Sunday, June 27, 2010

Coffee From Around the World

If you have made the investment in a new espresso maker chances are that you are past the days of grabbing the bucket of Folgers because their jingle is stuck in your head. You need a little education in coffee and how to choose the best blend and what different things to look for. Here is a quick lesson in coffee that will quickly teach you that yes, it is all black but it has as much variety as fine wine.

Locality play a big part in determining the types of coffee that find their way into local markets. For instance, the Seattle style of coffee is famous for being dark, well roasted and brooding. Consumers in the Midwest, Southwest and Southeast prefers lighter styles of roasting, highlighting any dominant coffee flavors first followed by a subtle well roasted flavor on the finish.

Geography is the main factor in determining what type of coffee you will be consuming. The bean is based on the local environment, elevation, weather, and types of soil. All of these factors intertwine to add the complexity of different areas.

Looking at a world map, look the world's major continents. These groupings will give you a good general idea of what coffee flavor-types come from which area. The first and most common area would be Central and South America Continents (light-body, high acidity, sweet flavor). The African continent (medium body, medium acidity, wild flavors) and famous for very strong coffee. Lastly the Asian-Indonesian-Pacific continent (Heavy body, low acidity, earthy flavors). So lets look a little closer.

CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA

These coffees exemplify coffee the way that most people have come to think of it, but recently seem to be moving away from. Lighter bodied coffees with higher acidity and sweet coffee flavors are typical from this region. These coffees are famous for being well balanced and easy to drink, but they often don't pack the punch of some others and the high acidity can give some people an upset stomach.

ASIA & SURROUNDING ISLAND

Heavy bodied, low acidity and earthy notes are the dominant characters of these hearty beans. Sumatran is the most common coffee from this region and it is common to roast it dark, creating a meaty concoction. New Guinea, Sulawesi and Java are other coffees from the area, which exhibit a lighter finish than Sumatran, but still have smooth and robust flavors.

AFRICAN/MIDDLE EASTERN

These coffees are seeked by many connoisseur who prize the variety and complexity of coffee from this region. This type of coffee brews up one of the most prized cups in the history of coffee, the Turkish coffee, which is strong syrupy, and defiantly an acquired taste.

As with fine wines, delectable chocolates and illegal cigars as well as many other olfactory pleasers, espresso offers a host of choices to reach the conclusion: the best experience possible. With such a variety and so much to enjoy experiment until you find what you like then experiment some more. Our taste tend to change and mature over time so don't get stuck with the same ole cup of Java.

Visit : Cuisinart EM-100 Espresso Maker

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