COFFEE NOTES MARCH/APRIL
Welcome to the March/April issue of Coffee Notes. This issue is all about exploration, from travelling across the Bean Belt, discovering what makes its conditions so perfect for coffee to grow, to rituals and traditions that surround the coffee world like ceremonies in Ethiopia and fortune telling in Turkey. We’ll also be taking a deeper dive into how different coffee processing methods affect the flavour of the final cup. As always, we’re here if you have any questions or want to talk through anything you’ve read here today: coffeepartners@uk.nestle.com
3-MIN READ
COFFEE & RITUALS Coffee belongs to everyone. Travel to any corner of the world and you’ll find a weird and wonderfully new way to drink it. For many individuals and cultures, it’s a ritual, a sacred moment where one can enjoy good company, enjoy a moment of solitude, even celebrate in ancient traditions. Getting a quick cup while rushing for the morning train can be as much of a ritual as any. To pay homage to the diverse nature of coffee, we’re bringing together a few worldwide coffee customs on how it is brewed, consumed, and enjoyed.
ETHIOPIA Ethiopia is home to a coffee ceremony called Buna Tetu, which translates to “come drink coffee” 1. A ceremony involves a whole community and an invitation to attend one is considered a mark of respect and friendship. These ceremonies can last for hours. Buna Tetu involves the preparation of burning incense and spreading colourful flowers and grasses across the floor. The host will hand wash coffee beans and grind them using a zenenena (large metal rod) before roasting them in a large pan over an open fire. Due to the nature of the grinding, when added to boiling water, the coffee will be strained multiple times before it’s considered servable. The eldest is always served first, out of respect and a symbolic connection between generations. The coffee is served with snacks such as roasted barley, peanuts and popcorn. It’s considered disrespectful to drink fewer than three cups, as according to tradition, a transformation of the spirit occurs between drinking the first and third, with the third cup bestowing a blessing 2 .
ITALY The coffee bar is a staple in Italian culture, every day is almost defined by its coffee rituals, whether that’s in the morning, afternoon, or evening. When coffee is consumed, it’s an event, it’s widely regarded that the main function of any Italian bar is to serve great coffee, although light lunches and snacks can be offered to compliment it. It’s the place to go in the morning to have a cappuccino with breakfast. It’s the place to go to have an espresso during a lunch break or evening meal. It’s the place to go whenever there is a coffee matter at hand (unless brewing coffee at home with the iconic Italian moka pot that is). Simplicity and experience are at the heart of the Italian coffee ritual. It’s tradition for coffee to be served in one size, with one blend, by one barista 3. Coffee isn’t made with takeaways in mind, but brewed to be sipped at and enjoyed in-house, only then to be left for obligations to be resumed. To fully appreciate the flavour of an Italian coffee, you’re encouraged to take a sip of water before to cleanse your palate, then mix/stir your coffee (whether you take sugar or not ) 4. There’s also a wholesome tradition throughout Italy, which started in Naples, of buying a ‘suspended’ coffee for a stranger to enjoy later, known as “Caffe Sospeso” 5. The way customers interact with baristas, the manner in which they lean against the counter, how they mix and sip their coffees; the workings within an Italian coffee bar is as much of an insight into Italian culture and history as a visit to see Michelangelo’s David, or a trip to The Colosseum.
TURKEY Turkish coffee is central to Turkish culture and is seen as a beacon of hospitality and friendship. An invitation is a sign that an ‘intimate talk’ or a sharing of ‘daily issues’ is needed. Coffee has such an influence on Turkish culture that it’s been muse to many poems, songs, rituals and paintings throughout history. The passing down of knowledge, skills and habits is done between members of a family through word of mouth, observation and participation 6. The coffee itself is freshly roasted and ground until the beans are a fine powder. The coffee is then added to cold water and sugar (if necessary) in a coffee pot known as a ‘cezve’ 7. It’s placed on a stove and brewed slowly, ensuring that a foam is formed on the surface. Guests are served the coffee in cups known as 'fincan', said to be more elaborate to honour one’s dignity, with a glass of water and Turkish delight. Once the coffee has been finished, it’s tradition for the cup to be turned upside down, and a wish be made, and when the cup is upside down on the saucer, apparent images are interpreted in the coffee cup during a fortune telling, which acts as part of the Turkish coffee tradition 8. Coffeehouses in Turkey are considered enriching places where individuals from different cultural, social, and economical backgrounds can come together to converse, debate political issues, display creative works, and play chess or backgammon. The Turkish coffee culture promotes respect for diversity and human creativity and offers a ‘fertile’ ground for human potential.
