ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Curiosity Stream How Has Coffee Shaped Our Lives? | Breakthrough
Coffee is more than just a morning pick-me-up; it is a significant part of American culture and a massive industry. The American coffee market is valued at $48 billion, with around 400 million cups consumed daily across various settings, from homes to workplaces.
In the United States, coffee production is limited to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and recently, California. Consequently, most coffee is imported, making up nearly 20% of global production. My role as a buyer for a Milwaukee-based coffee roaster has taken me across Latin America and Africa, including countries like Ethiopia and Tanzania, in search of specialty coffees that meet our company’s standards. Specialty coffee, a premium product, is now widely available in North America.
The taste of coffee is influenced by numerous factors, including weather, processing methods, and roasting techniques. Discovering unique coffee varieties is a rewarding experience, but business decisions ultimately focus on finding flavors that appeal to consumers. To evaluate coffee, we conduct a process called cupping, akin to wine tasting, which involves specific steps to assess a coffee’s character. Initially, we smell the dry fragrance and wet aroma, meticulously noting each fragrance.
During cupping, professional tasters slurp the coffee to aerate it, enhancing the flavor by allowing volatile molecules to escape. The concept of terroir, familiar in winemaking, also applies to coffee. The flavor is influenced by the growing region, including soil mineral content and the local microbiome, which affects the coffee bean’s unique flavors and aromas.
Coffee offers a diverse range of flavors, often depicted on a coffee tasters wheel, featuring notes like chocolate and fruit. These references help us understand the flavors without suggesting any additives are used during processing.
Building relationships with small-scale farmers and producers allows us to see how their decisions impact the final product. Coffee from the same region can taste different based on processing methods, which involve removing the layers surrounding the coffee seed.
Natural processing is a straightforward method that typically results in fruit-forward, full-bodied coffees. The cherries dry until they harden, after which they are milled to remove the dried skin and fruit. Washed coffees are depulped and fermented in water to remove the sticky mucilage before drying and milling. These coffees often have higher acidity and can exhibit fruit notes, especially citrus and floral.
While traditional practices guide processing decisions, some producers experiment with new methods, such as honey processing, where the sticky mucilage remains on the bean after depulping and is allowed to dry before milling.
Processing enhances the environment where coffee is grown, providing roasters with diverse flavors to work with. During roasting, proteins in the bean react with sugars, and each roaster has unique techniques. Light roasts retain more of the original bean’s distinct flavors, appealing to specialty coffee consumers seeking new options.
Next time you enjoy a cup of coffee, whether it’s a pour-over, espresso, or latte, take a moment to appreciate the complex journey and craftsmanship that goes into creating that flavorful brew.
Research the journey of coffee from farm to cup. Create a visual map or infographic that illustrates the steps involved in coffee production, from cultivation in countries like Ethiopia and Tanzania to roasting in the United States. Highlight key processes such as natural and washed processing methods.
Participate in a coffee cupping session to experience how professionals evaluate coffee flavors. Practice the steps of smelling the dry fragrance, wet aroma, and slurping to aerate the coffee. Document your observations and compare them with the coffee flavor wheel to identify different flavor notes.
Conduct an experiment by roasting coffee beans at different levels (light, medium, dark) and taste the resulting brews. Analyze how the roasting process affects the flavor profile of the coffee. Discuss your findings with peers and consider how roasting techniques can enhance or mask the bean’s natural flavors.
Organize a tasting session with coffees from different regions, such as Latin America and Africa. Explore how terroir influences the flavor and aroma of coffee. Compare the taste profiles and discuss the impact of soil, climate, and local microbiome on the coffee’s unique characteristics.
Reach out to a coffee buyer, roaster, or barista to learn about their experiences in the coffee industry. Prepare questions about their role, challenges, and insights into coffee production and flavor development. Share your interview findings with the class to gain a deeper understanding of the coffee industry’s complexities.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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It’s more than just something you need to get going in the morning, although that helps. The American coffee culture supports a $48 billion retail industry, with an estimated 400 million cups of coffee consumed each day, served at home, on the job, and on the go.
However, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and now California are the only American coffee-producing regions, so the overwhelming majority must be imported, accounting for almost 20% of the total world production. My coffee travels have taken me all over Latin America and Africa, including Ethiopia and Tanzania. As a buyer for a Milwaukee-based coffee roaster, I travel the world looking for coffees that fit the company’s specialty profile. Specialty coffee is a higher-end product that, at least in North America, has become very readily available.
