-up juice” – we have a lot of names to describe our morning beverage of rich coffee bean flavor and a healthy dose of caffeine. However, no matter what you call it coffee is one of the most popular hot beverages in the world. Some form of the drink is served nearly anywhere you go.

As one of the leading coffee service providers in the New York Metro area, we want to help you better understand the global phenomenon that is coffee. Therefore, we have put together a four-part series designed to introduce you to the coffees of the world. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for a coffee service provider. We offer a full line of coffees, teas, bottled water, and other beverages.

The Keys to Coffee Flavor

Before we get to the different coffees of the world, it is important to understand what gives coffee its flavor. There are four things that determine what coffee tastes like, above and beyond adding things like cream, sugar, and coffee liqueurs:

Berry Variety – There are two main types of coffee berries that account for most of the worldwide production: arabica and robusta. The former is preferred because it has more flavor and is less bitter. And just for the record, there are hundreds of regional varieties of both arabica and robusta.

Processing – After coffee berries have been harvested, they can be processed according to either a wet or a dry method. Wet processing involves washing the berries; dry processing does not. Dry processed coffee has more of an earthy, gamy taste.

Roasting – The roasting process is where it all comes together. The key to roasting the berries is the amount of time they are under heat. Roasting reduces acidity and adds a new dimension of flavor, much the same way charcoal grilling adds flavor to meat. Some roasters add additional flavorings during the roasting process.

Blending – Lastly, roasters will often blend multiple regional varieties to produce a unique kind of coffee that they can put their brand name on. For example, a blend might include arabica from Columbia, Mexico and Panama.

Now that you know what gives coffee its flavor, let’s talk about some of the best coffees from around the world. You might want to go fill your cup before we get started.

Coffees of Africa

Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee, so that is where we will start. The interesting thing about Ethiopian coffee is the incredible number of regional varieties. One of the favorites is Yergacheffe, a light and fruity coffee from southern Ethiopia.

Here are a few other favorites from the African continent:

Yemen – Yemenis dispute the fact that Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee. Nonetheless, coffee from Yemen is very strong and earthy. The berries are allowed to grow wild and are dry processed upon harvest.

Zambia – Though the industry is relatively new in Zambia, their coffee production has really matured in recent years. Zambian coffee tends to be less acidic and softer than other African coffees, but the flavor is very rich.

Tanzania – Most of the coffee grown in Tanzania is cultivated on Mount Kilimanjaro alongside bananas. The flavor is unique because of it. One of the most popular Tanzanian varieties in the U.S. is known as peaberry; a variety characterized by each berry having only a single bean rather than the normal two.

We hope that we have whet your appetite for some new, more unusual coffees for you to taste. In part two of this series, we will look at coffees from Indonesia and the Caribbean.