Roasty Toasty

Coffee beans have to be cooked before they can be in your morning cup of joe. But did you know that there are different levels of coffee that all taste different? There is actually about 12 different roast levels and each of them come with their own distinct flavors.

I'm going to only focus on the three typical roast levels that are popular.

1. Light/Cinnamon
2. Medium/City
3. Dark/Italian/French

Credit - http://www.roberttimms.com/PurelyCoffee/
FromBeantoCup/tabid/89/Default.aspx

The photo above also includes the first stage that is not roasted, green level beans.

1. Light/Cinnamon roast coffee is the first stage of roasting. The flavor is very light but also very acidic as the acids haven't been cooked out of the beans yet. It also is still very hard, so it has a grain like flavor.

2. Medium/City roast coffee is the singular most popular roast in the US. Most coffee sold in packages in the grocery store. It's also known as a house roast. Still slightly acidic, but not overly so.

3. Dark/Italian/French roast is a darker roast. It is the lowest in acidic flavor and because it's a dark roast, there is a bittersweet taste. This is the second most popular roast in the US. French and Italian roasts are the most famous types of this bean.

Once a bean surpasses the dark level, it moves into espresso which is what you would get in lattes and the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Where does it all come from?

With so much coffee being consumed from around the world, where do all the pounds of coffee beans come from? The answer is...duh, duh, duh...the coffee belt! No, it's not a fashion accessory but a slice of the world where conditions are just right to grow coffee plants. There are about 65 different countries that are included in this area.

Credit: http://www.quickbrownfox.co.nz/
wp-content/uploads/coffee_belt.jpg

There are two main types of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. Some countries grow all Arabica, some only grow Robusta, and some grow both. There are two countries that product more than their share, which is Brazil and Vietnam. There is a distinct flavor difference between the two types although depending on the roast (which I will go over in another post), some people might not be able to tell. 

Arabica coffee is the most popular worldwide because it has such a light and aromatic flavor. It does have less caffeine. Arabica coffee berries are predominately grown in Brazil, which produces 45% of Arabica beans. Arabica beans also have a high acidity to them and can have floral, berry, or sweet notes.

Robusta is the other popular type of coffee plant. This one is not as popular as Arabica for drinking, but does make it's way into cups frequently. Robusta coffee beans are darker in flavor and are usually a little bitter and more grain-like. The main growing region for Robusta is Vietnam, which produces about 39% of Robusta beans.

Credit: http://www.agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/images/
plantation/coffee/coffee/coffee1.jpg

There are dozens of sub-categories of types of beans based on where the bean was grown and the change in flavor profiles. A couple of examples are Ethiopian Arabica or Sumatra Robusta. These sub-categories have a slightly similar taste, but different flavors.