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Coffee is the common name for seeds produced by shrubs of the Coffea gender of the family of the rubiaceas, the same as the name we give the drink prepared with these seeds. Among the thirty or so species included in the Coffea gender, only three are important: Arabic, Canephora and Liberica. The shrub, between 4.6 to 6 meters high in its maturity, has oval, shiny, green leaves that last for three to five years, and white, fragrant flowers that only remain open a few days. The fruit, called a "cherry" because of its similarity with that fruit, develops during the six or seven months following the appearance of the flower. It changes from light green to red, and when totally mature and ready for harvest, it turns crimson. The ripe fruit is formed in clusters joined to the branches by very small stems. It usually has two seeds surrounded by a sweet pulp. In order to grow, the coffee plant or tree ("cafeto") needs a rich and humid soil that absorbs water well and drains excess rain rapidly. The best soils are formed by a small bed of leaves, organic matters of another type and disintegrated volcanic rock. Coffee plantations occupy portagets between sea level and the limit of tropical perpetual snows that are found at around 1800 meters high. The seed is directly planted into the soil or in special seeders. In the latter case, the young selected plants are transplanted after a certain period time to the plain earth. Coffee plants produce their first harvest of full production when they are around five years old. From then on, they maintain a constant production during 15 to 20 years. Two harvesting methods are used. One is based on selective harvesting and the other consists of shaking the plant and picking up all the fruit. Seeds obtained by means of the first method are submitted, if there is water, to the so-called humid method: softening in water, mechanic elimination of the pulp, fermenting in large deposits, new washing and drying by air or in gyrating hot cylinders. The dry method which is usually reserved for seeds harvested by the second method is reduced to drying the grain and eliminating outer wrappings. The final product is always called "green coffee", and is selected by hand or by machine to eliminate defective seeds and strange matter, and is classified according to size.
Among over a dozen known species of the coffea gender, only two are of any economic importance due to their extensive cultivation. They are Arabic Coffea, commonly known as Arabic, and Canephora Coffea known as Robusta. There is a third species, the Liberian Coffea, whose cultivation is marginal in comparison with the two others. The cultivation of Arabic is more extended that the Robusta, representing close to two thirds of world production. The grains of the two most common species, the Arabic and the Robusta, are similar at first sight when they have been toasted, but in reality, there are various differences between the two species. The Arabic genetically has 44 chromosomes in comparison to the 22 of the Robusta. The color of the leaves and the fruits of both species are different, as well as the height of the plant. The Arabic grows, when it does so freely, to between 6 and 8 meters while the Robusta tends to be higher, between 8 to 10 meters. The Robusta plant is more resistant, as its name indicates, to the attacks of parasites, diseases and heat. The Arabic is particularly sensible to a disease called "roya" (Hemileia vastatrix), especially when it is planted in low portage lands. This is one of the reasons for locating the Arabic plantations generally at portages between 900 and 2000 meters. But the great difference between the two species is in the green grain. The grain of the Arabic is flatter and longer, its green color is more intense and at times it has streaks of blue. Besides, it has a sinuous central furrow. The Robusta’s grain, however, is more convex and blown up, with a straight central furrow, and its color is pale green with brown or gray streaks. From the chemical point of view, the Arabic grain contains from 1.1 to 1.7% caffeine, while that of the Robusta has 2 to 4.5%. The "chilorgenic" acids (substances that may cause gastric disorders to the consumer) are more in the grain of the Robusta than in the Arabic grain. The taste of both species is different: the Arabic is sweeter, more aromatic and sensibly less bitter and astringent than the one from the Robusta. The drink obtained with the Robusta is stronger and more bitter. There are other differences between the two species, but they are more for the interest of specialists. However, we shall point out some of them: a.The Robusta plant has more branches than the Arabic. b.The number of inflorescence by pores is greater in the Robusta species than in the Arabic, and the flowers are also larger. c.The Arabic is auto gama, that is, the flowers are self pollinated while those of the Robusta require a pollination job. Coffee obtained from the Arabic species is considered better than the one obtained from the Robusta species.
