A Brief Overview of Gourmet Coffee

The word Gourmet is used to refer to the fancier grade, cut, or quality of many of the foods and beverages we consume. Gourmet foods and drinks have long been associated as the regular fare for the rich and famous who can afford the higher pricing that often accompanies many of these finer food and beverage versions. Coffee is a beverage that has been available in cheap, regular and gourmet versions for a long time and the consumption rate of coffee among people from around the world continues to increase every year. Gourmet coffee may have once only been served in the finest dining establishments and found being served mostly in the homes of the upper class, but gourmet coffee is widely available and affordable to a variety of people and is found in a variety of settings today.

Coffee is made from coffee beans which are found within the berries that develop and ripen on a number of smaller evergreen bush plant species known as the Coffea plant. After ripening, coffee berries are harvested, and then undergo a processing which also includes drying them. It is the coffee beans that remain after the processing and drying of the coffee berries. The beans are then roasted to various degrees which cause them to change physically and in the tastes they produce. Finally, the coffee beans are grinded down into a fine consistency that is commonly known as coffee grounds, and packaged and shipped to destinations around the world where consumers can buy and brew coffee grounds to make coffee in commercial, hospitality, institutional, and residential settings. Some people prefer to grind their own coffee beans before brewing them for coffee. Packaged coffee beans that have not been ground can be purchased in stores and ground using the grinding mills that are made available in most of the stores selling them, but also with grinding machines in the home.

The two most commercially grown species of the coffea plant that produce the coffee beans used to make the coffee that the world's population consumes, are Robusta and Arabica. Gourmet coffee is made from the top tier coffee beans from the arabica coffea plant. These top tier arabica coffea plants are typically grown at very high altitudes (above 3000ft) with ideal soil and climate conditions. The coffee beans produced have fuller flavors, are more aromatic, and have less caffeine in them than other varieties of coffee beans such as Robustas. The coffee beans of arabica coffea plants grown at lower altitudes are still noted among consumers as having richer flavors than the flavors produced by Robusta coffee beans, but it is only the top tier arabica coffee beans that are considered to be Gourmet, and thereby from which gourmet coffee is derived.

Coffee bean grounds and coffee beans that have not been grinded down need to be stored in air-tight containers and kept cool in order to protect them from losing their flavor. The containers that coffee is typically sold in are not the most ideal for storing coffee for a long period of time. When you arrive home after purchasing coffee grounds at the store, consider transferring the fresh coffee grounds to appropriate storage containers to extend its shelf life and full flavor.

Coffee can be brewed in many ways such as boiling, pressuring, and steeping. Most of us brew our coffee using automatic coffee brewing machines and percolators which use gravity to pull hot water through coffee grounds where the hot water mixed with the oils and essences of the coffee grounds empties into a liquid holding container below. Filters are used to keep coffee granules from being emptied into the carafe or liquid holding container from which the brewed coffee can then be served from because most people do not want to drink the coffee granules. Coffee granules can be very bitter once the flavor able oils and essences have been removed through the brewing process. Plants and flowers love coffee grounds though for anybody who is looking for a greener alternative of what to do with coffee grounds after brewing instead of just throwing them in the trash.

Of course, Gourmet coffee beans are only the beginning to creating a truly gourmet coffee experience for many gourmet coffee drinkers. Some people are quite content with drinking their gourmet coffee black, without adding anything like milk, creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavorings, to their coffee. While many others want to enhance their gourmet coffee and drinking experience with tasty additions like milk that is whipped into a froth, sweeteners, and mixing in other flavors like chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and mint, to name just a few. Big name coffee chains sell a wide variety of gourmet coffee with different tasty additions and flavors to appeal to gourmet coffee lovers. However, brewing gourmet coffee at home is usually much cheaper, and you can add what you want to your coffee to satisfy your refined, gourmet tastes.

