Gourmet Coffee Shop

Thursday, December 08, 2005 -----

Gourmet Coffee

Gourmet, premium or specialty coffee as it is known, is coffee produced from only the best beans grown in ideal coffee-producing climates given the greatest care in the growing, harvesting, and roasting processes. Their distinct flavors are thought to be attributed to the unique characteristics of the soil in which the coffee trees grow. These specialty coffee farms are located in southern Central America and the northwestern side of South America. A coffee buyer from Ireland coined the term specialty coffee in 1974 and with the growth of coffee shops and coffee retailers in the 90's specialty coffee became one of the fastest growing food service markets in the world. In 2004 alone it is estimated to have made a net worth of over nine and a half billion dollars. That's a lot of people loving coffee!

So who decides what is and what is not specialty coffee? Well believe it or not trained professionals called 'cuppers' are the ones deciding this. They are looking at six characteristics: body, aftertaste, nose, fragrance, aroma, and taste. Taste is obvious it is simply the flavor of the coffee. Aroma is the smell of ground up beans after they have been run through water. Fragrance is the smell of the coffee beans after grinding. Nose deals with the vapors released by the coffee in your mouth. Aftertaste is the flavors and vapors left after swallowing the coffee. And body is the feel of the coffee when it is in your mouth. I don't know about you guys but sign me up for that job! Spending your days tasting all different kinds of wonderful coffee and getting paid. Have I died and gone to heaven? I think I have found my true calling in life. I'm going to become a cupper.

For free email and a discount on fresh roasted coffee visit JetBean.com

::  Posted by: JetBean  at 3:42 PM
  

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