The species of the Coffea gender is Arabic Cofeea L., typica variety, also known as "criollo" coffee, introduced in the second half of the XVIII century in the main commercial plantations of Venezuela. This variety is characterized by being of low performance and highly susceptible to the attacks of the "roya" on the coffee plant (a Hemileia vastatrix fungus). Presently, it is estimated that three-fourths of the country’s coffee area has been planted with this variety, of an advanced age and, in general, with inadequate agricultural handling. Modern coffee agriculture pursues, among other, the purpose of obtaining and introducing genetic materials of higher performance and resistant to the "roya", a disease of the coffee plant leaves that has caused considerable economic problems to coffee cultivation. Since 1953, the introduction of genetic materials with higher performances and with good agricultural conditions started being introduced under the initiative of the Bramón Experimental Station and later, by the Caripe Experimental Camp. This material was mainly brought from Colombia, Brazil and Central America. Among them, we find the types called Bourbon Mercedes28, Bourbon from Salvador, Novo World 385 and Novo World 389, among those of larger height, and Caturra, Pacas, Villa Sarchi and Catuai, of lower or compact height. The higher ones, however, have the disadvantage that its largest size, besides requiring an extensive renovation program, makes harvesting and sanitary control more difficult. Then, since 1963 when the "roya" of the coffee plant appeared as a menace, resistant materials to that disease were introduced from Costa Rica, Portugal and Brazil. Among them, certain crosses of the Timor hybrid with Caturra were found, which originated the Catimor, and with Catuai, that gave way to Cavimor. The main existing cultivators in Venezuela are: BOURBÓN: A high portage cultivation that originated in the Ramoni Island, previously called Bourbón. In this type, the Bourbón from Salvador line, which is highly productive and vigorous, excells. CARIPE: A high portage cultivation that originated at Caripe on the Eastern part of the country. CATIMOR: A cross between Caturra with Timor, of low portage and resistant to the "roya" of the coffee plant. CATUAI: A low portage cultivation that originated in Brazil, obtained from the artificial cross between Caturra and Mundo Novo. It adapts easily to the country’s condition and has a high performance. CATURRA: A low portage cultivation that originated in Brazul, probably obtained from the mutation that occurred in Bourbón plants. if has a good performance, if it is handled well and in adequate agri-ecological conditions. CAVIMOR: A cross between Catuai with the Timor Hybrid, of low portage and resistant to the "roya" of the coffee plant. CRIOLLO: An American coffee cultivation of high portage, also known as typica. TIMOR HYBRID: A high portage cultivation used to effect crossings that assure more resistance against the roya of the coffee plant. MARAGOGIPE: A high portage cultivation with large grains. MUNDO NOVO: A high portage cultivation, very vigorous and production, originating in Brazil. It is the result of a natural cross between Bourbón and Sumatra. PACAS: A low portage cultivation from El Salvador, very similar to Caturra. PACHE: A low and compact portage cultivation from Guatemala. ROBUSTA: A Coffea Canephora cultivation that produces coffee with a strong taste due to its larger contents of caffeine. SAN BERNARDO: A low portage cultivation, originated in Central America. SARCHIMOR: A low portage cross between Villa Sarchi and the Timor Hybrid. SEMPERFLORENS: A high portage cultivation. TYPICA: An American coffee cultivation of high portage, also known as Criollo. VILLA SARCHI: A low portage cultivation from Costa Rica, the product of a mutation of Bourbón, with high and vigorous production.
