Maui Coffee Roasters

Kona Coffee Industry 1825 to 1984

2012-02-08T17:43:00.000-08:00

The Re-emergence of the Kona Coffee Industry

By William Duffy

Kona Coast, November, 1984

The sandwich board outside Patel’s Texaco station n Honaunau proclaimed the sign of the times: “Kona Kai Farms, Buying Coffee Cherry, 67 cents/lb.” A half mile in either direction, dozens of 100 pound burlap bags filled with coffee cherries are piled on the front porches of renovated buildings housing the Bong Brothers and Captain Cook coffee companies. Ten miles to the north, in Holualoa, United Coffee Company is installing new equipment in the old Donkey Mill and bulldozing ground for a major new coffee pulping operation. All over the Kona coffee belt, new coffee trees are going into the ground—from backyard plots to ten acre farms—and 200 acre plantations are on the drawing boards.

Just five years ago, many observers believed that the coffee industry here was in an irreversible decline. Where thirteen mills had once existed, Kona was down to two, which both sold their coffee to the only company left—Superior Coffee and Tea. Many old time farmers, disgusted with the low prices paid for their coffee, had cut down their trees to plant macadamia nuts, and hundreds of acres had become overgrown with weeds for lack of attention.

What happened to make Kona coffee the most exciting crop in West Hawaii? What are the forces behind the boom, and where is it likely to go from here. With macadamia nuts slumping, the papaya market over-saturated, and the other fruit and vegetable industries straining to compete with cheaper foreign alternatives, does coffee offer real hope for diversified agriculture in Kona? To attempt to answer these questions, let us look at how coffee first got to Kona over 150 years ago, and trace its changing fortunes over the years.

A Brief History of Kona Coffee

In keeping with the other flora and fauna of the Islands, Kona’s extraordinary coffee followed a lond and circuitous route to its Pacific home. In legend, coffee was first discovered by an Abyssinian goatherd named Kaidi, who noticed the energetic activity of animals after they had been grazing on small red berries produced by small trees with glossy green leaves. Kaidi took to chewing the beans himself with similar results, perhaps becoming the first “coffee achiever.” Within a short time, wild coffee from the highlands of Ethiopia was transported across the Red Sea to Yemen, at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. There in the sixth century A.D. coffee was actively cultivated and introduced into the culture of the Arab world, first as a medicine and later, after considerable experimentation, alchemists discovered the brewing of coffee as a beverage, which they drank for both religious and meditative purposes.

The enjoyment of coffee spread, and Arab leaders tried to protect their monopoly, forbidding the exportation of fertile seeds. However, a Muslim pilgrim from India named Baba Budan smuggled seven seeds back to southern India where they grew quite well. The Dutch then secured some of the progeny of the pilfered seeds and planted coffee orchards in Java. By 1706, a coffee tree had been established in the Amsterdam Botanical Gardens from this stock.

Other European nations were of course interested in the production of this commodity. The French tried unsuccessfully to raise coffee in the south of France. Their ambition persisted, and after the Treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1714, Louis XIV was given a tree. This tree, the parent to be of more than a billion future tress including those of Kona, traveled from the Arabian port of Mocha to Java, then to Holland itself before it was delivered to Paris and installed in Europe’s first greenhouse at Le Jardin des Plantes. By the next year, new coffee plants were provided to many French territories, including French Guiana in South American. The various attempts of neighboring Brazil to secure plants were blocked until 1727 when a particularly charming Brazilian envoy was given seedlings and seeds hidden amongst fresh flowers by the wife of the French Governor of Guiana.

Such was the situation when King Kamehameha II and his Queen Kamamalu as well as a retinue that included Governor Boki of Oahu, visited England in 1825. Within a few weeks, both the King and Queen had died of measles. The British arranged to have the bodies returned to Hawaii on the warship Blonde, whose captain was George Anson Lord Byron (father of the romantic poet). Earlier, Boki had made the acquaintance of an agriculturist named John Wilkinson, a former West Indian planter, who wanted to cultivate sugar and coffee on Boki’s land in Manoa Valley. Wilkinson returned with Boki on the Blonde, and on the way they stopped in Rio de Janeiro to pick up some young coffee plants for the project.

In 1827 Wilkinson died before seeing the results of his work. The next year, Reverend Samuel Ruggles took cuttings form the Manoa field and brought them to Kona to plant as ornamentals. The plants did so well in the hospitable environment of the Kona Coast that within a few years they were planted extensively throughout the district as attractive and useful backyard plants. Although the first plants were not thought of as a commercial venture, the conditions in Kona were so ideal for the cultivation of coffee that before long it was an economic mainstay of the Big Island.

These ideal conditions prevail only in a twenty mile long “coffee belt” along the western slopes of Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano at 13,680 feet. There, between 700 and 2,500 feet, rich well drained volcanic soil combines with mild breezes and gentle rains, as well as moderate temperatures and cool nights without frost. The volcano not only protects the plants from the prevailing northeast tradewinds, but also serves to create curious and unique weather condition. The mountain literally catches the morning clouds as though with giant hands, holding them in abeyance so that Kona mornings are generally bright and sunny. About mid-day, when the air is sufficiently warm, the clouds rise and slip by the crest of Mauna Loa to form a natural parasol against the full strength of the tropic sun. Too much sun can weaken a coffee plant to such an extent that it is unable to resist disease, just as too little sun prevents full maturation of the beans. Thus in Kona, it is not just one factor, but the combination of a number of favorable elements including weather and soil, shelter and proper elevation, that make this perfect coffee country.

Little has changed in the growing and milling of coffee over the years, although electricity has now replaced gas driven pulping motors, and jeeps and trucks transport the coffee instead of donkeys. Each fall, as the berries turn red, they are hand-picked and sewn up in 100 pound burlap bags. The coffee cherry is then “pulped” through a hopper which removes the red cherry and drops the seeds into a wooden tank. These seeds are allowed to ferment overnight to remove a sticky film, and are then spread out in the sun to dry for five to seven days. In the old days, almost every farm had one of these “pulping mills,” but over the years they fell into disrepair. Many are now used for housing, and can be detected by roofs on rails, which were pushed out onto scaffolding to expose the coffee parchment to the sun, and pulled back when the afternoon rains came. Over 100 of these pulping mills still exist, although the drying is often finished with the use of mechanical, diesel-powered dryers.

Parchment coffee is then taken to a “parchment mill,” where the parchment is removed and the beans are graded by size and density into 100 pound export bags. The bags are then shipped by boat to roasting plants in Honolulu, the U.S. mainland, and Japan where the beans are roasted and delivered to specialty coffee shops, fine restaurants, and a variety of retail stores ranging from Macy’s to the local deli.

Like all fine coffees, Kona is of the “Arabica” opposed to the “robusta” variety. Robusta, although higher in caffeine content, lacks the flavor and fragrance of the Arabica coffees. Robusta coffee is usually allowed to dry inside the cherry, whereas Arabica coffee is picked when the cherry is ripe, and the cherry is immediately removed to avoid contaminating the flavor of the beans with decaying cherry odors. Since coffee flowers several times during the Winter and Spring, the beans become ripe several different times eight months later in the Fall. Thus, the trees must be picked three or four times to harvest all of the ripe cherries, which accounts for most of the labor cost in producing gourmet coffees. Many television viewers have seen Colombia’s Juan Valdez picking “only the ripe beans” in the commercials for Colombian coffee. If Juan were a Brazilian, he would be shaking the dried beans from the tree and sweeping them up off the ground at the end of the season, instead of picking the ripe beans three or four times by hand.

