What kind of elite coffee is it?

Coffee varieties: names and their characteristics

Coffee is an invigorating, tonic strong drink made from the fruits of the coffee tree.
The first samples of this drink belong to ancient monks who found wild berries on one of the bushes. Over time, the monks noticed that brewed coffee beans helped eliminate drowsiness, which was attractive for night prayers. What is a coffee drink? This is a large number of different ingredients added to classic black coffee that create amazing cocktails for every taste. In the modern world, everyone can try absolutely any type - natural espresso or aromatic latte, a less strong Americano or a delightfully aromatic lungo.

Coffee varieties: varieties and characteristics

The list of popular blends includes more than 50 items, but they are based on only three varieties: Robusta, Arabica, Liberica. One blend of coffee beans may contain pure Arabica from different cultivation regions, additions of strong Robusta, or a small percentage of aromatic Liberica. Read more about growing methods and characteristics here.

Taste and aroma properties may vary depending on climatic conditions, roasting methods, and types of grain.

The most common coffee variety is Arabica Australia Skyberry from Australia. Arabica beans are known and in demand all over the world; gourmets appreciate its deep aroma with a pronounced sour taste.

The mocha variety from Yemen deserves special attention. It is these lands that are considered the first distributors of grains. Next we will talk about how many types of coffee there are, their cost and what roasting methods there are.

By type of coffee beans

The size of the coffee beans, which are described by the manufacturer on the product packaging, takes part in determining the type of coffee. As a rule, grain sizes are divided into: large, medium and small. The smaller the grain size, the worse its quality.

The abundance of coffee drinks allows you to experiment with interesting blends of Arabica and Robusta. Natural coffee beans can be combined with almost any spices (including chili pepper), sweet additives, and fruits.

Coffee varieties (varieties)

If people are a little familiar with types of coffee, if only because they constantly talk about 100% Arabica coffee from the TV screen, then with varieties (varieties) it is more difficult. What many people think of as coffee varieties is not what they need. Most likely, when 95 out of 100 Internet users type the query “the most popular coffee varieties” into a search engine, they want to find either specific coffee brands or producing countries: Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, etc. Both judgments are incorrect. Varieties, or rather varieties of coffee, are new varieties of the coffee tree, the evolution of a specific type of coffee. If we draw a funny analogy of the genealogy of coffee with a person, then the type of coffee is the mother, the type of coffee is the daughter, and the variety (variety) of coffee is the granddaughter.

I hope we didn’t confuse you, because I want to continue with this analogy. Next, imagine that one daughter (Arabica) has the most children, the most famous of which are: Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Maragogype, Moca and Blue Mountain. And if you are interested in finding out why Arabica has the most children, then our article about it will help you, where we also described in detail the most popular varieties of Arabica. And if you don’t want to bother and just choose delicious coffee, then you can do this in our coffee catalog using a convenient filter. See you soon.

The best coffees

Popular varieties include not only elite coffee varieties.
Different methods of growing, cooking, and roasting lead to the appearance of completely new flavors. All types of blends are created in special laboratories with quality control. The best varieties include:

1. Colombian - grows on the mountain slopes of the Andes, which have the ideal humidity and amount of sunlight for the plant;
2. Ethiopian coffee, where the daily harvest reaches 240 thousand tons (the country provides approximately 30% of the world's Arabica trade turnover);
3. Brazilian, which brings in most of the country's income;
4. Indian, ranking sixth in the ranking of world production (more than 400 thousand hectares are occupied by coffee plantations);
5. Indonesian, Mexican, Yemeni species.

The list gives a rough idea of ​​the countries that make up the majority of the coffee market. However, real coffee lovers are sure: lesser-known brands from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and other countries also supply products of decent quality.

What are the different types of coffee based on roast level? There are three main methods: light, medium, dark (strong). But on the packaging you can find a description of the product with the name “Venetian” or “Italian” roasting. In the latter case, the shade of the grains changes almost to black, with it you will get a strong, thick drink (cooking with cream or milk is recommended).

Elite coffees

High-quality coffee beans cannot be cheap - true admirers of natural drinks know this. The market has formed a rating of the best manufacturers who care about the high quality of all types of grains and packaging for their storage:

• large Arabica Maragogype from South America (also grown in Nicaragua and Mexico);
• Guatemala Lagos Shb is spicy in taste with an interesting smoky aroma;
• Bourbon Arabica El Salvador Chalatenango with a soft almond hue;
• the purest Sidamo Mocha from Ethiopia (followed by the fragrant Irgochif);
• the most expensive Kopi Luwak in the world from Yemen, processed in a specific way.

Hot “five”: the most expensive coffee in the world

In the world there is not just expensive, but very expensive and unique coffee that can surprise you to the core. Perhaps not even everyone will risk trying such exotic things. To be fair, we note that not everyone can afford this pleasure.

This exclusive coffee costs an indecent amount of money, but the kicker is that the most expensive coffee is obtained from animal excrement.

Representatives of exotic fauna help obtain elite coffee:

• elephants;
• civets;
• lemurs;
• musangs;
• civets;
• the bats;
• monkey.