BRAZIL: Over 30% of world coffee is produced in Brazil. It is not of the best quality and most of its production is used to prepare instant coffee. Its best coffee is SANTOS, with a mild flavor. BOURBON SANTOS has a medium taste, slightly acid. COLOMBIA: Ranks among the largest world producers and all its harvest belongs to the Arabic species, hand picked and washed. Among the excellent Colombian coffee is MEDELLIN, followed by ARMENIA and MANIZALES. MEDELLIN is their best coffee, with an exquisite taste and a well balanced acidity. COSTA RICA: All its grains are of the Arabic species, washed and with a delicious flavor and slight acidity One of their most famous coffees is TARRAZU. ETHIOPIA: Probably the center of coffee’s origin. Its grains are of an intense flavor with a good consistency and excellent aroma. Its most famous coffee is the ETHIOPIAN HARRAR due to its rich and strong flavor. GUATEMALA: Its coffees are grown in mountainous and temperate regions, especially in the zones of Antigua and Coban. Its grains have a smoky and acid flavor that is very well liked. HAITI: Its grains are very popular in Europe because of their soft flavor with a touch of sweetness. HAWAII: The only American region that produces coffee, particularly in the Kona District, famous for having the largest performance of coffee trees in the world and for producing a soft, aromatic and slightly acid coffee. INDIA: Its MYSORE coffee is the best known among Hindu coffees with a soft flavor and a delicate aroma. It is often mixed with MOCHA. INDONESIA: Its SUMATRA, CELEBES and JAVA coffees are very popular with their spicy flavor and good consistency. It produces Arabic and Robusta varieties. Its most famous coffee is the MANDHELING, soft and rich. JAMAICA: It produces BLUE MOUNTAIN, aromatic, sweet and extremely soft, with a well balanced flavor, aroma and acidity. Its coffee is scarce and of high value, almost totally sold in Japan. KENYA: It produces Arabic with high quality, with an excellent taste and fine acidity, combined with a delicate softness. The KENYA PEABERRY is very well liked. MEXICO: Light, rich coffees with fine acidity and fragrance. The COATEPEC, PLUMA AND OAXACA are very well liked in the United States and very popular in the preparation of mixtures. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Although its coffee production began in the decade of 1950, its soft coffee is similar to those produced in Kenya and are very well liked. PERU: Its CHANCHAMAYO coffee is well sold due to its subtle taste and its slight acidity. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Its best coffees, like the SANTO DOMINGO, are strong and consistent, moderately acid and tasty, although its personality is not too defined. They are popular in the United States and Germany. TANZANIA: Exquisite coffees, with a good consistency and slight acidity, particularly those cultivated in the brow of the hills of Mount Kilimandjaro. VENEZUELA: Has excellent Arabic washed coffees. Its MERIDA coffees are especially liked, with a soft, sweet consistency, quoted as being from Maracaibo, and the CARACAS and CARACAS AZUL, with its characteristic flavor that is very well liked in France and Spain. YEMEN: Its MOCHA coffee is fragrant, spicy, with a good consistency and creamy, with an aftertaste of chocolate. It is especially used in mixtures with MYSORE, JAVA and SUMATRA, and to prepare Turkish coffee.
Among special coffees, we find "gourmet" and "organic" coffees. Fine coffees produced from high quality cherries, harvested in Arabic coffea plants, grown in high lands and that have been submitted to a difficult damp cultivation process are known as gourmet coffees. Toasted with special processes, gourmet coffees are frequently sold in whole grains to be ground at home. Due to their high quality, the consumer, particularly the Europeans, pays a higher price for these coffees. Among the most representative of gourmet coffees is ALTURA COATEPEC from Mexico, the MAROGOGIPE from Guatemala, the ESTRIETA from Honduras, the BLUE MOUNTAIN from Jamaica, the PRIMERO from Puerto Rico, the SUPREME from Colombia, the TACHIRA washed from Venezuela, the ARABIAN MOCHA from Yemen, the YUNNAN from China , the SUMATRA from Indonesia, the MANILA from the Philippines and the KILIMANJARO from Tanzania. Organic coffees are those whose production and processing does not use any type of chemical product. World production of organic coffee is recent and restricted. Initiated in 1991, it barely reached a production of 6667 t, half of this from Mexico which was the pioneer country in producing this type of coffee. The other 50% of world production comes from Guatemala, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic. The production of organic coffee started in Venezuela in 1992, limited to certain farms located in the States of Falcon, Mérida (Cooperativa Quebrada Azul) and Táchira (Granjas Integrales in Queniquea). In these areas, production takes place in small farms with diversified production, the use of family handwork and cooperative organization.