By the time of the American Civil War, Kona’s reputation for quality coffee was internationally established, although a combination of white scale blight, limited demand , and the high profitability of sugar inhibited coffee production until later in the century when pineapple and sugar lands were planted in coffee. Mark Twain commented in his “Letters from Hawaii” in 1866 that “I think Kona coffee has a richer flavor than any other, be it grown where it may.” By the 1890s, many foreign laborers, mostly Japanese, Filipino and Portuguese, brought in to work the sugar cane fields, had fulfilled their contracts and were becoming independent farmers. When the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1894, former crown lands were made available for purchase and lease. Coincidentally, with the introduction of the Australian beetle, a means was found for controlling the white scale disease that had been periodically devastating crops since the fifties.

The availability of land and elimination of white scale, combined with unusually high coffee prices on the world market, produced a 10-year coffee boom around the turn of the century, and it was estimated that speculators lost over ten million dollars in ill-advised Hawaiian coffee ventures. By 1898, Kona had 6,383 acres in production, out of 13,901 total acres on the Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai.

From this period on, there was a gradual decrease in coffee production throughout the state, with the crop dying out in all areas except Kona. By 1947, Kona had an estimated 700 farms, totaling 3,400 acres in production. The post-war economic boom and Statehood, the cost of land and labor began to rise much faster than in underdeveloped countries where coffee workers were paid pennies a day, and land was essentially free. Despite attempts by Kona farmers and processors to differentiate their coffee from the world market so as to obtain higher prices, prices for coffee cherry failed to keep pace with increased costs, and so began a profit squeeze that forced more and more farmers out of the coffee growing business. Soon, the less productive lands on the other islands and in Hilo, Ka’u and Hamakua on the Big Island were abandoned, and by 1979, coffee was down to 600 farms comprising 2,000 acres in Kona. Where once Kona’s elementary schools operated on a “coffee schedule,” with the three month vacation coming during coffee harvest in the fall to allow the kids to help harvest the crop, vacation was changed during the Sixties so that harvesting became even more of a problem. Farmers were urged to plant macadamia nuts instead of coffee, the Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture abandoned any serious coffee research after the middle 1950’s, and one by on the mills closed down and the coffee buyers stopped coming. By 1979 only two mills remained active—the Kona Farmers Co-operative in Napoopoo, and the Pacific Coffee Co-op in Captain Cook. Both these mills sold their coffee to Superior Coffee and Tea, a large roaster based in Chicago which marketed Kona coffee principally as a tourist item in Honolulu. No other roaster seemed willing to pay above world market prices for Kona coffee, slo the price was pretty much dictated by what Superior was willing to pay. Sons and daughters of the old Japanese and Filipino coffee farmers had no reason to continue the family business, as they found better jobs in the tourist and service industries, or moved to Honolulu or the mainland. It looked as if Kona coffee was on its way out of being an economic or cultural factor on the Big Island.

The Rise of the Gourmet Coffee Industry

It’s a long way from the rocky hillsides of Kona to the smoky coffee houses of San Francisco and New York, and perhaps further still to the trendy gourmet stores of Scarsdale and Beverly Hills, but the 1960s and ‘70s were to usher forth a demand for specialty coffee from these places that was to have a profound effect in Kona. The stirrings of American interest in gourmet foods can be traced to the years following World War II when returning soldiers encouraged cooks to recreate dishes they had sampled abroad. Over the next decade, education and affluence contributed, but it was mostly travel that heightened awareness. It wasn’t until the’ 70s that the food industry was turned upside down by radical changes in taste driven by a confluence of factors.

Simply put, these factors were taste and money. Consumers began to care about the differences in food, and moreover, could afford to pay higher prices for something they considered to be a better product. Even if a young couple could not afford a down payment on a house or a Hawaiian vacation, they could afford to pay whatever was necessary to secure the coffee they liked best. This change was apparent in the beer and wine industry before gourmet coffee became widely appreciated. Where once it was unusual to see non-American beers in liquor stores and supermarkets, today half the shelf space is taken up by foreign brews, costing upwards of a dollar per bottle. Similarly, imported wine and of more interest to Kona, American wines from California and New York, have taken a large share of the market away from mass consumption wines. Bottled water, chocolates, cheeses, ice cream, yogurt, fresh meats and vegetables, cookies—almost every food product now has a gourmet market which accounts for millions and millions of dollars in sales to the American public.

Just as it became fashionable to make one’s own spaghetti sauce and noodles instead of buying them in a can, consumers began to appreciate the value of freshly roasted, ground, and brewed coffee. Sales of filter-drip coffee machines, coffee grinders, espresso machines, and whole bean coffee began to rise dramatically, while the large roasters found the demand for their canned robusta coffee shrinking. The few old-time specialty coffee roasting companies (largely Italian families in San Francisco and New York) were joined by dozens of other large companies roasting coffee for regional and national markets, and hundreds of small roasters serving local markets. These roasters in response to consumer demand, began to seek out the finest coffees they could find, journeys that took them to Kenya, Yemen, Indonesia, Central America, and finally, Kona.

The Re-Emergence of Kona Coffee

Since the late ‘50s, Kona coffee farmers had attempted to differentiate their product from the world coffee market, and had achieved some success in convincing Superior Coffee to market Kona as a distinct brand. Although the prices received by the farmers were not enough to stop the decline of coffee, they were significantly higher than the world coffee price, and probably prevented the industry from disappearing altogether. During the 1970’s, Superior Coffee, the Kona Farmer’s Co-op, and the State of Hawaii had spent over $250,000 in promoting Kona coffee, and by 1980 this promotion had started to pay off, making Kina a profitable item for Superior, so profitable that they; agreed on an historic contract with the co-ops to pay 50 cents per pound for cherry coffee, indexed against inflation, for all the coffee they could supply over the next five years. The co-ops agreed to sell Superior 80% of their production, with the other 20% going to Ueshima Coffee Company of Japan. Superior, in turn, refused to sell green beans to any of the other gourmet roasters, who kept trying to buy green Kona coffee for their own businesses. These roasters took pride in their roasting techniques and the freshness of their coffee, and were unwilling to purchase already roasted Kona coffee from Superior.

The most aggressive of these roasters was United Coffee Company, the largest roaster on the West Coast, with headquarters in San Francisco. If, they reasoned, they couldn’t buy green coffee from the mills or from Superior, why not go directly to the farmer and buy the raw product? In 1980, United rented an old coffee mill, the Fujino Mill in Kainalu, and started offering the farmers 10% more for their coffee than the co-ops could pay under their contracts. Lacking their own pulping facilities, they contracted with farmers who already had pulping mills to turn the cherry coffee into parchment. The 1980-81 harvest was a large one, and United was able to secure 30% of the crop. Perhaps a third of United’s production was roasted, the rest was sold to other coffee companies, many of which received green Kona coffee for the first time. The co-ops couldn’t match United’s price rise because they had already signed contracts with the fixed 50 cent price, so they were essentially powerless to prevent the loss of their farmers to the new company.