No matter where coffee is consumed, while the way it's brewed may differ, there’s always a sense of community around it, and a deeper sense of meaning behind it. Enriched in tradition and ritual, coffee is something that continues to be passed down throughout history, and is the vessel of inspiration, imagination, and belonging for generations. So, it’s worth paying homage to something that holds the hearts and minds of so many cultures around the world, and really does belong to everyone.
1
https://culturallyours.com/2019/10/12/traditional-ethiopian-coffee-ceremony/
2
https://www.neuroast.com/blogs/the-daily-roast/7-coffee-rituals-from-around-the-world
3
https://www.ditalia.com/blogs/the-secret-sauce/6-italian-coffee-culture-traditions
4
https://rossiwrites.com/italy/coffee-in-italy/italian-coffee-culture/
5
https://www.ditalia.com/blogs/the-secret-sauce/6-italian-coffee-culture-traditions
6
https://aregem.ktb.gov.tr/TR-132383/turkish-coffee-culture-and-tradition.html
7
https://www.lavazza.us/en_US/magazine/coffee-culture/coffee-hacks/turkish-or-cezve.html
8
https://aregem.ktb.gov.tr/TR-132383/turkish-coffee-culture-and-tradition.html
4-MIN READ
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A PROCESS MAKES Why do some coffees have notes of citrus fruits while others have notes of nuts and chocolate? Well, like wine and its grapes, tea and its leaves, coffee has its cherries. Coffee processing is the removal of layers from the cherry that surround its seed, the coffee bean, and how that cherry gets stripped down will directly affect how the resulting coffee tastes. We explore four unique coffee processing methods to explain the difference a method can make to your favourite brew. THE ANATOMY OF A COFFEE CHERRY
Outer Skin
Pulp
Mucilage
Bean/seed
WASHED PROCESSING
NATURAL PROCESSING
Characteristics::
Characteristics:
• Fresh and bright • High in acidity • Notes of blueberry, dark chocolate, pear, apple
• Full bodied, bold • Low in acidity • Notes of fruit, milk chocolate, cocoa powder
The washed process is known for producing the best clarity in flavour. It requires every layer of the cherry to be removed and is reliant on the coffee bean’s natural flavour gained during its growth. Because of this, environmental elements such as climate and terroir play a fundamental part in showcasing the coffee’s true flavour, as do the fermentation and drying periods.
Natural processing is the oldest method of processing and carries the most risk. It splits opinion, mostly as this kind of processing can bring inconsistent notes. Unlike washed processing, the coffee cherries are picked and left with the fruit and mucilage that surround the bean intact. This allows for the more natural sugars, sweetness, and fruity notes in the coffee cherry to ferment and merge with the coffee bean during drying.
1. Freshly harvested cherries are passed through a de-pulping machine to separate the layers from the seed. The beans are then separated by weight as they pass through the water channels. Lighter beans float to the top and are removed, while the heavier, more ripe beans sink to the bottom as they pass through a series of rotating drums.
2. Next is the fermentation phase, where the sticky mucilage that surrounds the coffee bean is removed. Time in the fermentation tanks can typically be between 12-36 hours, although this time can be played with to affect the end profile of the coffee.
3. After fermentation, the coffee is then washed with clean water before being dried on a surface, which can take between 1-2 weeks.
1. Once the coffee cherries are picked, the harvested cherries are sorted using flotation techniques before being taken to an area to dry. They’re then placed on a surface, usually either a patio, table, or raised bed and left to dry.