Like any alkaloid, caffeine has a very bad reputation and has been attributed the cause of many problems with the support of certain decisive "medical" studies. One of the latter makes an exception, stating that caffeine, with a chemical makeup almost analogous to theofiline , is very efficient to combat acute asthma attacks. In this case, drinking two cups of strong coffee will help the patient to breathe better and will improve his asthma (Prevention Magazine Health Books, 1995, p. 53). However, one must consider these matters. In the first place, in the thousand years of the history of coffee, not one single diagnostic medical case about the death of a coffee addict is known. In the second case, the daily ingestion of caffeine in regular consumers does not produce temporary adverse symptoms, except for an increase in blood pressure in certain cases. As occurs with any nutrition or drink, its consumption must be moderate because an excessive amount may cause certain perturbing pharmacological effects such as trembling, although this is reduced as caffeine is being metabolized after some four hours (although these values vary between two to ten hours according to individual tolerance level). A typical coffee drinker consumes an average of between 250 and 600 mg (which means drinking between 3 and 8 cups of black coffee each day), and at this level, its consumption does not produce adverse effects in the general population because its tolerance varies between 500 to 900 mg. daily. A toxic level may be reached by consuming an estimated dose of 10 grams, equal to 100 cups of strong coffee filtered only once. Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657-1757), a French intellectual who was outstanding in the literary life of Paris during the first half of the XVII century, was advised by his doctor not to drink too much coffee because it was a "slow poison". And Fontanelle replied: "True, Doctor, it is so slow that I have been drinking it for eighty years and I am still alive". Something similar happened to Voltaire (1694-1778) who drank forty cups daily. The first died at the age of one hundred years, and the second, at eight-four. In those days coffee was prepared with champagne wine and was adorned with mustard. Another of the most serious accusations made against coffee is that it causes impotence and sterilization. A sultan who drank too much coffee one day ended up getting tired of his wife, and this apathy, as Lewin tells (Phantastica: Narcotics and Stimulating Drugs, pp. 257-258), was attributed to coffee. The woman saw how a seminal was being castrated, and to bother her husband, she commented that it would have been less painful to have given the animal coffee to so that it would be in a similar state as her husband. Johan Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), the great musician, a furious lover of coffee and father of twenty children, reacted against this accusation by composing in 1732 the Coffee Cantata BWV 211, that in one of its verses says: "Good sweetened coffee is more delicious than a thousand kisses, tastes as sweet as Moscatel wine. Coffee, yes coffee is what I want! And whoever wishes to make me taste an exquisite drink, offer me a cup of coffee". And the fact is that impotence may be the result of different causes other than coffee, such as a poor digestion, stress, a nervous depression, a psychic trauma or alcohol consumption, but not by drinking coffee. But what is caffeine? Caffeine (trimethylxantin 1,3,7) is the most active ingredient of coffee, of tea, of "mate" and of a certain nut. It is an odorless, bitter substance, with low solubility in cold water and of rapid absorption, especially through the gastrointestinal tract. Through plasma it is distributed in all the body tissue. It reaches the brain in 15 seconds after its ingestion and appears in tissue five minutes later. It is highly diuretic. In the central nervous system it facilitates the perception of sensorial excitations acting as a moderate stimulant. Besides, it favors pulmonary function by increasing the frequency and amplitude of respiratory movements, and acts as a vasoconstrictor by reducing the inflammation of blood vessels which is the cause of headaches (Diamond Clinic for Headaches Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. What has been sufficiently proven is that caffeine consumption may temporarily increase blood pressure in healthy persons. In this case, its moderate consumption is recommended. However, caffeine is not as bad as a biased publicity (financed by businesses that promote rival drinks) proclaims because it is employed as a component of numerous medications, including analgesics and dietetic additives.