It is their droppings that are the source of elite varieties, the cost of 1 kg of which can reach 1,500 euros (more than 98 thousand rubles). The price of a cup of such a drink in Europe starts from 50 euros (more than 3,775 rubles), and in the largest cities of the world, such as Tokyo, Singapore, New York, the usual price tag for such coffee is 100 dollars (6,550 rubles).

Steps to turn poop into coffee:

• collecting droppings from animals that feed on coffee berries;
• drying waste;
• leaching of grains from excrement;
• drying the “pearls”;
• roasting

And all this is done manually, which, of course, affects pricing. Under the influence of enzymes in the digestive tract of animals, coffee berries are broken down into proteins, fats and carbohydrates. After splitting, the composition of the substances changes and the bitterness disappears. The fermentation process inside the stomach of our smaller friends has a beneficial effect on the taste of the drink, giving it subtle notes of flowers, fruits, and plants that were eaten by animals - workers of coffee farms.

The lop-eared giant with a trunk must eat approximately 35 kg of coffee beans to obtain 1 kg of Black Ivory coffee. In some countries, palm civets, musangs, which are distant relatives of the Rikki-Tikki-Tavi mongoose, take part in the process. Locals call them “luwak” (or “luwak”). They are the main link in the production process of elite coffee with caramel shades with chocolate notes and an elusive aroma of the jungle. One musang eats 1 kg of coffee beans per day, of which only 50 g remain undigested and go into further processing.

The lion's share of Luwak goes to Japan each year, where the people there are enthusiastic and devoted fans of the variety. When visiting Japan, you should definitely drink a cup of exclusive Luwak coffee.

So, it’s time to talk about the most cherished, the five most expensive types of invigorating drink. Go!

5th place. Hacienda La Esmeralda (“Hacienda La Esmeralda”, or “Mountain Charm”)

Price 1 kg - 125 dollars (8155 rubles).

The variety is produced in Panama. The plantations are located high in the Baru Mountains, where the volcanic soil gives the coffee its distinctive taste. The peculiarity of cultivation is that coffee trees are always in the shade of spreading guavas.

Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee plantations are located in the Baru Mountains (Panama)

4th place. Blue Mountain - king from Jamaica

The price of 1 kg is about 1000 dollars (65.55 thousand rubles).

The variety has a second name - “Royal”. Produced exclusively in Jamaica. There are only a few plantations on the island where Blue Mountain is cultivated. Japan buys 90% of the coffee grown. The remaining 10% is sent to France and England. Blue Mountain was the favorite variety of the legendary John Lennon and writer Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels.

John Lennon's favorite coffee

3rd place. Kopi Luwak - coffee made from musang dung

The price of 1 kg reaches $1,200 (78,339 rubles).

The approximate cost of one cup is 70–90 dollars (or 5–6 thousand rubles). The variety is produced in several countries:

• Vietnam;
• Indonesia;
• Philippines;
• South India.

The famous Kopi Luwak and musang - the animal thanks to which coffee is famous for its taste

2nd place. Black Ivory (“Black Ivory”, or “Black Tusk”) - a drink made from elephant dung

The price of 1 kg is over 1100 dollars (more than 72 thousand rubles).

The cost of one cup reaches 50 dollars (more than 3 thousand rubles).

Thailand is the birthplace of the Black Tusk variety. During the production process, coffee beans are fed to giants with a trunk, and then their droppings are used to produce coffee with an unusually smooth taste, with a refined fruity undertone.

The high cost is due to factors:

1. small amount of coffee “at the exit”;
2. high costs of keeping an elephant

"Black Ivory" has a unique chocolate-floral taste with notes of nuts, milk and even... elderberry

1 place. Terra Nera (“Terra Nera”) - from the feces of palm civets

The price of 1 kg is more than 20 thousand dollars (1.5 million rubles).

No one will argue that the price of this brand of coffee is sensational! It is produced in only one place on the globe - in the southeast of the Andean Cordillera, on the land of the Quechua people. The animals, palm civets resembling cats, feast on 100% Arabica Uchunari coffee berries, then use their excrement to produce Terra Nera coffee. You can buy this variety exclusively at Harrods, the most famous department store in London.

The best gift for a coffee lover is Terra Nera packaging, made of silver paper and tied with a cord with a gold tag.

Coffee production

Brazil and Vietnam remain the leading producing countries in the coffee industry. They are followed by Colombia and Indonesia. Farmers in Madagascar are not far behind – the specific soil and location above sea level create ideal conditions for high coffee yields.

Coffee varieties from Venezuela, Guatemala, and Indonesia lag behind due to the small number of plantations. But they have their own peculiarity - the Arabica grown here acquires a delicate creamy taste.

African coffee varieties are distinguished by excellent acidity: the exotic aftertaste of Malawi Mapanga, the luxurious nutty aroma of the elite Uganda Bugishu constantly find new fans. Ethiopia Sidamo will give a light chocolate tint, and in a drink made from Ethiopia Jimmah grains, the highlight will be a wine smell.