What makes different coffees taste the way they do? The answer is complex and includes multiple factors along the supply chain, such as weather patterns, processing decisions, and roasting. There are many gems in various places, and we have the pleasure of discovering these coffees and choosing what we like to feature.
Finding unusual products can be rewarding, but ultimately, business decisions revolve around finding a buzzworthy beverage that coffee drinkers will enjoy. We conduct a cupping to evaluate the coffee. A cupping is a tasting ritual similar to a wine tasting, complete with prescribed procedures designed to get to the heart of a coffee’s character. Smelling the dry fragrance and the wet aroma are our first two steps during cupping, and fragrance notes are meticulously taken at each step.
When professional tasters do a cupping, they slurp the coffee to aerate it, allowing the volatile molecules to escape and enhance the flavor experience. The concept of terroir, used in winemaking to highlight regional environmental influences, also applies to coffee. The flavor of coffee is influenced by where it is grown, including the mineral content of the soil and the local microbiome, which digests the fruit surrounding the coffee bean and contributes to its unique flavors and aromas.
There’s a wide range of flavors and tastes that can be discovered in coffee, often represented on a coffee tasters wheel, which includes various flavor notes like chocolate and fruit. These references help us understand the flavors without implying that any additives are used during processing.
Making connections with small-scale farmers and coffee producers allows us to see how their decisions impact the final product. You can take coffee from the same place and process it in different ways, resulting in very different flavors in the cup. Processing refers to the methods used to remove the layers surrounding the coffee seed.
Natural processing is perhaps the simplest method, usually resulting in fruit-forward, full-bodied coffees. The cherries are left to dry until they turn dark and harden, after which they are milled to remove the dried skin and fruit. Washed coffees, on the other hand, are depulped first and then fermented in water to remove the sticky mucilage before being dried and milled.
Generally, washed coffees tend to have higher acidity and can pick up a lot of fruit notes, especially citrus and floral notes. While traditional practices often guide processing decisions, some producers experiment with new methods, such as honey processing, which refers to the sticky mucilage that remains on the bean after depulping and is allowed to dry before milling.
Processing can enhance the environment where coffee is grown, providing roasters with the raw materials and flavors to work with. During roasting, the proteins in the bean react with sugars, and every roaster has their own techniques. Light roasts tend to retain more of the original bean’s varied and distinct flavors, which may satisfy the growing interest in new options among specialty coffee consumers.
When you enjoy your next cup of coffee, whether it’s a pour-over, espresso, or latte, take a moment to appreciate all that goes into creating that seemingly deep black void full of flavor.
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This version maintains the core information while removing any informal language and extraneous details.
Coffee – A brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of berries from the Coffea plant, often studied for its economic impact and cultural significance. – The global coffee trade is a significant part of many countries’ economies, influencing both local and international markets.
Economics – The social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, focusing on how individuals, businesses, and governments allocate resources. – Understanding the principles of economics is crucial for analyzing market trends and making informed business decisions.
Culture – The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, or group, often influencing economic behaviors and market dynamics. – The coffee culture in many countries has evolved to include not just consumption but also social and economic activities centered around coffee shops.
Production – The process of creating goods and services, which in the context of coffee, involves growing, harvesting, and processing coffee beans. – Advances in sustainable production methods are essential for meeting the increasing global demand for coffee while minimizing environmental impact.
Flavors – The distinct tastes and aromas that are characteristic of different coffee varieties, influenced by factors such as origin, processing, and roasting techniques. – Coffee experts often conduct flavor profiling to determine the unique characteristics of different coffee beans.
Processing – The series of operations involved in the transformation of raw materials into finished products, such as the methods used to prepare coffee beans for roasting. – The processing method, whether washed or natural, significantly affects the final flavor profile of the coffee.
Farmers – Individuals or entities engaged in agriculture, particularly those who cultivate coffee plants, playing a crucial role in the coffee supply chain. – Coffee farmers face numerous challenges, including climate change and fluctuating market prices, which impact their livelihoods.
Roasting – The process of heating coffee beans to develop their flavor, aroma, and color, a critical step in coffee production that affects the final taste of the beverage. – Different roasting levels, from light to dark, can bring out various flavor notes in the coffee.
Market – A system or arena in which commercial dealings are conducted, particularly the global coffee market where supply and demand dynamics influence prices. – The coffee market is highly volatile, with prices affected by factors such as weather conditions and geopolitical events.
Consumption – The use of goods and services by households, a key economic indicator that reflects the demand for products like coffee. – Trends in coffee consumption can provide insights into consumer preferences and economic conditions.