2. The next stage is what makes natural processing so hard, because it’s not only over fermentation that’s the only risk, but also the added risk of moulds, both of which cause defective flavours. To avoid this, the coffee is turned frequently, ensuring the maximum surface area is exposed to the air to facilitate an even drying.
3. When the coffee reaches a certain moisture level, the outer layers of the dried coffee cherry are removed by a de-pulping or hulling machine.
HONEY/PULPED NATURAL PROCESSING Characteristics: • Slightly sweet • Low in acidity • Notes of cherry, plum, almond, cashew, hazelnut This process sits in between natural and washed and showcases attributes common with both washed and natural processes.
1. The cherries are de-pulped as done so in the washed process, but the de-pulping machines are set to leave a specific amount of the sticky mucilage that surrounds the coffee bean.
2. The beans then go straight to the drying tables/patios to dry. As there is less flesh surrounding the beans, the risk of over-fermentation is lower than in the natural process, but the overriding sweetness and body in the cup is increased by the natural sugars in the mucilage still surrounding the bean.
3. Honey processed coffees are often referenced as the colours black, red, yellow and white “honeys”, which are a result of producers experimenting with leaving different amounts of mucilage on the coffee bean after the de-pulping stage. Black honeys have the most flesh left on the bean, while white honeys are left with only a bit of flesh, and the colour will affect the resulting flavour of the coffee, with black honeys more like naturals, while white honeys are like washed coffees.
MODERN PROCESSES ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION
CARBONIC MACERATION
Characteristics:
Characteristics:
• Creamy, silky texture • Complex and ‘wild’ acidity • Notes of cinnamon and flowers Anaerobic fermentation is like the washed process, but within the fermentation tanks there’s a complete absence of oxygen. This form of modern processing is increasingly popular in locations such as Honduras and Costa Rica in Central America. The “pushing” of substances from the juice and pulp into the beans using the high pressure in the tank is what makes this process particularly unique.
1. The picked cherries are thrown into a de-pulping machine.
2. The separated seeds are then placed into an airtight fermentation tank. The pulp and different layers of the fruit that were obtained separately from de-pulping are added and “pushed”.
3. The tank is then sealed shut and the oxygen is sucked out of it. The process takes around twenty hours. During this time, the pressure within the tank increases due to carbon dioxide being produced during the fermentation period. The various levels, temperature, and pH are meticulously measured. Any reaction must be stopped before alcohol is produced from the progressive fermentation.
• Bright and fruity • Cherry and red berries • Hints of bubble gum This is a process that originated in the wine industry. The biggest difference with this compared to the anaerobic process is that the cherries are fermented whole, and the process breaks down the layers of the coffee cherry from inside out. The wild flavours from the fruit’s flesh are soaked into the beans during the fermentation period.
1. The picked cherries are thrown whole into an airtight fermentation tank.
2. The tank is closed shut, and carbon dioxide is then injected into the tank which in turn, forces the oxygen out. The chemical reactions that take place are what gives the coffee its original, unusual taste.
3. After this fermentation period, beans can be processed using either the washed or dry method. Depending on the final method chosen, and the techniques and terroir at hand, its interesting taste characteristics can include various types of berry, cherries and/or even bubble gum.
4-MIN READ
THE BEAN BELT
25° N
Equator
30° S
Growing coffee requires very specific conditions, related to altitude, soil, and climate. Therefore, coffee is best grown within an area known as the ‘Bean Belt’. The Bean Belt is a strip around the world where coffee can grow. It lies between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator. The belt passes through more than 50 countries, which have tropical climates providing the perfect environment for growing coffee. All have moderately sunny days, enough rain and consistent temperatures year-round between 21-29°C.
CONDITIONS AND CLIMATES RAINFALL Coffee trees need moist, tropical climates that have both dry and wet seasons. For many coffee farmers, rainfall is their only source of water, so during the wet season, it provides the plants with the water that they need to survive before harvesting in the dry season.
