Ethiopian Harrar coffee is a perfect robust blend with a fruity aftertaste

Imagine a coffee blend that is rich in flavor yet has an essence of fruit after each sip.  That is what you will find with Ethiopia’s Harrar coffee beans, a special plant grown in the Harrar region of the small country.

The distinct coffee is part of the arabica family, which takes longer to reach full growth maturity at around seven years.  This is what gives the Harrar blend such a robust, mocha taste.  The plants are grown at a high range of about 4300 feet.  The beans are roasted through a dry process and sorted by hand, making each cup unique.

There are several types of Harrar coffee beans that produced in Ethiopia.  First is the peaberry or mocha type, often used for espresso drinks.  Second is the shortberry, which is smallest in size and great for ground or espresso coffee.  Last is the large, longberry type best used in ground coffee.

The Ethiopian Harrar bean is a rare find, as it is grown on small farms in only three regions of the eastern part of the country.  Favorite coffee shops that brew this special blend include Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee.  Beans are also sold online through specialty retailers.

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The Fair Trade organic coffee industry is increasing, which is great news for farmers

Producers of coffee need to take notice of a growing demand for Fair Trade organic beans.  In 2009 alone the market sales were at 1.4 billion dollars, which blows away the standard coffee competition.

This is evidenced in the last four years where organic coffee demand has increased by 21 percent on average, compared to only one percent for regular coffee.  That is a substantial difference and is expected to continue to rise.

Organic coffee is popular for several reasons.  First, it’s healthier.  The beans do not contain harmful chemicals or pesticides.  Second, it’s great for the environment because growers use responsible practices that actually replenish the soil.  And third, it helps support small organic coffee growers, especially in third world countries, and their prospective economies.

There are around 40 countries that currently produce organic coffee, all of which are accountable to the Organic Trade Association and that guarantees to consumers that the coffee is one hundred percent organic.  These countries include Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, North America, Bolivia, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.  The OTA was formed in 1975 in North America and has around 1,400 members today.

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Trung Nguyen Coffee is a popular Vietnamese blend of Robusta beans

If you have ever tasted instant or freeze dried coffee, chances are it has been made from the Robusta coffee bean, which is primarily found in South Africa.  Southeast Asia is also a top producer of the easy to grow plant, with Vietnam being the second exporter in the world next to Brazil, which holds the number one spot.

The Robusta bean is considered a lesser blend of coffee than the Arabica bean, which takes four to five years to harvest compared to two to three years for Robusta.  If you are not a coffee connoisseur and prefer to stick to a budget, then the latter blend is what you will find in grocery stores and coffee cans.  One can also enjoy higher caffeine content in the Robusta coffee.

Over the last few years Vietnam is steadily increased its exports of Robusta coffee, producing around 1.17 million tons each year.  Coffee plantations are prolific in the small country, which exploded in growth after a decline during the Vietnam War.

It was the French who originally brought the Robusta plant to the country in 1857 and the Vietnamese have had a love affair with it ever since.  Some popular drinks include Vietnamese Iced Coffee, which is a rich combination of sweetened condensed milk and Robusta coffee and Trung Nguyen coffee, commonly prepared in a coffee press.

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Turkish Coffee

Until 1554 to 1555 coffeehouses did not exist nor did coffee for that matter.  In the city of Constantinople a man by the name of Hakam from Aleppo and a woman by the name of Sems from Damascus came to the city and started the craze, so it is said, of Turkish Coffee.  The Turkish word for breakfast , kahvalti means before coffee.

One of the best things about Turkish Coffee, besides the thick sweet end result, is the vessel it is made in.  They are ornate and beautiful and referred to as kanaka.  Typically the way it is made is with any kind of finely ground coffee, cardamom, cold water and sugar. 

You’ll  need a pot which is usually copper with a wooden handle and a teaspoon to stir and measure with.  In the old country it was made on a wood fire or a tray filled with sand placed on the fire.  When the sand was hot the coffee pot was placed in the sand for better heat transference.

Using sand could get messy in the house so we’ll avoid that step.  For each cup of coffee add one to two teaspoons of sugar.  In Turkey there are four stages of sweetness; sade meaning no sugar, az sekerli little sugar or half a teaspoon, orta sekerli medium or one teaspoon, and cok sekerli a lot of sugar or one and a half or two teaspoons. 

Place the coffee, water and sugar into a pot, stir them slowly and bring to a boil on medium high heat to extract the flavor and then don’t stir anymore.  Just as the coffee comes to a boil remove from the heat.  Keep off the heat for a short time and repeat the boil two more times.  Getting a thick layer of foam is the desired effect and considered an art.  Pour slowly and lift the pot high as the pouring continues, it’s the dramatic ritual that makes the coffee all the more enjoyable. 

The coffee is served with a chocolate stick and a glass of cold water to freshen the taste buds. The thick sludge at the bottom of cup is not drunk; this is where the fortune-telling comes in.  The cup is turned over into the saucer to cool and then the patterns of the grounds are read.

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Coffee Beans

 Soils enriched by volcanic ash making them slightly acidic, rich in organic matter provide the ideal growing conditions for Costa Rican Coffee.  Coffee plants thrive in the climate and soil of Costa Rica, the root systems can easily spread and the humidity is retained facilitating oxygenation.

Seventy percent of the country’s coffee is produced in the mountains at altitudes from 3,000 to 5,500 feet above sea level in temperatures ranging from 63 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit.  Sunlight is reliable and precipitation conditions are perfect.  These conditions make for a high-quality and reliable coffee crop.  Costa Rica is the only country banning the production of any coffee other than Arabica.

It is said that coffee was brought to Costa Rica during the 1800’s and that father Felix Velarde was the first Costa Rican coffee grower recorded in 1816.  He bequeathed the seeds to his neighbors and in 1820 100 pounds of coffee were exported to Panama, the first recorded export.

With export flourishing influences of Europe became commonplace in Costa Rica, life revolved around harvesting and trade with the Europeans who brought railroads, printing presses, postal service, the first university, and the National Theater.  Designed after the Paris Opera House it is one of the regions greatest architectural treasures located in the capital of San Jose.  It was financed from coffee taxes. 

Through the 19^th century coffee export grew and this crop became an important part of life to the people of Costa Rica.  Per capita consumption of coffee is the highest of all coffee-producing countries in the world.

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African Coffee Art

January 26, 2010 – This limited release blend comes from Eastern Africa grown by specially trained farmers, trained by Peet’s coffee buyers.  It will be available in stores from February 15 through March 31 in its initial introduction to the market.   Peet’s Uzuri African Blend will then become a part of their regular offering starting March 3 at Peet’s Cafes.

In Swahili Uzuri translates to mean excellent or beautiful and was the name chosen by the farmers who grow the beans.  The beans come from farms in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania and are considered some of the finest in the world.

In this region of Africa the farmers live in extreme poverty, they typically earn less than $2.00 a day.  Through the non-profit TechnoServe Coffee Initiative and Peet’s working together trained farmer’s in these countries can generate higher incomes.  Peet’s is very proud of the sustainable industry they are a part of which offers an estimated 30 percent more to the farmers for their crops.

Uzuri’s flavor is bold, smooth, and aromatic with undertones of dark berry and will be available in 12 ounce bags at supermarket chains and in Peet’s coffee houses.   It’s been eight years since Peet’s has added a new blend to their line, sounds delicious.

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