Each type of coffee has a particular taste. In the large variety of existing coffees in the world, according to the species used, the characteristics of the location of planting, the treatment of the fruit and grain, etc., we find a wide range of tastes: acid or neutral coffees, very fruity or slightly perfumed coffees, soft coffees or with a good consistency, etc. However, in spite of such a wide range of tastes, no coffee, not even the mythical DHARKI or JAFFE from the Arabic Peninsula, or the very famous BLUE MOUNTAIN from Jamaica, provides a cup of strictly complete coffee, although its excellence and its rarity make it an incomparable drink. For other coffees of larger availability and lower prices, one must resort to mixtures, the wiser the better, in order to obtain a coffee that satisfies the demands of the taste of connoisseurs. To obtain this, coffees of different species and locations are mixed in the search of a good mixture that compensates the weaknesses of these types of coffees. Arabic non washed, such as those from Brazil, Ecuador, Haiti, etc., are very consistent and have a pleasant aroma, but they lack acidity that is so important in a good tasting coffee. Arabic from high portages treated by the humid method have a good consistency, a certain acidity (depending on the height of the plantation) and a good aroma that overpower its other qualities. Among these, the ones most liked for mixture are the soft ones with a slight acidity that leave a fruity taste, not too distinct, in the palate. Robusta ones have a good consistence but generally lack acidity and a well defined aroma. For mixtures, certain experts recommend, among the Arabic: -A Central American coffee such as SANTIAGO from Costa Rica or a SEMI HARD BEAN from Guatemala, grown in medium portage close to 1200 m. above sea level to obtain coffee with a fruity aroma and a slight touch of acidity. -A Venezuelan coffee as a LAVADO from TACHIRA or MERIDA, of medium portage, to obtain coffee with excellent consistence and great richness of flavor. -A Brazilian coffee such as SANTOS STRICTLY SOFT, to obtain coffee with a very good flavor. -A Colombian coffee such as a MEDELLIN, to obtain coffee with a very good aroma. Michel Vanier, an export coffee businessman dedicated to the family business from childhood, considers that "coffees treated by humidity have always seemed to me the most adequate coffees to leave in the cup all the palate and perfume that one must expect from a good coffee". (1984:28). He has only praises for washed coffee from the Venezuelan Andes: "It is a coffee with very good consistency and very fruity. It also has a great advantage: it does not lose its taste when it remains warm a long time or when (as in the case of a pressure coffeepot) it suffers the effect of vapor pressure. It is the most convenient coffee for pressure coffeepots" (1984:54).
