In General Post

I think that one of the first things that people should learn, provided that they have an interest in knowing more about coffee, is where their coffee comes from, and what to look for when ordering it. Understanding the difference between single-origin and blends is a good starting point.

First, let’s take a step back and understand coffee as a plant. Coffee is one of the most complex foods that we consume every day. It has more flavor molecules than red wine. It is produced from its trees’ red fruits or “cherries”. The cherries contain two seeds or “beans”. Coffee is only grown within the tropics and its fruit is annual, taking 9 months to ripen.

So, picture this coffee plant, whose berry ripens once per year. Due to the botanical characteristics of the coffee tree and the fact that coffee is often grown in mountainous areas, widespread use of mechanical harvesters is not possible and the ripe coffee cherries are usually picked by hand, a labour-intensive and difficult process. The cherries must be harvested regularly or they will become over-ripe within 10 to 14 days.

A good picker can harvest 100-200 lbs of coffee cherry a day, which will produce 20 to 40 pounds of coffee beans. The best coffees are selectively picked, meaning only the ripe cherries are harvested and they are picked individually by hand. Pickers rotate among the trees every 8-10 days, choosing only the cherries which are at the peak of ripeness. The inferior method is strip picking where the entire crop is harvested at one time with all of the cherries taken off of the branch, regardless of how ripe they are.

Similar to wine, coffee is either marketed based on its territory of origin (single-origin) or as a blend of different territories. Single-origin coffees are traceable back to the farm where it was grown. They typically have distinct, delicate and subtle flavor notes. They are labeled to inform you not only of the country, e.g. Ethiopia and region, e.g. Yirgacheffe, but also of the farm itself, the growing conditions and processing method (how the pulp is removed from the beans).

As a gross over-generalization, different growing regions, or origins, produce different tasting notes. In general:
Indonesia is generally known for their heavier body and lighter acidity
Africa (the birthplace of coffee) produces bright, lighter coffee
Central/South America is home to sweeter, medium bodies

High quality blends will convey where they are from, ideally down to the farm level. These blends are done with the intent of enhancing a pair (or more) single-origins, such as the classic Moka-Java blend. Many espresso blends are created to form a well-rounded flavor profile.

Inferior blends are intended to homogenize its beans’ distinct notes. They allow for coffees to be marketed as something consistent, e.g. French Roast, even when the beans within the coffee are changing. This is relevant in larger coffee operations, be it a Maxwell House or a Starbucks. Their consumers seek consistency of flavor above all, even if it means sacrificing quality, but no farm is large enough to supply the coffee needed by itself. By combining coffee from multiple farms, the distinct notes are then erased.

Once again, this isn’t rocket science. The same concept is used in wine, whiskey or even milk. The more you mix different growing regions, the more the product becomes a homogenous blend whose taste is generally acceptable but offers no distinct notes.

So the next time you’re shopping for coffee, be it in a cafe or market for whole beans, see if you can delineate whether it’s a single-origin or blend, and where the coffee came from. If you cannot identify the farm or collective responsible for growing it, chances are it isn’t part of the 5% that would qualify as Specialty Coffee.