History of the Coffee Bean

Whether you call it java, mud or a shot in the arm, an estimated 2 billion cups are consumed every day around the world - making coffee the most popular drink in the world. Coffee today is produced in over 50 countries and is the second most valuable export after oil. And to many of us - it's simply what we need to get us started in the morning.

Coffee is older than most people think - archaeological evidence suggests that humans were enjoying the taste of the coffee berry around a hundred thousand years ago. One legend has it that a goat herder in Ethiopia observed his goats eating coffee berries and he decided to taste them himself - noting the stimulating effect. Shepherds consumed the coffee by grounding the beans and mixing them with animal fat.

By around 600 AD, the coffee bean had made its way to what is now the country of Yemen, where it has been cultivated ever since. From 1000 AD, Arabian traders grew and cultivated the coffee bean on plantations - they called their new concoction qahwa meaning "that which prevents sleep". Arabia controlled the coffee trade for many centuries as they introduced a law that prohibited the exporting of beans that could germinate.

Despite this restriction, the coffee bean somehow found its way throughout the Middle East - to Persia (now Iran), Egypt and parts of Northern Africa. Coffee beans also found their way to the Mysore area of India - where descendants of those original plants flourished until the early 20th century. In many cases, the beans were literally smuggled out of Arabia.

At first, coffee was not enjoyed for its taste, but more as a supplement or source of nutrition. When the coffee bean found its way to Turkey, the Turks began to drink it for its flavor - frequently adding such things as cinnamon or anise. The Turks were also the first to roast the beans over fires and boil the crushed beans in water. And what is generally considered to be the world's first coffee shop was opened in Istanbul - known as Constantinople at the time - in the 15th century.

The Dutch were the first to transport and cultivate coffee beans on a commercial basis. With coffee beans smuggled out of Arabia, they established plantations in Ceylon and one of their colonies - Java. Today, Indonesia is the world's third largest producer of coffee.

The coffee bean was introduced to Europe during the 17th century. At one point, the was more popular than beveragetea in England and was used as an antidote to the widespread alcoholism of the time. Coffee houses sprang up in such places as Vienna, Paris and London, frequented by the wealthy and fashionable. The Austrians are credited with the practice of adding milk and sugar to coffee.

In France, Louis XIV built greenhouses to protect his precious coffee beans from frost. And in the New World, coffee was also a popular drink - the newly formed American colonies declared coffee to be the national drink. Not everybody approved; the Catholics declared coffee should be banned - despite the Pope confessing to being an avid coffee drinker.

Today, there are actually more than 60 varieties of coffee in the world, although the beans used for coffee are one of two types - Robusta and Arabica. Around 75% of coffee beans produced are Arabica and are cultivated in Brazil and Central America. Robusta beans produce a stronger blend of coffee and are cultivated in parts of Asia and Africa as well as Brazil.

Chances are high that your coffee beans come from Brazil, the world's largest producer of coffee. Brazil produces almost 30% of the world's coffee and also has some of the most advanced processing techniques in the world. In 2006, the gross value of coffee production in Brazil was almost 5 billion dollars and the industry employs several million workers.

Coffee isn't usually associated with Asia, but several Asian countries have started to cultivate the coffee bean. In recent years, Vietnam has become a large producer and some of the African coffee producing countries still produce excellent coffee - in particular Kenya and Tanzania

Some countries have also started to cultivate specialized coffee beans - Kenya produces a fruity coffee and Indonesia produces the Kopi Luwak - a coffee bean that has been passed through the digestive system of a civet. And Ethiopia - where the coffee bean was perhaps first discovered - is home to a bean that produces a coffee flavored with chocolate, ginger and orange.

So whether you prefer your coffee beans with milk, with sugar, strong or with no caffeine - take a moment and enjoy a cup of the world's most popular drink.

Africa Coffee Production Skyrockets

Africa has taken great pride and strides to improve their farming. They are finally seeing results in their coffee. Hoepfully they will see the same results in their food production. The gourmet coffee is a homerun.