In order to adulterate, replace or complement ground coffee, experiments have been made since the XVII century with a large amount of cereals, leguminous, nuts and other vegetables, seeking, on one hand and in the case of adulteration, greater economic benefits, and on the other, to create a new taste or a change in the apparent monotony of regular coffee preparations. This search for substituting materials has been due to scarcity or the high prices of coffee during certain periods. For example, in convulsed Europe after the war, a great variety of substitutes were used and which have become true industries in certain countries. These substitutes lack the most important components of coffee such as caffeine and essential oils, and therefore cannot produce its effects, but they do constitute the basis for drinks that are similar in color, odor and taste. Specialists such as Kornauth and Trillich divide coffee substitutes into the following groups: a) Coffee from roots, particularly obtained from the "achicoria" (Cichorium intybus L.); b) Coffee from saccharine such as beet coffee (Beta Vulgaris L.); c) Coffee from fecullous matters that include substitutes prepared with cereals; d) Coffee from grease materials such as coffee from peanuts (Arachis hypogaea); e) Coffee from other matters such as coffee from Mussaenda (Mussaenda burbonica). Among all of these, the best known in European countries are coffee from the "achicoria" root that tastes like pepper and that gives dark toasted coffees a special flavor, and coffee from figs, a very popular substitute in Austria, Belgium and South Germany, prepared with dry, toasted and crumbled figs. Besides, the toasted fig leaves are used to give coffee a delicate fruit flavor, a mixture that is very popular in Great Britain. In Venezuela, many adulterants are used in coffee that reduces its quality, the same as many substitutes, especially in rural zones. Coffee powder is adulterated by adding toasted and ground corn (Zea mays) and vetch (Pisum sativum) grains) Coffee drink is substituted in certain rural areas of the country with powder from seeds: "chiquichique" (Cassia spiciflora Pittier); "quimbombó" or "chimbombó" (Hibiscus esculentus L.); of "brusca" (Cassia occidentalis L.,); of "conopia" or "titiara" (Renealmia aromatica –Aubli Griseb-); of papaya (Carica papaya L.,); of "quinchoncho" (Cajanus cajan L.,), etc. However, despite the large variety of existing substitutes and of adulterating matters, no product can ever substitute the quality of an excellent coffee, whose aroma consistency and effects are a prodigy of nature.
Coffee is the daily drink for millions of persons, but although it may seem unbelievable, it was known in the Western world before the XVII century. And before being used to prepare the infusion we know, it had other ways that may now seem strange. At the beginning of the X century, coffee was considered as food, using its whole cherries to chew on. Afterwards, the seeds were pressed and kneaded with lard to form small balls that nomads and pilgrims carried with them on their trips through the dessert to be used as stimulants and food. Ethiopian tribes mixed wild grains with animal grease and ate the mixture. Later, the custom was to thresh the grains and ferment them in wine. Since the XIII century, coffee was considered by the Arabs as a powerful medicine and a ritual potion that maintained the vigil of the Muslim faithful during their prolonged times of prayer. Then its use passed to Europe with the first loads from the Orient. It was considered an excellent remedy for fevers, gout, scurvy and sadness. It was used as a medication, making a Turkish style infusion with the grains finely reduced to powder, leaving it to rest only as long as necessary so that it was deposited at the bottom of the recipient, and then pouring the liquid into cups. In 1687, Nicolas de Biégny, author of one of the first books on the use of coffee, considered it a true panacea: "It efficiently dissipates the effects of wine, sobering immediately… It fortifies memory and judgement, and gives the will a total freedom to direct all voluntary actions, rectifying all taciturn and melancholic dispositions". The infusion was known since the year 1000. The Arabs, who prepared and drank it, used maceration by boiling the green grains. But in Syria in the XIII century, and later in the XIV century in the entire Arab world, coffee began to be toasted, a method that greatly improved the drink’s quality. A stimulating drink and medication were shared purposes that marked the European development of coffee and to which, at least in France, the book L’usge du Caphé, du thé et du chocolat, that appeared anonymously in Lyon in 1671 (although its writing is attributed to Jacob Spon), contributed to its approval, as a few years before the approval of Pope Clement VIII had been a contribution to the spread of coffee in the Christian world. Coffee consumption prepared in the Turkish manner was maintained during some time until the great revolution in the decades of 1930 and 1940 with the discovery of the machine to prepare "expresso". This machine had a forerunner in the one by Satais, shown at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855. The expresso machine continued improving with the contributions of Francesco Illy and particularly of Achille Gaggia, who designed the first expresso machine without vapor. The preparation of "expresso" or "express" coffee was perfected and it made more pleasant, as well as contributing to the internationalization of coffee. Coffee is a nutrient although certain people doubt this fact, and has certain nutritious values compared to cocoa, according to the food composition table of the National Nutrition Institute.
