The concept of specialty coffee has come a long way in the more than thirty years since Erna Knutsen first proposed it in 1974. Today, specialty coffee consumption continues to climb globally, with particularly strong performance in the US market. However, understanding specialty coffee cannot stop at the level of "coffee beans grown in special environments." True specialty coffee encompasses the entire process from green bean variety selection, origin environment, harvesting and processing, to roasting, grinding, and extraction. This article will systematically sort out the evolution of the definition of specialty coffee, green bean production standards, roasting key points, and extraction requirements, helping coffee enthusiasts build a complete understanding of specialty coffee.
The concept of specialty coffee can be traced back to 1974. At that time, Ms. Erna Knutsen of the United States first used this term in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal to describe coffee beans grown under specific terroir conditions with unique aromas and flavors. As the coffee buyer in charge of B.C. Ireland's San Francisco office, Erna Knutsen was deeply concerned about the industry's widespread neglect of green coffee bean quality—many large roasters even blended large amounts of Robusta beans into their mixes. It was against this backdrop that she put forward the idea of specialty coffee, calling on the entire industry to raise quality standards.
More than thirty years later, the concept of specialty coffee has been widely recognized, and the specialty coffee market has expanded rapidly with the growth in the number of retailers and cafés, becoming one of the fastest-growing segments in the food service industry. In 2007 alone, US specialty coffee sales reached 12.5 billion dollars. A consumer trend survey released by the National Coffee Association in early 2008 showed that total coffee consumption had declined, but specialty coffee consumption was rising against the trend. The proportion of adults drinking coffee daily fell from 57% the previous year to 55%, while specialty coffee consumption among those over 25 climbed from 14% to 17%.
Having worked in the coffee industry for three years, drinking specialty coffee and making specialty coffee every day, my understanding of specialty coffee has gradually deepened. In fact, Erna Knutsen's original definition of "specialty coffee" has become narrow by today's standards. "Coffee beans grown in special environments with unique aromas and flavors" should be called "specialty green coffee beans," while the concept of "specialty coffee" encompasses the entire process from green bean production through roasting, grinding, and extraction, all the way to a cup of coffee. The "specialty" standard extends from crop all the way to cup.
(This article is a reprint)
First, regarding coffee bean production.
The varieties of specialty coffee beans must be sufficiently excellent. Traditional varieties like Bourbon, Mocha, and Typica produce coffee beans whose aroma and flavor are difficult for other varieties to match, but their yields are relatively low. In recent years, to enhance resistance to pests and diseases and increase yields, many improved varieties have emerged in various regions—for example, Ruirial11, widely promoted in Kenya. Although yields went up, the taste and quality declined noticeably, and such beans naturally cannot be classified as "specialty coffee."
The growing environment of specialty coffee beans is also unique. They are generally grown at altitudes of 1,500 meters or even 2,000 meters and above, with suitable rainfall, sunshine, temperature, and soil conditions. Some also have special geographical environments, such as the high mountain mist of the Blue Mountain region, the free shade provided by Kona's afternoon "clouds that come from afar," and the volcanic ash soil of Antigua. These provide the conditions for growing specialty coffee.
The production of specialty coffee likewise requires careful cultivation by coffee farmers from seedling to harvest. Among these, the picking of coffee cherries is especially important. Many experts emphasize "picking only fully ripe cherries," because unripe and overripe cherries alike affect the balance and consistency of coffee flavor. Therefore, specialty coffee requires frequent, meticulous hand-picking during the harvest period.
The harvested coffee cherries also need to be processed promptly. If they cannot be processed in time, the coffee pulp will rot and deteriorate, affecting the flavor of the coffee beans. Generally, for beans processed by the washed method, if the water quality and timing during fermentation are not properly controlled, the beans can easily develop the sour taste of over-fermentation. Dry-processed beans also need to be turned and inspected promptly, and protected from contamination by damp ground and debris. Processed beans must be dried promptly, and drying must be done in moderation. Generally, properly processed beans have a moisture content of 11–13%. Insufficient drying can easily cause mold, while excessive drying can easily age the beans and affect flavor.
After processing, green beans are generally stored in parchment form—that is, with the inner parchment layer still attached—and the parchment is removed only before export, followed by a strict hand-sorting and grading process to ensure uniform quality. Generally, more than a month of transport and turnover time is required from producing country to roaster, and the preservation of green beans during this process is also very important. Appropriate temperature, humidity, avoidance of direct sunlight, and good ventilation are all necessary; otherwise, even the highest-quality specialty green beans can easily develop problems and fail to continue being "specialty."
In the flavor of a cup of coffee, green beans account for 60%, roasting 30%, and extraction 10%. So if the production and processing of green beans are all done well, 60% of specialty coffee is already in place. The next key factor determining specialty coffee is roasting. An excellent roaster can analyze and judge the personality and flavor characteristics of specialty green beans, then adopt an appropriate roast to bring out their flavor to the fullest. Improper roasting, by contrast, can strip specialty green beans of all their character or even ruin a whole batch of good beans. Roasting technique is certainly important, but a meticulous roaster, even when receiving quite refined specialty green beans, will still hand-sort before and after roasting, not missing a single defective bean, striving for perfection.
After specialty green beans undergo reasonable roasting, 90% of the quality is already assured. What comes next are the factors in coffee preparation.
Freshness is a major factor affecting coffee flavor. Specialty coffee naturally places even more emphasis on freshness, which is also why some specialty coffee shops pursue in-house roasting. Generally, coffee's flavor fully emerges three days after roasting, and if stored properly, fresh coffee with a distinctive flavor can be enjoyed within two weeks.
Different coffee extraction methods have different requirements for grind size, extraction water temperature, and the ratio of coffee to water. For example, espresso requires an extremely fine grind, rapid extraction (around 25 seconds), and extremely high concentration (coffee grounds to water at 1:3), while pour-over coffee requires a relatively coarse grind, a longer extraction time (over 1 minute), and a relatively lower concentration (coffee grounds to water at 1:15). Of course, different preparation methods produce flavors with their own characteristics, but if grind size, extraction time, and the like are not properly controlled, it will cause under-extraction or over-extraction, which can ruin 90% of specialty coffee beans in the cup.
Looking across all the above factors, a relatively comprehensive definition of so-called specialty coffee should be: a cup of coffee with unique aroma and flavor, obtained from excellent coffee varieties grown in a unique geographical environment, through careful production, processing, and handling, after reasonable roasting, and—on the premise of ensuring freshness—through appropriate grinding and extraction.
In addition, I personally believe that anything "specialty" must go through careful tending and sincere dedication, and specialty coffee is no exception. From the coffee farmer's arduous cultivation at the very beginning, to the roaster's rigorous roasting operations, to the barista's devoted preparation, the journey of coffee from crop to cup is in fact a journey carried forward through dialogue with many pairs of diligent hands and hearts full of sincerity, thus blazing a path of specialty coffee.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
