COFFEE
TEA
CAPPUCCINO AND HOT CHOCOLATE
SWEETS
SYRUPS
TABLEWARE
RELATED PRODUCTS
GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS
Although coffee was increasingly becoming a mainstream product in the 20th and 21st centuries, interest in high-quality arabica was steadily growing among coffee lovers. Currently, there are not only good brands of arabica, robusta (or their mixtures) more or less available to the consumer, but also very expensive coffee with unique characteristics of aroma and taste, the so-called "specialty". The premium coffee segment accounts for about a tenth of the world's arabica coffee. People who are ready to buy coffee at a price of up to $ 2,000 per kilogram are well aware of how this price is determined.
The concept of Specialty Coffee is not that new, it is almost half a century old. At first, the term referred to aromatic coffees grown in ideal climatic conditions. It is clear that the translation "specialty" best reflects the meaning of the word Specialty. It is to this uniqueness of the best varieties (or rather, Arabica batches) that the attention of connoisseurs of the coffee world is riveted.
"Specialty" coffee is similar to vintage wines: the harvest year, place of growth, variety are taken into account. As in winemaking, a number of indicators matter: country, region, classification of raw materials, processing technology. Original shades of taste and aroma are an indispensable condition for recognition of high status.
Quality ideology
"Specialty" is a high quality coffee, which is confirmed by experts. Of course, objective indicators are taken into account. For the saturation of Arabica fruits, plantations are needed about 1000 m above sea level and above. A special point: ecological cleanliness, the absence of chemicals in the cultivation of plantings. A batch of Arabica that claims to be a specialty is homogeneous in its composition: one region and one variety. The supplier knows the specific plantation where the fruit was harvested. Processing technology is equally important. Manual harvesting, choosing only ripe berries, the best way to clean the grain, fermentation features - everything is taken into account. Green grain must be free from defects.
How is the quality of brewed coffee determined, is it a specialty? Specialists in this area are tasters (or cappers). Cupping is a special science and art, it is a professional field of activity. To buy coffee at auction, agents need to do more than just visually assess its properties. They gain access to the cupping procedure: in this case, they do not drink the drink, but only try it. Before buying a batch of coffee, the grain itself and the cup of the drink are tested. A special scale includes ten positions (aroma, taste, aftertaste, sourness rating, etc.). The cup is prepared in strictly regulated proportions, temperature regime, grind size and roasting characteristics. It should be emphasized that it is the lot that is being evaluated (a batch of grain from a certain producer).
To recognize the quality of "specialty", the lot must receive at least 80 points from tasters on a 100-point scale. If the score reaches 85 points, this is a good quality product. From 90 - exclusive coffee. The rarest varieties gain 98 points. Certified according to these criteria, grains are a kind of product marked with a quality mark. Highly ranked coffees are not available in regular sales: 90-point coffees are only sold at special festivals and auctions. According to the stricter classification "specialty" starts from 87 points.
It is certainly not easy to instill the skills of coffee testing in countries where its consumption is not popular at all. Often, in African countries, before buying coffee beans, foreign roasters test it.
International organizations
There are organizations that are responsible for the quality of "specialty" within the country. Such associations have been formed both in the states in exporters, directly growing raw materials, and in importers. They are in Italy and in the USA. They work in Panama, Bolivia, Costa Rica, India. There are structures that unite several powers: for example, the Specialty Coffee Association of South Africa and the Coffee Association of Europe.
One of the leading organizations, the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), appeared in the United States forty years ago to evaluate outstanding coffees. In the 90s, several European states began to work in this direction: Italy, Switzerland, England and other countries decided to draw attention to coffee with special advantages. The joint work of these structures has led to even greater success.
Events hosted by these communities include coffee retail summits, specialty coffee exhibitions, online presentations of the world's best baristas. Specialty Coffee Expo and World of Coffee exhibitions are held annually. Training and certification of judges of national championships is also part of the activities of the associations.
Various competitions of cuppers, baristas, international and national coffee festivals contribute to the promotion of the culture of "specialty". It is interesting that in this area it is possible to achieve “star” champion status: associations regularly hold championships for tasting and preparing high-class coffee drinks.
AmericaThe National Institute of Coffee Quality studies not only the characteristics of coffee beans from different countries. Its tasks include the socio-economic analysis of all aspects of the work and life of manufacturers.
Sociology of the coffee world
The industry has a number of important characteristics: the quality of coffee and the volume of supplies depend not only on climatic conditions and infrastructure, but also on the skills and knowledge of farmers, the possibility of lending to buy equipment and rejuvenate plantations. To a large extent, it depends on the extent to which farmers can protect their production during periods of volatile prices. Most countries exporting arabica and robusta have government agencies and business communities that study all aspects of the coffee business and support producers.
For unscrupulous resellers, there is only one principle: buy coffee beans from farmers cheap and resell expensive. They don't care if the grower gets the funds to develop his coffee plantation, or if he survives at all. In general, this leads to the degradation of the coffee industry in individual countries.
Analytics, developed by the Specialty Coffee associations, help farmers find their place in the coffee trade and understand what measures need to be taken to ensure that the price of a product is adequate for the effort and investment spent. The question of "fair price" is not just economic, but also social and humanistic. If only because child labor is used on plantations. Farmers in a number of countries do not have access to information on the real price of their product.
Who Can Grow Quality Coffee? Specialty coffee at all stages of its growth, processing and storage must meet high requirements. Many countries that gained independence after the collapse of the colonial system faced an unpleasant phenomenon. When managers and professionals who specialized in the cultivation of coffee plantations and processing of beans left the country, the industry fell into decay. Young states include training programs for specialists in foreign countries in their agricultural projects: if the relevant farmers and industry leaders lack knowledge, then it is necessary to organize training. Associations interested in the development of the specialty industry seek to facilitate such learning.
Specialty lovers
Exclusive coffee has found recognition on different continents. In Australia, where its own coffee is grown in very small quantities, the coffee culture is highly developed. There is an interest in expensive coffee in Asia: in Japan, Korea and even China. According to forecasts, this trend will only intensify.
In the countries of South and Central America, coffee has been and remains the favorite drink of local residents for two centuries, it is not surprising that the use of high-quality coffee is a national tradition there.
European coffee shops have always been popular, and the love for the finest Arabica has only grown in recent decades. And in the United States, no matter how popular fast food and ordinary coffee is, the number of coffee shops specializing in the preparation of exclusive varieties is increasing.
Knowledge is necessary for everyone
The coffee world requires a certain level of consumer training, like the world of any quality product. It is worth figuring out which arabica is a specialty, and which coffee has excellent characteristics, although it does not have such a high status. At the same time, it is important not to spoil the good grain: you need the skills to properly prepare the drink. That is why the barista culture has received well-deserved recognition.
Decent quality coffee is not only specialty. There are many great brands (both 100% Arabica and blends) that find their true fans. In the coffeeynya.ua you can buy coffee made using the technologies of the best European companies. Quality grains that are classified as "commercial" are undoubtedly great pleasure. Not as strict a selection as in "specialty", but "specialty" is something beyond the usual framework: the number of grain defects in it tends to zero. Which, in fact, is unique.