TEMPERATURE AND SUNLIGHT Stable temperatures are needed throughout the year due to the coffee plant’s sensitivities to extreme cold and heat. Many plants struggle to cope with dramatic changes in temperature, needing a year-round temperature, ranging anywhere between 15-30°C. Certain coffee plant species also struggle with an excessive exposure to sunlight. To help combat this, farms in certain landscapes will use the added protection of forest trees to offer shade. Coffee that’s grown under shade discourages weed growth, provides protection from frost and increases the number of pollinators, which results in greater quantities of coffee cherry fruits. It takes longer to ripen, creating a more complex coffee as the natural fruit sugars have more time to develop 9. With coffee being grown across the equator, the origins that produce coffee are some of the hottest in the world and because of this, most coffee is grown at high altitudes where the climate is cooler and therefore more stable.
ALTITUDE Most of the world’s coffee is grown at altitudes between 3300-6600ft above sea level. The temperatures at these altitudes are much more consistent, which makes it perfect ground for growing the coffee plant. Altitude also lessens the chance of pests as fewer reside at such an elevation.
SOIL Soil is critical to a coffee plant’s survival as it provides the plant with nutrients that are not found in air or water. Coffee can grow in a range of soils, though the ideal types are particularly fertile. Many countries in the Bean Belt are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where there is volcanic activity that contributes to the richness of the soil that coffee plants thrive in 10. Soil needs to have the ability to drain well and its texture must be able to withstand the dry season where water is scarce. Many tropical or semi-tropical coffee-growing regions have more acidic soil, which is favourable when it comes to growing coffee.
ORIGINS AMERICAS Coffee grown in the Americas are known for their balance and level temperament, but because of the vast number of countries across the continent, the different climates and conditions, coffee beans grown here often possess different profiles, varying from berry, chocolate, nut, spice, even fruity notes.
AFRICA Coffee grown in Western Africa is primarily Robusta, whereas Eastern Africa typically grows Arabica. The overriding notes across Africa are known to have a vibrant acidity, with flavour notes of berry and citrus overtones and hints of spice, though each individual country will have its own slight variation of this, due to the ranging conditions across the continent from farm to farm.
ASIAS Coffees from this region have the most variety when it comes to flavour, with landscapes varying from mountain ranges in India to rainforests in Indonesia, though they’re most known for producing smooth dense and exotic characteristics with dark chocolate, earthy and nutty tones. They tend to have fuller bodies and leave a drier aftertaste.
9 10
http://www.coffeehabitat.com/2006/02/what_is_shade_g/ https://www.deathwishcoffee.com/blogs/news/what-is-the-coffee-belt
4-MIN READ
COFFEE AND DEFORESTATION At the heart of the coffee industry is its farmers, and as the climate changes, the demands and pressures on farmers intensify, with the whole industry feeling the ripple effects of what happens on those farms. For coffee to be considered sustainable; environmental, social and financial aspects must be met. The 2019 report by Britain’s Royal Botanic Gardens stated that 60% of all wild coffee species could disappear in the coming decades due to worsening climatic conditions 1. So, there’s never been a more crucial time to address the different issues facing the industry, with one of the largest environmental issues being deforestation. Coffee needs very specific conditions to grow, but with rising temperatures, drought and changing weather patterns, this is becoming increasingly difficult and causing major coffee-producing regions to become less suitable for growing the crop. A report by the Climate Institute showed that these effects of changing climate could cut the world’s suitable coffee-growing area in half 2 . One of the risks to rise from this is deforestation to expand the farms and since 60% of suitable land for growing coffee is already forested, and only 20% of that land is protected 3, the risk of such is very high. This isn’t to mention that there’s only so high a farmer can go before they run out of mountain to farm on.
So, what can be done in the industry to overcome this issue? CERTIFICATION One of the ways this has been tackled is certification. The 2018 Rainforest Alliance Impacts Report showed that certified producers perform better with regards to protecting natural ecosystems 4. Farmers that are certified [e.g. Rainforest Alliance], are trained to inherit good agricultural practices that help to prevent deforestation, such as restoring degraded lands, banning production in protected areas, planting shade trees and more. Certification often also requires GPS monitoring of production areas to ensure land is being protected and used properly, as well as to evaluate the producers’ impact. A study conducted in Ethiopia showed that the certification programme had a large effect on forest protection, decreasing the probability of deforestation by 1.7% points, and that certification provided a good incentive for farmers to protect forests 5.