The next year saw the entry of some local businesses into the coffee scene. Kona Kai Farms and Bong Brother Coffee Company were both started by transplanted Californians who had come to Kona and observed the coffee situation. They were of the same generation and cultural group as many of the new mainland roasting companies, and found it relatively easy to make contact with these roasters, who all wanted Kona coffee. In the 1982-83 season, they used the defunct Donkey mill to turn their parchment into green coffee, and sold small amounts to mainland roasters. Shortly thereafter, the Donkey Mill went up for sale and it was purchased by United Coffee.

The small companies tried to make deals with United and the co-ops to mill their coffee, but were unable to do so. Instead, Kona Kai Farms built the first new parchment mill in Kona since Donkey Mill was constructed in 1954. The next year’s harvest was the biggest in 10 years, and the new companies entered into serious competition for the coffee cherry, with Kona Kai Farms ending up with 10% and Bong Brothers 3.5% of the harvest. Most of this business was at the expense of the co-ops, although some of United’s customers were attracted by the higher prices offered by the newcomers. With three companies marketing green beans to the mainland market, the number of roasters who secured a supply of Kona coffee expanded again, and this increased demand soon translated into higher prices, both for the green beans, and for cherry coffee to the farmers. On January 4, 1984 Kona Kai Farms raised their price for cherry coffee to 60 cents a pound. Not only were these prices at record highs, but farmers were being paid for their crops within 14 days of delivery in contrast to the 30, 60, 90, or 180 days waiting periods of the old days.

After the season, the Kona Farmers Co-op renegotiated their contract with Superior Coffee so that they could pay a competitive price, and opened the 1984-85 season paying 61.5 cents per pound for cherry coffee. A group of local doctors, seeing the success of Kona Kai Famers and the Bong Brothers, combined with United Coffee’s former manager to form a sixth company, Captain Cook Coffee Company. As this is being written, prices for coffee cherry are headed for 70 cents before the season is out, and supplies of Kona coffee will certainly be exhausted before the next harvest. Old pulping mills, abandoned when the change in school vacations created a labor shortage forcing the farmers to spend all their time picking coffee, are being restored, new acreage is being planted for the first time since the 1950’s, and even the wild coffee trees are being picked clean. General Foods has entered the market via United, with a new Kona Horizon blend coffee to compete with Superior in the Honolulu and mainland grocery store and restaurant markets. There are two new coffee roasters in Honolulu specializing in Kona coffee, and Kona Kai Farms is putting out its own roasted coffee on the Big Island and Maui.

In sum, the present is rosy for Kona coffee farmers. During the last five years, the rising demand has caught almost everyone by surprise, and there has not been time for production to catch up. But what are the limits of this boom? What happens when the big agricultural corporations decide to go into the coffee business, or when tax sheltered partnerships plant an additional 2,000 acres? Will the boom turn to bust, with production outpacing the ability to market the coffee as is feared with the Hawaiian macadamia nut industry? There are several reason why the Kona coffee boom might sustain itself for more than just the next couple of years.

The Future of Kona Coffee

First, the availability of land for new acreage is limited. “Kona” coffee must be grown in the district of Kona to be allowed to carry that name, which is jealously guarded by the present growers and processors. And, even within the Kona district, only a small portion of the land, “the coffee belt,” harbors ideal growing conditions, making expansion of the industry outside the belt less profitable. Although the acreage could probably increase even beyond its previous maximum of 6,000 acres, the land simply does not exist to plant much more than that amount of Kona coffee. This places an upper limit on the expansion of coffee lands, unlike Macadamia nuts, which have been planted in all districts of the Big Island, as well as the rest of Hawaii.

Second, and related, is that Kona coffee is not as subject to foreign competition as other Hawaiian products because of its local identity. Gourmet coffee is sold, like fine wines, by region. For example, “Blue Mountain” Jamaican coffee, the world’s most expensive bean, commands three or four times the price of coffee produced in other regions of Jamaica. Kona coffee does have to compete with other fin coffees of the world, but all of these products are by their nature produced in relatively small quantities.

Third, Hawaii’s large tourist industry gives Kona coffee a marketing advantage not shared by other gourmet coffees. Not only do visitors to the islands purchase Kona coffee during their stay as one of the local items of interest, but once back home they continue to purchase it, through mail orders from Hawaii or from local coffee shops and roasters. Word of mouth spreads promotion of Kona coffee to their friends, many of whom are not gourmet coffee drinkers, but will make Kona their first specialty coffee purchase.

Fourth, the new companies and individuals entering the industry are more aware of the necessity of advertising and promotion than the old Kona coffee millers. They have better contacts on the U.S. mainland because many were in the business there before they came to Hawaii. All gourmet products depend on advertising to show consumers their superior quality, which can be very effective with coffee—witness the success of Colombia’s “Juan Valdez” commercials. And the romantic lures of Hawaii make promotion of Hawaiian products especially effective.

Finally, the upswing in the specialty coffee market has only begun to happen. Barely 2% of the coffee consumed in the U.S. is specialty coffee, but it is growing rapidly. If coffee follows the trend in beer and wine, specialty coffee could command 205 of the market ten years from now. That kind of increase will not only swallow up 6,000 acres of Kona coffee, but probably encourage production of “Hawaiian” coffee in other areas of the islands. Moreover, the fastest increase in specialty coffee seems to be occurring in the proliferation of small roasters, who are best able to market expensive coffees such as Kona.

These factors make it likely that the Kona Coffee Rush will continue for some time. As long as Kona coffee farmers can produce a quality product, tourists and coffee connoisseurs will pay a premium price to enjoy it, and the industry should prosper and expand for the foreseeable future, perhaps even outpacing marijuana as Kona’s biggest cash crop.

Really Getting a Buzz

2011-04-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

We humans have many vices, but we rarely admit to them. Caffeine and nicotine are two which we may admit to more readily, maybe because so many people share these addictions, but we’re not the only ones buzzing from our favorite chemicals.

Scientists at the University of Haifa in Israel found that bees may actually prefer nectar traced with caffeine and nicotine over nectar without. Flower nectar is primarily comprised of sugars, which provide energy for the potential pollinators. But the floral nectar of some plant species also includes small quantities of substances known to be toxic, such as caffeine and nicotine.

Nicotine is found naturally in floral nectar at a concentration of up to 2.5 milligrams per liter, primarily in various types of tobacco tree (Nicotiana glauca). Caffeine is found at concentration levels of 11-17.5 milligrams per liter, mostly in citrus flowers. In the nectar of grapefruit flowers, however, caffeine is present in much higher concentrations, reaching 94.2 milligrams per liter. In order to examine whether bees prefer the nectar containing caffeine and nicotine, the researchers offered artificial nectar that comprised various natural sugar levels and various levels of caffeine and nicotine, alongside “clean” nectar that comprised sugar alone. The caffeine and nicotine concentrations ranged from the natural levels in floral nectar up to much higher concentrations than found in nature.

The results showed that bees clearly prefer nectar containing nicotine and caffeine over the “clean” nectar. However, at higher concentrations, the bees went back to the “clean” nectar, proving there can be too much of a good thing.

Who knows, maybe we’ll be sitting on a patio at our favorite coffee shop, enjoying a cup of joe and a nicotine patch (because we’re quitting, right?) and our sweet friend the honey bee will be sitting next to us with their tiny cup of bee coffee and their tiny nicotine patch.