This year’s coffee report calls for major production improvement and output record levels for African coffee producing countries. The African output will so far exceed expected output that it will also cause the world’s production to exceed expectant levels.

Still will the excess coffee the wholesale prices continue to increase. However as demand is not able to keep up with supply look for the coffee prices to plummet shortly. Also the quality of the African coffee is far less that its South American counterparts. Many consider Costa Rica, Brazil and Columbia to have the finest coffee in the world. The Africa coffee is not even close in terms of quantity or quality and much of the African coffee is a Robusta bean. The Latin America coffee countries only produce Arabica bean which is a far superior bean. The African coffees are also lacking in the production of certified organic coffee.

World coffee production in the current season will be greater than previously expected and will set a record, the Agriculture Department said today. In its weekly report on world agriculture, the FDA department put the global coffee crop at over 96 million bags, up 1.3 million from the previous forecast and over ten percent or approximately over 12 million bags above last year's crop.

Improved prospects in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, the leading coffee-growing countries were the main factor in the higher estimate, the report said. Despite large world coffee supplies, several major retailers have raised prices in recent months because of actions taken under the International Coffee Agreement to prop up prices.

Kenya and Nigeria commented that short term agriculture programs were finally taking effect and helping with production. Other cited factors included improved water, water supply and consistent water along with improved farming techniques and farming co-ops. The farming co-ops allowed farmers to share resources and best practices which allowed much improvement in production levels.

Tradition of Teatime

While most associate tea time with England, the practice of tea drinking actually began in France nearly twenty-two years before tea was even introduced in England. King Charles II, who ruled England in the seventeenth century, brought with him a Portuguese bride and a firm tea drinking tradition. As the king and queen were tea drinkers, a novelty in England at the time, the tradition immediately became popular among the wealthy.

Tea replaced ale as the official beverage in England in very short order. When Queen Anne, a successor to King Charles II, chose tea over ale for her morning drink, she set a new standard in all of England. Also during the eighteenth century, tea became the customary drink with an evening meal to satisfy the hunger and thirst of those working during the Industrial Revolution.

High Tea
High tea was introduced to England in the eighteenth century. Traditionally only two meals were eaten in most households - breakfast and dinner. Dinner was served late in the evening. However, when workers came home from the more industrialized labors, they were more than ready for a full serving of breads, meat, cheeses and such. These were served on a high table along with tea much like a dinner. Thus, the late afternoon meal was called high tea. Today, high tea is mistakenly identified as a formal tea in the afternoon along with pastries, but those delicacies would never have been found in a true high tea - they wouldn't be hearty enough.

Teatime
Anna Maria Stanhope, the Duchess of Bedford, is credited with having begun afternoon teatime. Once a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, Anne began to suffer a "sinking feeling" in her stomach around four o'clock in the afternoon as the noon meal had become skimpier. To help her make it from the noon meal to the late formal dinner, Anne first asked servants to sneak in a pot of tea and bread.

Later, as she became more comfortable with her late afternoon meal, Anne began asking friends to join her in her rooms at Belvoir Castle around five o'clock in the afternoon. She followed the traditional European tea service format and served a collection of small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, sweets and tea.

When she returned to London, the Duchess had enjoyed her summer treat so much that she continued the practice by inviting friends to visit for "tea and a walk in the fields." Other noblewoman soon took up the practice of serving a light afternoon meal and the true teatime was born.

Low Tea
Because the teatime of nobles is a more casual affair than the high tea of workers, it was termed "low tea." This is because the tea and delicacies were served from low tables such as a coffee or end table rather than on a high dining table. Low tea was regularly enjoyed by the wealthy for centuries. Dinner was served late in the evening and was a truly formal affair. Today, many of the fine tea houses in North America serving "high tea" are in fact serving in the authentic style of "low tea."