TREE SHADE MANAGEMENT If a coffee is “shade-grown” it means that the farm features an array of native trees that create a canopy under which the coffee trees are grown and harvested. This system is known as agroforestry. Shade-grown coffee helps boost biodiversity, prevent soil erosion, and acts as a carbon sink. It also helps to lower temperatures, which is critical for coffee to grow and can protect the trees from extreme weather conditions 6. Sufficient spacing and choosing complimentary species that won’t compete for nutrients, water and light with the coffee plants is crucial for this kind of solution to work.
COFFEE HUSKS AND REFORESTATION Coffee husks are a ‘waste’ product from coffee. However, it has been discovered that coffee husks are anything but wasteful and can be utilised to great effect, especially in the reforestation process. They can be used as fuel instead of cutting down eucalyptus trees and can be used to dramatically speed up tropical forest recovery on postagricultural land 7. One limitation of using coffee husks is that its use is largely limited to flatter terrains and on accessible areas where materials can be delivered, though further studies are being conducted to discover its longer-term effects and how it tests on higher, less flat terrains 8. Reforestation – the replacing of old trees with new ones – is a great way to keep farms both healthy and productive. Starbucks® made an incredible pledge with Conservation International in 2015 to donate one tree for every bag of coffee sold in participating Starbucks®’ stores in the United States to farmers most impacted by coffee-rust. This initiative resulted in more than 6,200 farming families receiving new coffee trees helping to rehabilitate more than 2,500 hectares of farmland 9. For such projects to succeed long-term, avoiding unanticipated impacts on forest conservation and potential deterioration of water resources and biodiversity, farmers must agree not to plant the new coffee seedlings in natural forest areas and to maintain any existing native shade tree species, unless they compete significantly with the coffee trees.
SUSTAINABLE COFFEE CHALLENGE The Sustainable Coffee Challenge is a collective of companies, governments, NGOs, and research institutions aiming to “better understand the current area under coffee production and monitor how this is changing over time.” They want to develop a sophisticated toolkit that enables them to identify where coffee poses the highest risk of forest loss and the greatest opportunity for reforestation. With this, they’ll gain a thorough understanding of coffee production systems, their prevalence and how they are shifting, and monitor changes in coffee and forest cover in target landscapes 10. In monitoring coffee production in relation to forest cover, they can better understand its footprint and not only identify areas where coffee has an opportunity to contribute to reforestation, but also where it poses greatest risk for deforestation. Having a diverse group of members of this magnitude can only mean good things for the coffee industry and its commitments spread wider than deforestation, covering not just environmental, but social and financial aspects to make coffee more sustainable, the list of which can be found here.
1
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/partner-content-growing-a-sustainable-coffee-future
2
h ttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/29/climate-change-predicted-to-halve-coffee-growing-areathat-supports-120m-people
3
https://www.conservation.org/docs/default-source/publication-pdfs/ci-coffee-report.pdf
4
https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/resource-item/impacts-report-2018-impact-study/
5
https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijfh/v4-i1/2.pdf
6
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479713005483?via%3Dihub
7
https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/coffee-waste-can-supercharge-the-growth-of-new-forests/
8
h ttps://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/forests-on-caffeine-coffee-waste-can-boost-forestrecovery/#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20finds%20that,journal%20Ecological%20Solutions%20and%20Evidence.
9
https://www.conservation.org/stories/Starbucks-One-Tree-Conservation-International
10
https://www.sustaincoffee.org/forest-and-climate
Nestlé Coffee Partners offers a range of brands and solutions to suit your customers’ requirements. If you’d like to talk through any of what you’ve read and explore how we can help you leverage the insight we’ve shared this month, or if you’d simply like to catch up over a coffee, we’d love to hear from you. We’re available on +44 (0)203 124 1029 (Option 2) or at coffeepartners@uk.nestle.com.