The History of the Coffee House

2011-02-17T16:21:00.000-08:00

It is a common mistake for many modern day coffee drinkers to believe that the café was created for them in their generation, and for a large percentage of them, with the advent of the Starbucks franchise. Coffee shops have been around since 1555, and possibly even earlier.

The first coffeehouses or kaveh kanes opened in Mecca and quickly spread throughout the Arab world, thriving as places where chess was played, gossip was exchanged and singing, dancing and music were enjoyed. Nothing quite like this had existed before: a place where social and business life could be conducted in comfortable surroundings and where - for the price of a cup of coffee - anyone could venture. Perhaps predictably, the Arabian coffeehouse soon became a center of political activity and was suppressed. Over the next few decades coffee and coffeehouses were banned numerous times but kept reappearing until eventually an acceptable way out was found when a tax was introduced on both.

The first recorded coffee house was Kiva Han in what was then Constantinople (now Istanbul) by Shemsi of Damascus and Hekem of Aleppo, who are generally acknowledged as the proprietors of this coffee house which was opened in Talchtacalah, Constantinople in 1555.

The first European coffeehouse opened in Venice in 1683, with the most famous, Caffe Florian in Piazza San Marco, opening in 1720. It is still open for business today. It is a prime contender for the world’s longest continuing coffee house with its 287 years of coffee service to its Venetian, Italian and international patrons and takes its place amongst the city's chief symbols. Much of the paintings, wood carvings, high ornate mirrors, cozy booths and naked woods come from the refurbishments done in 1859. It is also home to the Venice Biennial, an exhibition of contemporary art that has been running since 1893. Famous patrons included Marcel Proust, Charles Dickens and the Venice born womanizer Giovanni Giacomo Casanova.

St. Michael’s Alley Coffee House is England’s first coffee house and was opened in Cornhill London in 1652. It is still unclear to this day whether it was opened by a Mr. Bowman or Pasqua Rosee although the weight of evidence suggests Pasqua Rosee. It is also uncertain as to whether he was a native of Armenia, a Greek from the Republic of Ragusa or from Ottoman Smyrna, a port in Western Turkey. What is clear is that he was a man-servant or employee to a Turkish merchant trader (one who dealt in coffee and other such luxury items) named Daniel Edwards. Some researchers also claim that Pasqua went into business with a coachman who was a relative of Mr. Edwards. The coffee house is famous for being the first known coffee advertising or prospectus in England with the original document, ‘The Virtue of the Coffee Drink’, still being on display in the British Museum.

The first literary reference to coffee being drunk in North America is from 1668 and, soon after, coffee houses were established in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and other towns. The Boston Tea Party Of 1773 was planned in a coffee house, the Green Dragon. Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Bank of New York started in coffeehouses in what is today known as Wall Street.

Café Reggio (still trading) a small coffee house in New York’s Greenwich Village, opened in 1927. It claims the title of “the original Cappuccino bar” because the owner Domenico Parisi imported and installed the first espresso machine in the United States. By the mid 50’s the Italian “La Pavoni” espresso machine, built in 1902, began offering espresso made the Italian way to a clientele including the Beats, Bob Dylan and the poet Joseph Brodsky. The original machine, an ornate brass-decorated beauty, still holds pride of place at Cafe Reggio’s today.

Coffee Cupping: A Rising Trend

2011-02-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

Coffee cupping, it’s not just for aficionados anymore. Just like wine tastings, coffee cuppings have become a fun way to get out there and try new coffees and learn about their origins, their flavor compositions, and how to describe them.

In the not so distant past, it was only coffee buyers, roasters, and baristas who spent their time sniffing, slurping, and finding the best words to describe their findings with patient dedication. But now cuppings at independent cafes attract connoisseurs and newbies alike to rub elbows together and learn from each other.

“Though wine tastings seem to have become less pretentious in recent years, it’s still rare to hear a top varietal compared to Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. But at coffee tastings — known to aficionados as cuppings — there is no prescribed lexicon, and a lot more room for whimsy,” says Hannah Wallace of The New York Times in her article Do I Detect a Hint of…Joe?

If you have never heard of cupping, by now you are starting to get the idea of what we are talking about here, but you may still be wondering, what is it and why do we do it? Essentially, cupping is a method of assessing different characteristics of a particular coffee bean. It allows us to compare coffees by using our basic senses to grasp their basic taste and appreciate some of its finer points or point out its flaws. The method by which we do this is fairly simple, and there is no right or wrong way to do it.

When you go to a coffee cupping, they will have the coffees brewed for you, leaving you to simply enjoy yourself. The first step is to smell it. Often, cuppers will take a spoon and do something called “breaking the crust.” During the brewing process, a thick “crust” of grounds will settle on top of the sample cup. Here you will place your nose very close to the cup and puncture the crust with a spoon and inhale the aroma that wafts up. Once you have broken the crust on all the samples, the remaining top grounds are skimmed off the top. Then the tasting begins.

Now the cuppers will take their spoon and slurp it into their mouths while inhaling gently. This allows the coffee to “spray” across the tongue while the aroma wafts up into the nose (this is very similar to what happens in wine tastings). It is perfectly acceptable to spit your coffee out as you go along, but often swallowing will give one insight into aftertaste and finish.

During a cupping session, most pros like to keep silent while tasting and jotting down notes, and only after everyone has tasted each sample, will they get together and discuss their findings. This is done mostly because the human mind is susceptible to suggestion, and if someone says “this tastes like caramel,” you might instantly taste caramel as well.

The biggest challenge beginning cuppers have is coming up with good descriptions of what they are tasting, and although there is absolutely no right or wrong answer, there are some good guidelines to start with when tasting and then you can let your imagination take you from there. To see these terms visit http://www.coffeeterms.com/coffee-cupping-and-tasting.htm and then go out there and find a cupping, or have a cupping party right in your home!

Written by Krysti Kokot for Maui Coffee Roasters

Coffee as Commodity: Why are Prices on the Rise?

2010-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed coffee prices rising recently. As a matter of fact, all commodities have been rising lately. Gold, silver, agriculture, meat and livestock, sugar, and cotton have all been steadily rising, but coffee has been affected in different ways. Poor crops in Vietnam and Brazil due to inclement weather, and below-par crop production in key Arabica bean producing Colombia have created a decrease in supply while the demand remains steady for the world’s most popular “pick me up” beverage.

In addition to poor crop production, we are also dealing with the possibility that the government will print more money to boost the economy, which in turn would undermine the dollar and force commodity prices to soar as investors look to protect against the risk of inflation.

Also, on a larger scale, because the population continues to grow, many small coffee producing farms are being forced out to give the land over to biofuels to support the growing population, not to mention the growing cost of fuel which makes it much harder for these farms to produce and ship their coffee. There are at least 25 million small coffee producers worldwide who rely on coffee for a living. For instance, in Brazil alone, where almost a third of the world’s coffee is produced, over 5 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants. Unfortunately, because of rising costs, many of the people employed by these farms are not getting paid what they were before, and are moving on to factory work or something else that will earn them a better living.

Finally, climate change is a huge factor in the production of coffee. According to Miles Small, editor and co-owner of Coffee Talk Magazine, "We're running out of arable land.” He said Brazil, which grows half of the world's coffee, has lost 28 percent of its arable land because of climate factors. He said coffee production in all of Central America is down by 38 percent."There is no way to increase productivity through mechanization." In addition, land is being repurposed throughout Latin America due to a growing middle class.

