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Most people can agree that coffee is a gift from above and makes our day to day lives better. Whether we drink it for the heavenly taste or to stay alert, it is a welcome distraction from our busy lives. To prepare a good coffee, you have to take some serious consideration into account. Although it seems as simple as gathering the ingredients, putting it in the machine and pressing the button until the coffee has been appropriately mixed, in reality, it is much more complex and has a process that can considerably change the final result. Coffee lovers (among which I include myself) surely agree that it is challenging to find a place where you can have coffee that is precisely made the way you prefer it. Because when a good cup of coffee is in question, everyone takes it their way: some with milk, others prefer it black, some prefer it as a filter. On the different ways to drink it, there is nothing to say, but among the most common is the “classic” coffee, which is, also known as “Espresso.”
However, some coffee enthusiasts go for a different type altogether. Today’s article is a special treat for all the coffee dorks and enthusiasts as it deals with a particular topic related to coffee. To be more specific, we’ll be talking about specialty coffee
What is specialty coffee?
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Much is said about ‘special coffee,’ but while those in the production chain and the sector know this well, many consumers have no idea. The term ‘special coffee’ is attributed to Norwegian Erna Knutsen, an expert coffee roaster, who used it for the first time at the international coffee conference, held in Montreal (France) in 1978. This concept, as explained by the publication by Fernando Farfán Valencia, refers to geography and microclimates, which allow the production of coffee beans with unique flavor and particular characteristics that preserve their identity. The American Specialty Coffee Association (SCAA) defines the term ‘specialty coffee’ as “a coffee of good preparation, of a unique origin and distinctive flavor.”
So, how do we define special coffee? Well, in the broadest sense we describe this as the coffee that has fulfilled all the survival tests, found in the long journey from the tree to the cup. More specifically, we subject the raw material to tests under standards and methods that allow us to identify coffee that has been adequately taken care of. For example, although it is not possible to inspect the grain of each farm at the time of harvest or during processing, drying or shipping, it is possible to use the standards developed by the SCAA to make a representative judgment for the preparation of coffee. And qualify it by employing a standard cupping protocol, evaluating cup quality and discovering defects caused by bad practices that result in a loss of potential for coffee.
Specialty coffee in its green state is defined by the SCAA as coffee that is free of primary defects, that does not have any ungrounded pieces of appropriate size and has adequate drying, that presents a cup free of errors, of contamination and contains distinctive attributes that make it so enjoyable.
In easier words, this means that the coffee must be able to pass the aspects of qualification and tasting tests. The application and development of these standards, also promoted through the work of the Coffee Quality Institute, has helped define special coffee in its most primary or rustic form, but much work remains to be done in refining these standards and adding new ones to help preserve the potential that a coffee bean includes. Happy coffee drinking!
