There is much talk about " specialty coffee ," but to this day, only coffee merchants are familiar with the subject, as many consumers are ignorant of the subject and speak without arguments. The concept of specialty coffee originates from Mrs. Erna Knutren (Norway), a renowned coffee roaster, who first introduced the term at the International Coffee Conference held in Montrui, France, in 1978.
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) defines the term "specialty coffee" as coffee that has passed all the tests of survival, confirming its quality as a well-prepared, single-origin coffee with a distinctive flavor throughout its long journey from tree to cup. Specialty coffee is free of defects, appropriately sized, properly dried, and has a perfect cup without taint, and has distinctive attributes. All of this indicates that the coffee passes the grading and cupping tests.
How do you know a coffee is special?
After harvesting and processing the ripe fruits of the coffee plant, they must be tasted to determine the character of the beverage. Specialty coffees are characterized by high-quality cups and exquisite flavors that demonstrate the great work producers have done in cultivating the finest coffee beans. A specialty coffee must receive a score of 80 or more in a cupping session conducted by certified specialists.
What does specialty coffee taste like?
A specialty coffee has fruitier flavors, a more intense but pleasant acidity, and a good sweetness and bitterness that leaves a long and pleasant aftertaste on your palate. Specialty coffees have more complex aromas, and you can pause to try to discover them. When you try a specialty coffee, you'll notice a big difference, and when you try a commercial coffee again, you may miss the flavors of that specialty coffee . The best coffee costs more, but the price isn't so high that it's inaccessible to any consumer who wants to enjoy such a distinctive and unique coffee.
Differences between commercial coffee and specialty coffee
Commercial coffee has more traditional flavors and hasn't undergone as selective a process as specialty coffees. The latter have appropriate conditions, from the soil where the coffee is grown to the way it's roasted and prepared.
Process for producing specialty coffee
You'll notice all the effort growers put into producing the best coffees in a process that, step by step, culminates in the excellent result of a specialty coffee . Let's take a look.
- Farms and Producers: Coffee, like all plants, has a climate and conditions that favor its growth. Specialty coffee is produced on farms that possess all the optimal conditions for coffee cultivation. Producers provide the plants with the best conditions for their development and thus produce an excellent quality beverage. On the farms, the beans that will be responsible for producing our favorite beverages are formed. Coffee is a fruit and must be harvested at its peak ripeness to achieve excellent quality.
- Drying and Processing: After the coffee is harvested, it must go through a series of processes that prepare it for the drying stage. This process seeks to reduce the coffee's moisture content and initiate the development of the bean's flavors. Processors are very demanding and pay daily attention to the drying process. Mills are the locations where these stages take place. They may be located on the farm or belong to other owners who provide the service to the producers. Women play an important role at mills. Their sensory skills allow them to classify the coffee and select the best beans.
- Quality Control: This is where the coffee's score, or quality, is determined. The best beans are again selected, and a cupping protocol is followed. Cuppers are experts at using their senses to understand every detail of a coffee.
- Storage: Coffee must be collected in a controlled environment to prevent spoilage. Properly preserving and storing coffee ensures its quality is maintained over time. Proper storage allows coffee to maintain the attributes that make it special.
- Roasting the coffee beans: This part of the process ensures that the coffee develops all the flavors that characterize a specialty coffee. Roasting ensures that all its characteristics are best brought out during processing.
- Drink preparation: The barista is responsible for extracting all the flavors from the coffee and showcasing the world the great effort that growers put into producing specialty coffee. To prepare it, baristas experiment and play with different elements to achieve the best results.
Finally, it's extremely important for you to know that specialty coffees are produced with the utmost dedication and effort over a full year. The excellent work of the producers is what allows you to enjoy the coffee you love and the variety of its preparations.