Although it is likely you may notice your coffee prices going up a little in the cafes and grocery stores, coffee is a fluctuating commodity and is ever changing. Just like any other commodity, there are many variables that affect production and price. So, don’t worry, your hot cup of joe will still be there in the morning, and for many mornings left to come!

The Big Freeze

2010-09-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

To freeze or not to freeze, a question that has long plagued coffee drinkers, from those who enjoy a good cup at home or at the office, to aficionados alike. This article will discuss why it’s not a good idea to freeze your coffee and also some good storage techniques.

The biggest problem is that people don’t realize that coffee is a perishable item. Is has a shelf life, similar to that of wine, so buying your favorite coffee in large quantities and putting it in your freezer for 6 months, one year, two years…the longer you have it, the more it loses its quality and flavor.

The most important thing to remember is that coffee is very sensitive to oxygen, water, excessive heat and direct sunlight. It is best to keep it in a stable, cool environment. It is definitely not recommended to freeze your coffee if you can help it at all, especially for long periods of time, but if you purchase more coffee than you can consume in a two week period, separate it into two week portions. Keep one in a dry, sealed container for consumption and put each additional portion into freeze proof containers and eliminate as much air as possible. When you need more coffee, pull another two week portion out of the freezer and transfer the coffee into the original short-term container. We’ll get into storage containers in a moment, but remember once you pull coffee from the freezer, do not under any circumstance put it back into the freezer!

Refrigerators are a major no-no for coffee. The temperature of a fridge is generally around 37 degrees; the water that is inside doesn’t freeze. There is a cold mist that will linger on the coffee. Also, there are scents and flavor molecules floating around in the refrigerator that coffee can absorb. Under no circumstance should you use the refrigerator for storing coffee!

So, really, the best thing to do if you have a type of coffee you absolutely love…drink it!

That brings us to how to store that delicious bag of coffee you just brought home from Maui Coffee Roasters, so that you have an optimal cup each time you drink it.

It’s very simple, really. All you have to do is keep it in an air tight container, at room temperature, and away from light. You can really use any container that is airtight. You can even use Tupperware, but be sure to line it with paper to keep the light out, and make sure it is sealed.

You can use any form of ceramic, metal, or class container as long as it has a seal on the lid which makes it air tight. Or if you really want 100% air tightness, you can purchase a container with a vacuum sealer (such as vacu vin) on it.

Following these easy steps will allow your cup of coffee to be consistently delicious every time! Enjoy!

Just for Kicks!

2010-09-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Ah, the Mona Lisa, an iconic art symbol.

In this case, can you guess what she is made of in this large scale street piece?

Keep looking!

How about now? Any guesses?

Artist assistants stand next to 3,604 cups of coffee which have been made into a giant Mona Lisa in Sydney , Australia . The 3,604 cups of coffee were each filled with different amounts of milk to create the different shades!!

Coffee vs. Tea

2010-05-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

There seems to a general rivalry that has developed and perpetuates between the worlds of Coffee and Tea. This seems somewhat logical, considering that they are both usually served after meals, both usually share the same supermarket space and both are developing gourmet markets from more commercial pasts.

Such tight competition is sure to bring animosities. To win the market, these industries have tried their hardest to put as much distance between each other as possible. Coffee often touts its ability to energize, while characterizing tea as a drink for the sick. Tea, on the other hand, boasts amazing health benefits, while painting Coffee as a stomach-destroying poison. In this article we'll put aside our differences and discuss the similarities between the two hottest drinks available.

Both Coffee and Tea have legendary pasts. Tea was discovered by the ancient Chinese ruler Shen Nung, when a fateful leaf fell into his boiling water. The similarly serendipitous story of Coffee dates back to the 1400's, when a Yemeni shepherd named Kaldi noticed that his sheep began to act unusually frisky after eating berries from an unfamiliar plant. Curious, Kaldi picked one and popped it into his mouth. Within a few minutes, he was as hyperactive as a kid after Halloween (well, Halloween wasn't practiced in Yemen, but you get the point). He told of his discovery of this stimulating shrub to a nearby town (called "Mocha") and its fame quickly spread.

Amazingly, the history of the two followed nearly identical paths. Coffee and tea were introduced to England within seven years of each other. Both were first enjoyed under the reign of Charles II (nicknamed "Milk and Sugar Charlie" for his fondness for these additions to both the drinks). In 1652, the first coffeehouse opened in England - the same year the first tea samples arrived to the country. Tea, however, became the favorite due to the fact that it was easier to make.

Now, let's examine the two scientifically. Both Tea and Coffee plants are members of the evergreen family. If allowed to grow naturally, both would develop into fairly large trees. But both plants are kept trimmed to the height of a shrub, so they can be manageably harvested. Both plants produce a drink whose flavor is subtly affected by the growing conditions, such as soil condition, moisture, surrounding vegetation, etc. Both Coffee and Tea have been naturally imparted with a chemical that provides stimulation, caffeine. Also, both drinks come from dried versions of a part of the plant. Finally, both use very similar methods of preparation.

In the US, Coffee is the #1 hot drink. This title was usurped from tea relatively recently following the explosion of coffee houses. Fifteen years or so ago, when all that was readily available were low-grade coffees such as Sanka, the market was relatively equal. Then, with the surge of the popular coffee houses and America’s obsession with finding the best roast on the best bean, and, in turn, the roasters giving it to them, coffee popularity increased.

Worldwide, tea is still the first choice in hot beverages, but this is merely a matter of personal taste.

Whatever drink you may prefer, make sure you choose based on quality. By supporting those purveyors that are striving for quality, you'll raise the bar for the trade as a whole.

What's your tea type?

2010-04-22T14:33:00.001-07:00

Types of Tea

All tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. The styles of tea are produced by altering the shape and chemistry of the leaf. Once this alteration is complete, all teas are finished by drying the leaves.

The primary process in the way a tea leaf is processed is oxidation. This will also determine how the tea will be classified, depending on the amount and process of oxidation. Oxidation is the natural process by which enzymes inside the tea leaf are exposed to oxygen. You can see the same process in a piece of fruit left out. As the air hits the enzymes, the fruit slowly starts to turn brown. This process in tea leaves can be sped up by rolling, cutting, or crushing the leaves. If you were to cut or bruise the piece of fruit, it too will speed up the oxidation process. The oxidation process is stopped by drying the leaf down to at least 5-6% moisture content or less to prevent the remaining enzymes from interacting with the oxygen in the air.

NOTE: Oxidation is commonly, but incorrectly, referred to by some in the tea industry as fermentation. This is likely a mistaken comparison to the more familiar fermentation process involved in converting grapes into wine.

The four basic styles of tea, in order from least oxidized to most oxidized, are White, Green, Oolong and Black.

White Tea is relatively unprocessed, and has been allowed to oxidize very little. The name is derived from the fuzzy, white "hairs" that appear on the unopened or recently opened buds of new growth on the tea plant. Because they are typically comprised of the newest leaves which the plant has been pouring its energy into, they also tend to have the highest antioxidant content. In practice, some white teas, like the Chinese White Peony, undergo a multi-step process of steaming and drying that does result in some uneven oxidation which can be seen in the varying shades of green in the open leaf and even some brown around the outside edges of individual leaves. White teas produce a very pale green, or yellow liquor and are the most delicate in flavor and aroma.

