You’re sitting in the coffee shop, watching the barista expertly grind and press the coffee beans into powder, before putting it into the coffee machine for extraction. And slowly the fragrant coffee flows to the cup. This is surely a smooth transition, but have you ever thought about the process it takes to reach this stage?
From coffee beans to coffee cups; from planting, picking, processing, cup testing, roasting to grinding; and from the red fruit on the tree to the ‘black liquid’ in front of you, there are almost ten procedures to create a decent cup of coffee. And thanks to the hard work from coffee farmers, roasters and baristas, we are able to appreciate the flavourful heights of a coffee bean. The professionalism also minimises the wastage of water and coffee grounds, ultimately the impact to the world. Moreover, they raise public awareness on social issues like fair trade and overuse of insecticides, encourage ethical consumption and thereby promoting the entire coffee industry.
The Arabica beans used in fine coffee are very sensitive to climate and altitude, and its ideal growth temperature at18 to 21 degrees Celsius. Every bean, like everyone, needs a different cultivation method and condition such as soil, insecticides and more in order for them to thrive. The processing after harvesting is also a key procedure: washing, sun drying, honey-treatment, wet hulling and more, can easily alter the flavour of coffee beans. In the hands of the roasters, they then refer to the data provided and design the best flavour using their experience. And last but not least, the barista's professionalism and tongue are essential, as they adjust the grinder every day, and use different brewing utensils to present best cup of coffee to their guests.
And this, is the value of fine coffee.