Teas and Soirees History

So long as there has been tea, there have been tea "events." Thousands of years ago, the Chinese monk Lu Yu gave form and structure to Chinese tea preparation and drinking. This was just the beginning of the formality of tea.

Japanese Tea Ceremonies
In Japan, tea was introduced around 800 AD. Buddhist Priest Yeisei brought the beverage to the country, and had seen the benefits of a tea ceremony on religious ceremonies and activities including meditation. Thanks to his influence, tea spread rapidly through monasteries and royalty. Soon, drinking tea was elevated to a true art form still used today.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a formalized preparation and serving of tea. To perform the tea ceremony in Japan, one must have years of training to achieve the right level of grace, charm and manners. Over the years, the official hostesses of Japan, the geisha, became specialize in the tea ceremony. Tea houses opened as well to host the events.

Tea Gardens
As tea circumnavigated the globe, tea gardens opened in Europe. The Portuguese introduced tea to the Dutch, and through trade, the Dutch brought the tea to France, Holland and the Baltic countries. First a privilege only the wealthy could afford, tea eventually became a common drink in taverns served on garden tables. The tea garden was introduced.

Afternoon Tea
Tea made its way to England in the 1650s. It wasn't long after that the Duchess of Bedford, much enamored with tea, introduced the country to a third meal. Prior to tea time, only breakfast and dinner had been served. The Duchess invited friends over in the afternoons for tea time and a walk. The concept caught on quickly and soon many of the noblewomen had adopted tea time.

Tea was served in a sterling tea service and poured in to fine porcelain from China. As tea became less expensive, tea time was adopted among all levels of society. Nobles enjoyed "low tea" which was tea served with delicacies while peasants and others enjoyed "high tea" which included a full meal along with tea. Tea gardens soon followed which were the first public area where mixing social classes was considered acceptable.

Tea Rooms and Tea Dances
During the Victorian era, tea was served in many of the finest establishments in both England and America. These tea rooms, often contained within fine hotels or other buildings, were frequented by ladies and their gentlemen as a means to visit acceptably during the afternoon.

By 1910, dancing had become the craze in America, and rather than simply serving tea in the afternoons, tea dances were held in tea rooms and other locations so that young people could meet, converse, enjoy tea and, of course, dance! Today, there are many fine tea rooms offering tea services although dances are not common. Tea time is still very much observed in both North America and the UK, although it is observed more universally in the UK. Tea parties and afternoon teas are still held for special occasions such as baby or wedding showers, birthday parties and other feminine gathering.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

In Japan, serving tea has been elevated to a style of ceremony that takes years to perfect. The Japanese tea ceremony dates back hundreds of years. Over the years, the tea ceremony has come to include four principles that are still at the heart of the ceremony today. Harmony, respect, purity and tranquility are all essential parts of the customary and elaborate tea ceremony performed today both in Japan and around the world.

Elements of the Tea Ceremony
The tea ceremony is an ritualized serving of matcha, or powdered green tea, to guests. There are three primary schools when it comes to the ceremony, each with their own rituals and elements. The most common ceremonies are the Omotesenke and Urasenke, with the Urasenke being performed most often, particularly outside of Japan.

The ceremony is formal, so the attire of the host and guests should be formal as well. The host or hostess should be garbed in an authentic kimono and guests should be wearing a kimono or formal wear. Guests to a tea ceremony must be knowledgeable about the rituals and customs the ceremony includes as to participate properly.

Tea Ceremony Locations
The location of a tea ceremony varies. The ceremony might be held outside or inside. In an outside ceremony seating is provided for guests and the ceremony often is drawn out. The more important the guests, the more likely the ceremony will be held inside. Tea ceremonies can be held inside a tea room or a full tea house. A tea room will be part of an existing home or building while a tea house is a separate structure often designed with well-tended gardens.

In a ceremony held in a tea house, the guests wait in the garden until called into the house by the host. Upon entering the house, guests purify themselves by washing their hands and rinsing their mouths. Shoes are removed and guests are seating in order of importance.