Green Tea is typically subjected to a multi-step process of steaming, pan-firing, and/or rolling before being dried to freeze the oxidation process. Little oxidation occurs in most green teas, and they are differentiated from white teas primarily by the extra steps of manipulating or processing the leaf before drying. The liquor of a green tea is typically a green or yellow color, and flavors range from grassy to sweet with mild astringency.

Oolong Tea is also subjected to a multi-step process of steaming, pan-firing or rolling but is also set out and allowed to "wither" which gives the leaf time to oxidize. Oolongs usually ranging between 20% and 80% oxidized. This range results in a dramatic variety of colors, (from green to nearly black) and an equally dramatic variety of flavors and aromas. Oolongs typically are bolder in flavor than Green or White teas, and offer less astringency than either the stronger Black or lighter Green teas. Because of their smooth yet rich flavor profiles, Oolongs are ideal for those new to tea drinking.

Black Tea undergoes similar processing to Green and Oolong teas but is allowed to oxidize more completely. The brewed liquor of a Black tea ranges between dark brown and deep red. Black teas offer the strongest flavors and, in some cases, greatest astringency. Black teas are the only style of tea regularly drunk with milk and sugar (though some dark Oolong drinkers may disagree) and are the most popular bases for iced tea.

Pu-Erh Tea undergoes similar processing to Green teas but then is allowed to undergo an entirely unique process of fermentation over an extended period of time (sometimes many years). Pu erh teas are often pressed into dense cakes or other decorative shapes. They are known for their unusual status as the only aged, fermented teas and are prized for their earthy, musty aroma, and rich, smooth taste.

2010-04-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

What is Tea?

Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world. The first is water. All tea (Black, Green, Oolong, White) comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, which is a sub-tropical evergreen plant native to Asia. The tea plant grows best in loose, deep soil, at high altitudes, and in sub-tropical climates, and is now grown all over the world. Anything that doesn’t come from the Camellia Sinensis plant is accurately referred to as an herbal tea or tisane. Tisanes include chamomile, Rooibos, and fruit teas.

How is it grown?

The tea plant, which grows naturally in the wild through much of Asia, is cultivated in various places, from a small family garden to giant estates covering thousands of acres. The best tea is grown at elevation on steep slopes. The terrain requires that these premium teas be hand picked. On the other hand, teas grown for tea bags or iced teas are grown on large, flat areas at lower elevations to allow for machine harvesting of large batches.

Hand picked teas are called “Orthodox Teas,” and contain only the top two leaves and the unopened bud, which are picked carefully and processed to reach the desired result to bring out the characteristics of the tea.

Machine picked and processed teas are typically called CTC (Cut-Tear-Curl, or sometimes Crush-Tear-Curl)teas. These teas usually include the uppermost leaves and unopened buds, but also can contain varying amounts of older leaves, stalks, and stems. Depending on the quality of the tea and the care used in picking and processing, CTC teas can be of very good quality and taste, but do not hold a candle to the quality of Orthodox teas.

What is in tea?

The three primary components of brewed tea (which is called the “liquor”) are:

1. Essential Oils – these provide delicious aromas and flavors.

2. Polyphenols – these provide the “briskness,” or astringency in the mouth and are the components that also carry most of the health benefits of tea.

3. Caffeine – found naturally in coffee, chocolate, tea, and Yerba Mate, caffeine provides tea’s natural energy boost.

Tisanes

Herbal teas, which tea experts term “Tisanes” (a French word for “herbal infusion”) are usually dried flowers, fruits, or herbs steeped in boiling water. No actual tea leaves are included. Historically consumed for medicinal reasons, or as a caffeine-free alternative, many Tisanes are beginning to find their own popularity.

Herbal "teas" 

The first and arguably most famous Herbal tea finds its roots in ancient Egypt. The first recorded mention of Chamomile being chugged was in a document known as the Ebers Papyrus, dating back to 1550 BC. Used to honor the gods, embalm the dead, and cure the sick, Chamomile has endured a lasting fame. This light, sweet, apple-like concoction is still revered for its uncanny (caffeine-free) calming effect.

Fruit "teas" 

Fruit teas, or tisanes, are caffeine free blends containing a range of fruits, spices, and herbs. The most common ingredient in fruit teas is Hibiscus, a crimson flower that yields a deep red color to the cup and a powerful tart sweetness. Hibiscus is naturally high in Vitamin C. Tea blenders use dried fruits, fruit peel, fruit oils, blossoms, and spices to achieve just the right blend of visual appeal and flavor profile.

Rooibos

A late arrival to the Tisane scene, Rooibos, is quickly stealing the spotlight from its Camellia cousin, green tea. Also known as "Red Bush Tea," or simply "Red Tea," Rooibos was introduced to the beverage world as a substitute for black tea. During World War II, virtually all supplies of Japanese and Chinese teas suddenly became unavailable. The tea-addicted Western culture scoured the world for an alternative, finally discovering caffeine-free Rooibos. However, recent health benefits attributed to Rooibos are allowing it to emerge from the shadows as a legitimate drink in itself. Rooibos has a rich, slightly sweet flavor that is excellent alone and blends extremely well with a variety of flavors.

Yerba Mate 

Finally, the newest drink to the herbal market is called Yerba Mate. This South American botanical from the holly family is consumed throughout much of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the Far East. Yerba Mate, or simply "Mate"(pronounced mah-tay), has been lauded as a cultural phenomenon that both energizes and remedies the body. Mate is one of the few plants on earth (along with coffee, cocoa and tea) that contain caffeine. While the taste tends to be quite unusual to newcomers, many folks overlook its unique character to receive the benefits. Originally stranded in the obscurity of the niche cultural market, it has now been introduced to the US as a substitute for coffee and is attracting wider attention.

No longer a beverage reserved for those seeking a caffeine free experience, Herbals have found a new place in the market. Tisanes are beginning to infuse culture with a wide range of tastes and astounding array of benefits. They have now parted ways with bigger brothers Coffee and Tea and their independence should be recognized.

A Crazy New Invention to Get Your Coffee Kicks

2010-03-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

To inhale or not to inhale- No, we’re not talking about the latest in the issue of legalizing marijuana. We’re talking about the new wave of technology that allows one to inhale their food or drink – literally. A Harvard professor and a Parisian chef have come up with an inhaler that allows you to inhale a powder that gives you the flavor and the caffeine of coffee. The company, called LeWhif, has invented small, lipstick sized tubes that which you can purchase individually for $3 or in boxes of three for $8. Each inhaler delivers 100 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of a cup of light espresso. The "inhalee" can get up to nine hits from an individual stick, depending on how hard they inhale.

Harvard professor David Edwards and chef Thierry Marx are the masterminds behind this culinary concoction, and they have already developed a chocolate inhaler prior to this. Edwards, a biological engineer, designed the airborne coffee and food particles to be too large to enter the lungs. Instead, they land on the tongue and cheeks, giving the taste, and kick, of coffee without the cup. The inhalers are meant to have the experience of consuming chocolate or coffee without the calories. So far only one retailer is carrying the product in Cambridge, MA. One can also purchase them on LeWhif’s website.

