Two Worlds of Coffee
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November 1, 2024“The coffee world is split into two distinct markets: commercial and specialty coffee. But what does this mean?”
Before I kick off this article, kindly allow me to introduce myself briefly and give you a better insight into my knowledge and expertise within the coffee field.
My name is Deandra, I have been researching and studying coffee for the past 12 years, a journey I embarked on in an attempt to learn the skills of the trade, such as barista, roasting, green coffee, and all the nitty-gritty of how to achieve the perfect cup. Little did I know back then where this journey would take me! Fast forward 12 years, I am happy to say that not only have I learned the tricks of the trade, but I'm also a licensed coffee educator, quality coffee grader, and coffee science student. A year ago, I embarked on a journey to delve deeper into the world of coffee from a scientific point of view, and it was precisely at this juncture where my knowledge of coffee truly deepened.
There are several questions to be asked. Research into coffee is relatively scant, it is only in the past couple of years that coffee has started to be researched and studied on a more scientific level. Unfortunately, this sheer lack of knowledge all boils down to inadequate studies or misinformation provided to the public. Bearing this in mind, the purpose of our content is to reach individuals who want to learn and gather solid and founded information that might not have been previously accessible to the general public.
Coffee is a beverage everyone is familiar with, but what do we know about it as a subject? Let's start by understanding the basic history of coffee and what it is. Coffee originated in Ethiopia. Researchers believe that coffee seeds were taken from the coffee forests of Southwestern Ethiopia to Yemen, where it was cultivated as a crop.
Coffee is a fruit that falls under the drupe family (stone fruit family). Research indicates that approximately 130 coffee species within the Coffea genus are known, and to date, only 8 main species have been thoroughly researched, with 75 being at risk of extinction.
The most widely cultivated coffee species are Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora, generally called Robusta. The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, also known as the coffee belt, located above and below the equator, are regions where coffee mainly grows. However, in recent years, studies have also discovered two farms within Europe, one located in the Canary Islands and another in Sicily, where there is ample evidence to suggest that coffee can also grow in different terroirs, with the main driving force potentially being climate change. 70% of the global coffee production comes from Brazil, making it the highest coffee producing country.
Vietnam is the second largest, producing and focusing mainly on Robusta, the most commercialised species due to its coffee leaf rust resilience. The coffee world is split into two distinct markets: commercial and specialty coffee. But what does this mean?
With commodity coffee, the focus is not quality but rather quantity. The grade is on a
commercial level, and the market is chasing demand, thus quality is given little to no
importance. Prices are far cheaper, widely accessible and it's precisely the kind of coffee we
''know'' and drink on a daily basis.
On the other hand, specialty coffee takes on an entirely different approach: the focus is quality rather than commercialisation. Simply put, good or low-quality coffee is impacted by various variables, such as: genetics, terroir, geographical aspects, soil, environmental resources, latitude, altitude, and processing.
All these characteristics determine the final product. To wrap up, I’ll conclude by saying that Robusta coffee yields a lower-quality coffee cup. The taste is more bitter, with notes like burnt nuts, dark cacao, and ashen, more likely to be negative. It is not surprising then that consumers tend to add milk and sugar to their coffee in a bid to enhance the taste and eliminate the overwhelming, unpleasant tang.
Arabica produces a higher quality cup, with tasting notes more similar to fruits, floral flavours, and sweetness. Cups are far more delicate, smooth, and pleasant on the palate. The quality of raw and roasted coffee is graded by licensed individuals also known as “QGraders”, The final scores would determine the quality, meaning that anything that scores below 80 is considered as non-specialty and relegated to commercial grade.
Scores above 80 are considered a specialty, hence the value goes up. Nevertheless, taste is an entirely subjective matter. The coffee you’ll end up drinking will always boil down to whatever tickles your taste buds!
The Road Ahead
Things are far more complex and this article is but a brief insight into the intricacies of coffee. This means that all data that is relevant today might take a different shift in the upcoming years as we are already looking at ways we assess coffee cup quality, and how we have to improve what is considered as low quality due to climate change.
Coffee scientists are working around the clock to improve coffee genetics, quality, and resilience through cross-breeding "hybrids".
On the other hand, specialty coffee takes on an entirely different approach: the focus is quality rather than commercialisation. Simply put, good or low-quality coffee is impacted by various variables, such as: genetics, terroir, geographical aspects, soil, environmental resources, latitude, altitude, and processing.
All these characteristics determine the final product. To wrap up, I’ll conclude by saying that Robusta coffee yields a lower-quality coffee cup. The taste is more bitter, with notes like burnt nuts, dark cacao, and ashen, more likely to be negative. It is not surprising then that consumers tend to add milk and sugar to their coffee in a bid to enhance the taste and eliminate the overwhelming, unpleasant tang.
Arabica produces a higher quality cup, with tasting notes more similar to fruits, floral flavours, and sweetness. Cups are far more delicate, smooth, and pleasant on the palate. The quality of raw and roasted coffee is graded by licensed individuals also known as “QGraders”, The final scores would determine the quality, meaning that anything that scores below 80 is considered as non-specialty and relegated to commercial grade.
Scores above 80 are considered a specialty, hence the value goes up. Nevertheless, taste is an entirely subjective matter. The coffee you’ll end up drinking will always boil down to whatever tickles your taste buds!
The Road Ahead
Things are far more complex and this article is but a brief insight into the intricacies of coffee. This means that all data that is relevant today might take a different shift in the upcoming years as we are already looking at ways we assess coffee cup quality, and how we have to improve what is considered as low quality due to climate change.
Coffee scientists are working around the clock to improve coffee genetics, quality, and resilience through cross-breeding "hybrids".
Deandra Gauci
Deandra is Malta's only accredited licensed coffee educators, both with CQI and SCA.
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