The Ceremony
Once guests are seated, the host builds a charcoal fire in a prescribed way to heat the water to make the tea. A meal may be served or if no meal, light sweets are enjoyed by guests. When the tea is prepared, the guest may come forward to take the bowl or the bowl will be brought to the most prestigious guest. Conversation is minimal as the guests should be enjoying the stillness and the sounds and smells of incense and the tea as well as the simplistic decorations of the house.

The host and guest will bow before the guest rotates the bowl slightly to avoid drinking from the front and takes a sip. He bows, raises the bowl as a sign of respect and speaks a prescribed message. The guest takes a few more sips, wipes the rim clean, rotates the bowl back to the original position and passes it to the next guest.

Each guest repeats the procedure until the bowl is returned to the host. Ordinarily a thick tea is served formally followed by a thin tea. The thin tea is served in the same fashion, but the atmosphere is decidedly more casual.

Following the tea, the host will clean the utensils used to create the tea in a customary way. The guest of honor will ask the host if he was view the utensils. The items used in the ceremony are passed around the guests who praise them lavishly and items are handled with a piece of brocade cloth. The guests are extremely careful as many ceremonious items are priceless antiques.

Finally, the items are replaced and guests leave the house. The host bows at the door and the ceremony is complete. A full ceremony complete with meal and many guests can take up to four hours.

Clipper Ships & The American Tea Trade; American Tea Inventions; Favorite Tea Books

Clipper Ships and the American Tea Trade

By the 1850s, American clipper ships were importing tea directly from China. In the wake of the British East India Company’s downfall and the repeal of the Navigation Acts, which dictated that all tea must be shipped directly from England to colonist ports, clipper ships became the preferred method for transporting tea. Built for speed, these graceful and sleek vessels with three masts easily outpaced trading ships. British and Americans clippers raced back and forth between China and their home ports, carrying the best teas for auction.

American Tea Inventions

During the 19th century, tea drinking played an important role in social life—from tea parties to afternoon tea—in both England and America. New tea traditions began to develop in America as the beverage’s popularity grew.

The Tea Bag The original tea bags were hand-made, hand-stitched muslin or silk bags. Patents for tea bags exist as early as 1903 (see sketch at right). However, Thomas Sullivan, a tea merchant from New York, is often credited with creating the first commercially successful tea bag concept. He created the pouches to send samples of tea to commercial customers, and they were a big hit. Iced Tea Iced tea originated in 1904 at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. A tea merchant and plantation owner from abroad had intended to provide visitors with free hot tea samples. Due to the unusually hot weather, it was not a big hit.

The schematic for an early tea bag, or “tea leaf holder.”

To promote sales, he asked a nearby ice cream vendor for some ice. The American iced tea tradition was born when he dumped the ice into the hot brewed tea.

Tea is the world’s most popular beverage, after water. In the United States, it is fifth in popularity, following water, coffee, soft drinks and juice; although, as so many foods have evolved, it is bottled iced tea sales that make up about 80% of the U.S. tea market. Despite the growing interest in fine tea, grab-and-go bottled tea is likely to remain on top.

Sources: Answers.com, MightyLeaf.com, Wikipedia, Kendra Wilhelm

Favorite Tea Books: Steep Like A Pro

The Tea Companion—A Connoisseur’s Guide: An authoritative guide to understanding, purchasing and serving fine tea. Click here for more information.	The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea: Capture the essence of a traditional British tea. Click here for more information.	Let’s Have A Tea Party: Surprise a young dame with a tea party primer. Click here for more information.

Tea Is Served

Modern Teapot: Bring your tea into the 21st century with this modern teapot. Click here for more information.	Stainless Steel Teaspoons: An elegant way to stir and sip your tea. Click here for more information.	Beaker Teacups: These classic-modern beaker style teacups add an edge to this historic beverage. Click here for more information.