Kona Coffee: Exquisite taste unmatched

2010-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal™:
For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of Maui Coffee Roasters:
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.
~Author Unknown (with changes by KMK)

All over the world, coffee is the most recognized non-alcoholic beverage. It warms the bellies and brightens the eyes of people from all walks of life: from businessmen in China, to Bedouins of the Sahara; from hipsters on their scooters, to mothers who enjoy the peace and solitude of a steamy cup before they wake their children for school.

One type of coffee that is sure to enlighten your tastebuds and awaken your senses is the rich, robust flavor of Kona coffee. Hailing from Hawaii's Big Island, cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa volcanoes, Kona coffee is one of the most sought after coffees in the world.

Kona coffee is in the category of arabica beans, which is believed to be the first species of coffee plants to be cultivated. It is the weather and soil conditions that make this bean thrive on the rugged hills of Hawaiian volcanoes. Sunny and warm mornings, cloudy and rainy afternoons, little wind and mild nights combined with porous, mineral rich volcanic soil, creates favorable coffee growing conditions.

The coffee plant was first brought to Kona in 1828 by Samuel Reverend Ruggles from Brazilian cuttings, although it was not until much later in that century that it became a consistent and worthwhile crop. It was grown on large plantations, but the 1899 world coffee market crash caused plantation owners to have to lease out their land to their workers. Most of these workers were originally from Japan, originally brought in to work on large sugarcane plantations. They worked their leased parcels of between 5 and 12 acres, producing large, quality coffee crops.

The tradition of running family farms has continued throughout Kona. The Japanese-origin families have been joined by Filipinos, mainland Americans, and Europeans. There are approximately 800 Kona coffee farms, with an average farm size of less than 5 acres. In 1997, the total Kona coffee area was 2,290 acres and green coffee production was just over two million pounds.

Kona coffee blooms in February and March. Small white flowers cover the tree and are know as Kona Snow. In April, green berries begin to appear on the trees. By late August, red fruit called "cherry" because of the resemblance of the ripe berry to a cherry, starts to ripen for picking. It is then hand picked to ensure that it is handled with care and checked for quality. Each tree will be picked several times between August and January, and provides around 20-30 pounds of cherry.

Pure Kona coffee offers a rich, full bodied flavor that will make any coffee lover purr. The aroma will make you want to close your eyes and bask in it's luxurious warmth. Because of it's esteem in the coffee world with over 180 years of providing excellence in the cup, this bean's cost is a bit higher. Many people will choose a Kona blend, which is simply the Kona bean blended with a bean from another area. The cost goes down a bit for Kona blends, but if you are looking for that pure Kona flavor, stick with the pure Kona bean. It will keep the Kona bean farmer happy, and ultimately it will keep your addiction for the best coffee fulfilled.

Visit Maui Coffee Roasters website for a fine selection of Kona coffee as well as other 100% Hawaiian beans. www.mauicoffeeroasters.com
Article by KMK

New Coffee Species Discovered

2010-01-26T20:48:00.000-08:00

2009 turned out to be a bumper year with the British Botanical gardens discovering 2 new wild coffee plants.

According to the BBC:

Seven wild coffee species also feature on the list of new species, most of which were discovered in the mountains of northern Madagascar.

Two of the plants – Coffea ambongensis and Coffea boinensis – have the largest seeds of any coffee species, whose “beans” are more than twice the size of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica), the main species used in commercial coffee production.

“Coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity, after oil, with at least 25 million farming families dependent on its production for their livelihoods,” explained RBG Kew’s coffee expert Aaron Davis.

“Yet, we still have much to learn about its wild relatives.”

This is awesome as so much coffee is under cultivation to discover two new varieties will certainly change the future of Gourmet Coffee.

COFFEE NEWS - Organic coffee: Why Latin America's farmers are abandoning it

2010-01-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

Latin America produces an estimated 75 percent of the world's organic coffee. But the economic benefits many small farmers were promised if they converted to organic haven't materialized.

Guatemala City

Some 450,000 pounds of organic coffee sit in a warehouse here, stacked neatly in 132-lb. bags. It’s some of the world’s best coffee, but Gerardo De Leon can’t sell it.
“This is very high quality and it’s organic. But ... the roasters don’t want to pay extra these days,” says the manager of FEDECOCAGUA, Guatemala’s largest growers’ cooperative, which represents 20,000 farmers.

Mr. De Leon is asking $2 per pound for the green (unroasted) coffee, about 50 cents more than the going price. But he says he’ll soon have to sell it as conventionally grown coffee, which sells for less.

That’s why many Mesoamerican farmers here are starting to give up on organic coffee: The premium price that it used to fetch is disappearing.

From Mexico to Costa Rica, at least 10 percent of growers have defected in the past three years, estimates the Center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education in Costa Rica (CATIE). Researchers say that each year, about 75 percent of the world’s organic coffee comes from Latin America.

Farmers have returned to the chemical fertilizers and pesticides that increase production, albeit at a cost to the environment. Although organic still pays a premium of as much as 25 percent over conventional coffee, it’s not enough to cover the added cost of production and make up for the smaller yields. For consumers, the defections threaten to make the coffee harder to find.

“This is a critical point for organic coffee. It was starting to make the conversion to the mainstream,” says Jeremy Haggar, who oversees the research for CATIE. If farmers continue to abandon organic coffee, “prices will definitely go up and it will return to being a niche product.”
'Promised economic benefits'

Under specialty “green” labels at places like Wal-Mart and McDonald’s, organic beans and brews have become cheaper and more widely available recently. Last year, North American sales reached a record $1.3 billion, a 13 percent increase from 2007.

Major retailers already struggle to fill demand. Seattle-based Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest coffeehouse company, said just 3 percent of its coffee purchases, about 10 million pounds, were organic last year.

“Our purchases of certified organic coffee are limited due to the limited quantities available worldwide and the constraints of the organic certification system for farmers,” the company said in a statement issued in response to questions.

The expense of organic certifications, composts, and the losses incurred by pests and other factors mean growing organic costs about 15 percent more than growing conventional crops, Mr. Haggar says. More notably, by using chemical fertilizers a farmer can coax about 485 pounds of coffee out of one acre, versus 285 pounds per acre on an organic farm, according to CATIE.
With coffee prices rebounding from the historic lows of a decade ago, there’s little financial reason for growers to continue raising organic beans.

“I can sell [nonorganic coffee] to a coyote [middle man] for around the same price [as organic], a little less, and I can use whatever I want on the coffee plants – fertilizers I can buy, pesticides,” says Jose Perez, who stopped growing organic coffee on his three-acre farm in Guatemala last year. “I can grow a lot more this way.”

Mr. Perez is an example of what World Bank coffee researcher Daniele Giovannucci says was an empty promise made to growers. “Many farmers ... were promised economic benefits by those that wanted them to convert, which was a very bad idea,” he writes in an e-mail, “and [this trend] is bearing the fruit in their dissatisfaction.”
Organic demanded, but not at higher price

A decade ago, with coffee prices bottoming out and at the urging of some development organizations, tens of thousands of Latin American farmers began to convert their fields to producers of certified organic products. To do so, farmers followed strict rules set by a handful of agencies, including the US Department of Agriculture, that require soil be free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers for three years.

After making the conversion, they would be supplying a growing market that paid as much as 40 percent more. They would also be preserving their land. Conventional farms apply as much as 250 pounds of chemical fertilizers on every acre. “And they use tons of pesticides that are harmful to human health and affect biodiversity,” Haggar says. Organic farms, rich with flora, trap more carbon than their conventional counterparts, an important benefit for a crop threatened by climate change.