There is no better proof of the quality of coffee than to drink a cup. There all the elements that make up its taste are combined, and these go from the species of the plant to the method of benefit, and of the country of origin to production techniques. But before tasting it in the cup, its classification is imposed as green coffee ready to be packed and commercialized. Each country has it own classification method where certain fundamental variables are present such as the place of origin, complemented by the region of derivation and its port of shipping. With the sole mention of the place of origin one understands the species of the plant (Arabic or Robusta) and the type of benefit (natural or washed). For example, a Venezuelan, Colombian or Costa Rican coffee is very probably an Arabic washed. In certain cases, however, certain precision is necessary. For example, in the case of a coffee from Cameroun that uses two methods, it is necessary to mention the method selected. In demanding international markets, the caliber is also used, that is, the diameter of the hole through which the grain passes, measured in sixty-fourths of an inch, as is customary in Brazilian coffees. Other countries use the classification AA-A-B-C for the decreasing sizes of Arabic grains, and the numbers I-II-III for those of Robusta. AA corresponds to number 1, Cribble, 16-18, that is 7.2 mm. It is also important to indicate the percentage of defective grains according to the New York Coffee & Sugar Exchange method: NY2 means that there are four defects for each 300 grams of coffee; NY3, there are 12 and so on successively until reaching NY8. A black grain is equal to a defect, but 5 immature grains are necessary and a similar number of broken grains to make a defect. The Brazilian classification by types admits 7 decreasing values of 2 to 8, according to defects found in 300 g samples. These defects may be intrinsic (grains altered by agricultural or industrial processes or by genetic or physiological modifications) or extrinsic (the presence of foreign elements in benefited coffee). The basic type is type 4 that corresponds to the largest percentage of exported coffee. Sometimes the harvest of which the lot forms a part is mentioned: "new crop" for the most recent harvest and "old crop" for the former one. Others consider the density of the grains (HB for Hard Bean and SHB for Strictly Hard Bean), or the color of the grains, the procedure of torrefaction or its performance in the cup. In a general manner and according to the International Coffee Organization (OIC), there are four basic qualities of coffee in the world:
The New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange Inc. specializes in transactions of washed and non washed Arabic type coffees, while the London Terminal Markets does so with African varieties of Robusta. In the long run, their quality is decided by characteristics of taste and aroma. In Venezuela, several classification systems have been imposed. In 1941, the classification by location of precedence was adapted, and the best quoted was the washed first quality from Tachira, followed by the Tovar first quality threshed, etc. In 1948, coffee was classified as fine washed, ordinary washed, good threshed, inferior threshed, etc. In 1983, the denominations "Altura" and "Estricta Altura" (Heighth and Strict Height) were established, corresponding to the class of fine wash. Presently, the classification of Fine washed and good Wash is used for gold coffees obtained by humid benefits, and Natural good and Natural ordinary for gold coffees obtained by dry benefits, and finally, "pasilla". Thus, our classification considers the type of benefit and the amount of defective grains.
Although it is easy to verify the exactness of conditioning according to the physical defects of samples, it is, contrarily, more delicate to appreciate the qualitative elements present in the form, color and aroma of the grain. For example, streaked grains, although they do not constitute the defect known as "caracolillo", are less appreciated than those whose narrow furrow indicates that the fruit has had a better development. The color of the grain must be net, of a bluish-green shine, or yellowish. The odor must be frank and specific (green coffee), excluding odors of phenol, iodine, dampness, dirt, etc. Definitely, it is the qualities developed in the torrefaction, revealed in the coffee cup and submitted to the senses of taste and smell of experts, the ones that decide the quality and the value of coffee. Buyers have tasters who decide according to their experience. Demanding buyers, before concluding the transformation, request a sample to be examined, using the proof of quality found in the cup, to verify if the amount fully satisfies their requirements in order to determine if the indicated price is reasonable. For this, a part of the sample is prepared, generally 100 to 300 grams, and it is then tasted in the cup. Sometimes 10 grams or so of ground coffee are left in infusion in 150 centiliters of water during 5 minutes and, without adding sugar, its contents are sampled with a special spoon. Other times tasting is done in a small laboratory using the method of sensorial analysis of coffee samples. In one same session, qualities of similar coffees are compared, and whose samples have been toasted and prepared in absolutely identical conditions. The appreciation terms are normalized to allow comparisons: the coffees may be soft, strong, neutral, rich, etc.; or sandy, hard, bitter, acid, muddy, etc. It is unusual to find a complete coffee: if it has a delicate aroma, it probably lacks consistency and vice versa. But in general, a slight acid flavor is appreciated in Arabic coffees of portage, whilst the "acid" taste is judged as being disagreeable in some Robustas, whereas a certain bitterness is preferred. The larger part of coffee available in the great cities of the world result from mixture of different grains in the search of a well balanced combination with its own distinctive taste, which may be reproduced. But the mixture of coffee, such as that of wines, is a well-guarded secret that is not revealed to the general public.