However, the farmers don’t receive the financial benefits of organic coffee until they are certified, meaning they were expected to absorb extra costs for three years. Many went into debt. Now, they are quitting organic farming.

“When you’re a small organization like ours, it’s already difficult to survive against the big growers. So when you lose members, it hurts you a lot,” says Marvin Lopez, manager of APODIP, a Coban, Guatemala-based cooperative of organic growers that lost half of its members, about 380, last year.

“I get calls every day from buyers in the US who are asking me if I have any organic [coffee] available. But then I tell them the price, $2 per pound,” De Leon says, pointing to an e-mail with an offer to pay $1.50 per pound. “So, the coffee just sits there.”

By Ezra Fieser Correspondent / December 29, 2009
Christian Science Monitor

Coffee: Healthy or Harmful?

2009-11-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

You would be hard pressed to find another beverage besides coffee whose health benefits or concerns are more controversial. It seems with each passing year, coffee is hailed as either medicine or poison, but this year it seems the findings have been positive. Let’s take a look at a few recent conclusions.

Coffee May Prevent and Treat Alzheimer’s

In a study on mice, researchers gave them the equivalent of 3-5 cups strong coffee and found that after two months the subjects had a greatly improved memory. It may be because the caffeine reduces inflammation in the brain, which would improve memory, or because they had 50% less amyloid beta protein in their brains. Testing the memory of a mouse, what an interesting job… As for studies on humans, lead researcher on the project, Miia Kivipelto, a professor at the University of Kuopio in Finland and at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said, "Middle-aged people who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease by between 60 and 65 percent later in life." She also said it remained unclear exactly how moderate coffee drinking helped delay or avoid the onset of dementia, but pointed out that coffee contains strong antioxidants, which are known to counter Alzheimer's.

Coffee May Help Diabetics

Previous studies have affirmed that a high consumption of coffee may lower the risk for type 2 diabetes, and now another study on 15 overweight men was performed, focusing on two specific compounds found in coffee, chlorogenic acid and trigonelline. The researchers examined the effects on both glucose and insulin concentrations and found a significant reduction in glucose and insulin 15 minutes after the oral glucose tolerance test, a two-hour procedure commonly used to diagnose diabetes. They believe that these specific compounds contribute to the overall beneficial effect of coffee on the development of type 2 diabetes.

Caffeine Used to Fight Skin Cancer

Scientists now believe that both drinking caffeine and using sunscreens or after-sun creams containing caffeine may improve sun damaged skin and reduce the risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer. In a 2007 study it was shown that drinking caffeinated coffee caused a reduction in the risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer at a rate of 5% for each cup consumed per day. Now researchers have shown that caffeine applied topically to the skin effectively protected skin cells after they were exposed to UV radiation. The reasoning behind it is believed to be that caffeine causes apoptosis, the programmed death of pre-cancerous cells. In one study, after exposing hairless mice to UV radiation, they found that topical applications of caffeine to the mice decreased the number of nonmalignant skin tumors by 44% and malignant skin tumors 72%. It increased apoptosis of nonmalignant skin tumors by 87% and squamous cell carcinomas 92%, and there was no effect on the non-tumor areas of the skin. This should be good news for those of us living in Arizona!

Coffee Helps Hepatitis C Patients

In an observation study it was found that patients with a hepatitis C virus infection who drank three cups or more of coffee per day appear to be less likely to suffer from progression of liver damage caused by the disease. In the study, those who drank 3 or more cups of coffee per day had livers that were much healthier than the other participants. At the 13-month follow-up, outcome rates continued to decrease more for those who consumed three or more cups per day than those who drank little or no coffee, leading researchers to claim that "coffee consumption may slow the progression of fibrotic liver disease" (the result of the liver forming excessive fibrous connective tissue).

Courtesy of www.ineedcoffee.com

Coffee Recipes for Entertaining

2009-10-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Affogato Mocha

yield: Makes 4 servings

Affogato is a typically Italian way to enjoy ice cream — it's literally "drowned" in espresso or another liquid topping.

1 pint chocolate ice cream
8 tablespoons finely chopped bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate
8 tablespoons hot freshly brewed espresso coffee
8 tablespoons dark rum

Divide ice cream among 4 dessert bowls or coffee cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons each of chocolate, espresso, and rum over ice cream and serve immediately.

Cappuccino-Fudge Cheesecake

yield: Makes 12 servings

Be sure to make this dessert at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

Crust

1 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 tablespoons hot melted unsalted butter

Ganache

1 1/2 cups whipping cream
20 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur

Filling

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or coffee crystals
2 tablespoons ground whole espresso coffee beans (medium-coarse grind)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
4 large eggs

Topping

1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Espresso coffee beans (optional)

For crust:
Finely grind cookies, chopped chocolate, brown sugar, and nutmeg in processor. Add butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together, scraping down bowl occasionally, about 1 minute. Transfer crumbs to 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Wrap plastic wrap around fingers and press crumb mixture firmly up sides to within 1/2 inch of top edge, then over bottom of pan.

For ganache:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in large saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and Kahlúa. Whisk until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Pour 2 cups ganache over bottom of crust. Freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature to use later for creating lattice pattern.

For filling
Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in flour. Stir rum, espresso powder, ground coffee, vanilla, and molasses in small bowl until instant coffee dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Pour filling over cold ganache in crust. Place cheesecake on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until top is brown, puffed and cracked at edges, and center 2 inches moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Cool 15 minutes while preparing topping (top of cheesecake will fall slightly). Maintain oven temperature.

For topping:
Whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely. Bake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Refrigerate hot cheesecake on rack until cool, about 3 hours.

Run small sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Spoon reserved ganache into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe 6 diagonal lines atop cheesecake, spacing 1 inch apart. Repeat in opposite direction, making lattice. Pipe rosettes of ganache around top edge of cake. Garnish with coffee beans, if desired. Chill until lattice is firm, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Wrap loosely in foil, forming dome over lattice; keep chilled.)

Short Ribs Braised in Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce

yield: Makes 6 servings

Chef Robert Del Grande of Cafe Annie, in Houston, serves a fillet of beef with a coffee chile sauce — we think the flavor combination also works well with the succulence of short ribs. We recommend serving these ribs over soft polenta.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr

4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and ribs discarded
2 cups boiling-hot water
1 medium onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chilesin adobo plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons salt
6 lb beef short ribs orflanken
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Soak ancho chiles in boiling-hot water until softened, about 20 minutes, then drain in a colander set over a bowl. Taste soaking liquid: It will be a little bitter, but if unpleasantly so, discard it; otherwise, reserve for braising. Transfer ancho chiles to a blender and purée with onion, garlic, chipotles with sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Pat ribs dry and sprinkle with pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown ribs in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer as browned to a roasting pan just large enough to hold ribs in 1 layer.

Carefully add chile purée to fat remaining in skillet (use caution, since it will splatter and steam) and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add reserved chile soaking liquid (or 1 1/2 cups water) and coffee and bring to a boil, then pour over ribs (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat).

Cover roasting pan tightly with foil and braise ribs in middle of oven until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Skim fat from pan juices and serve with ribs.

Courtesy of Epicurious.com