A good coffee is specially appreciated for three of its characteristics: consistency, acidity and aroma. Consistency, is the sensation of the taste’s strength and the fullness that fills the mouth when a drink of coffee has remained in the mouth during a few seconds. To easily appreciate the consistency of coffee, it is only necessary to boil it with a little milk. When tasting it, consistent coffee will keep its taste, and if it does not have any taste, it will not retain it. A coffee with good consistency leaves a rich texture and heaviness in the tongue with a taste that does not disappear quickly. A coffee without consistency is thin and watery. Acidity, is the strong taste that gives life to coffee and that is not directly related to its bitter taste or with the pH of coffee. It is a slight sensation of spiciness or bitterness that is felt in the tongue. Acidity depends much on the portage where the plantation is located: the higher, the more acid the coffee will be. Some people like the Germans prefer a distinct acidity; others, like the French, prefer neutral or soft coffees. In any case, a slight taste of acidity is always very much appreciated by connoisseurs. Aroma, is more difficult to define, and corresponds to the fragrance or odor of the coffee. This sensation is related to the action of fragrances which are proper of the grain in the taster’s palate, that evokes known tastes like that of chocolate, caramel or certain fruits, etc. The character of the fragrance indicates the nature of the taste: sweet odors lead to acid tastes, and spicy odors lead to acute tastes. The intensity of the fragrance reveals the freshness of the coffee. The aromatic characteristic of a coffee depends on its type, but the intensity of its aromatic characteristic is related to the time passed between the toasting of the coffee and its preparation.
A poem by the American Wallace Stevens, "Sunday Morning", combines coffee, oranges and lots of sun to refer, with refined elegance, to the "sacred silence of an ancient sacrifice", that is, the search of the psychological activity enclosed in the caffeine of aromatic coffee. Another poet, our Aquiles Nazoa, in "Daily Life", humorously evokes the awakening stimulating by a morning coffee: "Wake up early, brush ones teeth / and take, if it has been boiled, two sips of coffee / discuss about money with all the family / go to work, probably by foot". For both o these poets, as well as for many of us, each morning begins with a cup of good coffee: "black like the devil, hot like in hell, pure like an angel and sweet like love", as French politician Talleyrand (1754-1838) would say. To drink it calmly and in good company, sip by sip, as Philippe Dufour, author of that "curious treatise about coffee, tea and chocolate" recommended that appeared in France in 1685: "So as not to get burned, one must not introduce the tongue into the cup, but rather keep its rims between the tongue and the lower lip, and the upper one, slightly leaning in such a manner that the rims do not rest and afterwards, to sip it; that is, to drink it sip by sip". Specialists who know about coffee offer us a decalogue of advice to obtain an excellent cup of coffee:
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Flower of the coffee plant
Drum for drying the grains
Thrasher to depulp green coffee
Green coffee cherry
Filling and storing
toasted coffee sacks
Quality proven
in the cup"
Slightly toasted
coffee grains
Regularly toasted
coffee grains
Toasted coffee grains
Very toasted coffee grains
The secret of an excelent
cup of coffee is on
the wisdom of the mix
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