Where does specialty coffee begin on the coffee farm?
Specialty coffee means beans with unique flavors grown under distinctive geographic and microclimate conditions. The term was first proposed in 1978 by Erna Knutsen at an international coffee conference in France. A good origin alone is not enough: beans also need proper processing, fresh roasting, and careful brewing before they qualify as specialty coffee.
The cup depends on a long chain of hands. Coffee passes from the coffee farm's cultivation and harvest to the processor, the trader, the roaster, and the barista, and each step is indispensable. Wine offers a useful comparison, since grapes from different soils and climates yield different flavors, though coffee involves far more separate businesses along the way.
The concept of specialty coffee was first proposed by Erna Knutsen in 1978 at an international coffee conference in France, referring to coffee beans with unique flavors produced under distinctive geographical conditions and microclimates. But the creation of a cup of specialty coffee goes far beyond that. From the coffee farmer's cultivation and harvesting, the processor's processing, the trader's distribution, the roaster's precise roasting, to the barista's brewing skills, every step is indispensable. This article will take you through an in-depth understanding of the definition of specialty coffee, its varietal characteristics, and the complete journey from seed to cup, exploring why a cup of quality coffee can bring true happiness.
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In 1978, a woman working at Knutsen Coffee in the United States—Erna Knutsen—first proposed the term "specialty coffee" at an international coffee conference held in France.
Specialty Coffee
The simplest way to understand the concept is:
"Beans with unique flavor profiles cultivated under special geographic and microclimate conditions."
The corresponding English expression is:
"special geographic microclimates produce beans with unique flavor profiles"
Of course, having a good origin alone is not enough. The coffee beans also need proper processing, fresh roasting, and zero-defect brewing techniques before they can qualify to be called " specialty coffee ."
Before diving deep into coffee, let's talk about wine. Grapes grown under different climatic and geographical conditions—with different climates and soils—naturally produce fruits with different flavors, so the wines made from them also have distinct characteristics in taste, aroma, sweetness, and acidity.
The situation with coffee beans is similar.
However, there is a significant difference between wine and coffee: in the world of wine, a single company may handle the entire process from planting, tending, and harvesting to brewing the wine. In the end, all you need to do is uncork the bottle, slowly pour the wine into an elegant glass, and serve it to guests.
Compared to coffee, the production process of wine is much simpler. photo credit: Serge Esteve
And what about coffee? By the time a cup of coffee reaches the consumer, it has passed through many hands.
The farmer who grows the coffee trees hands the harvested coffee cherries to the processor, who passes the processed coffee beans to the trader, who then passes them to the roaster, who hands the roasted beans to the barista (the person who brews the coffee), and finally they reach the consumer. With so many stopovers in between, every link plays an irreplaceable role and bears its own responsibility. Only in this way can that cup of specialty coffee in the customer's hands be achieved.
Does the coffee taste good? Is the mouthfeel smooth? The influencing factors can be roughly grouped into three major categories: innate conditions (genetic factors), acquired environment (harvest timing, transportation, processing procedures), and the moment of truth (roasting, grinding, brewing).
The first key point is potential—the inherent quality of the coffee beans themselves (put plainly, the genetic factor). When beans of an excellent variety are combined with favorable timing, location, and human effort, a cup of rich and aromatic coffee can be achieved. Good beans grown under suitable climatic conditions (favorable timing), in fertile soil with moderate pH (favorable location), combined with the coffee farmer's cultivation techniques (human effort), can produce high-quality coffee beans.
To harvest crystal-clear red coffee cherries, you need healthy plants, fertile soil, a suitable climate, and careful tending along with subsequent harvesting. Coffee farmers certainly know that the ripeness of the fruit is one of the most critical factors affecting coffee flavor, so only ripe red coffee cherries should be picked.
Harvesting ripe coffee cherries is one of the keys to specialty coffee
In addition, after the coffee cherries are harvested, they must undergo processing. The process of transporting them from the farm to the coffee processing plant should not be overlooked either. Once the coffee cherries begin to spoil during this process, the final flavor will be affected.
Carefully removing the skin and pulp before drying is also a crucial step. For example, drying too quickly, too slowly, or unevenly, poor storage conditions leading to re-absorption of moisture, or incomplete drying—all of these situations can significantly affect coffee quality. Therefore, the storage conditions for processed coffee beans are especially important, and attention must be paid to relative humidity, temperature, and storage containers.
The moment of truth means that only at this point will you know the quality of this batch of coffee. It has a bit of a "revealing the prize" feel to it. (Ding dong ding dong)
What Is Specialty Coffee (Part 1) gave an overall understanding of the coffee industry and made clear the importance of coffee bean variety quality.
What Is Specialty Coffee (Part 2) explained "acquired environment (Preservation): harvest timing, transportation, processing procedures"
This is a transformation stage, using heat to awaken the wonderful flavors and aromas hidden deep within the beans.
The coffee roaster must precisely grasp the characteristics of the beans and perfectly present the aroma and flavor, then follow up with appropriate packaging (which needs to block air contact, and since freshly roasted beans release carbon dioxide gas, the packaging is equipped with a one-way exhaust valve). But if you encounter a roaster who is not skilled enough, or improper use of the roasting machine, or even defective packaging, it is a waste of high-quality green coffee beans.
After roasting and before brewing, grinding the beans into powder is an essential step. Of course, freshly ground coffee is the most delicious. The captivating aromatic substances hidden deep in the coffee are gradually released during grinding and slowly react with oxygen in the air, causing oxidation. Therefore, once coffee is ground into powder, if it is not consumed immediately, the captivating aroma will dissipate over time, and what you brew will be a cup of "off-taste" coffee. As for the coarseness of the grind, it should be adjusted according to the brewing device to be used next. If the particles are too fine, it easily leads to over-extraction, wasting good beans; conversely, if the particles are too coarse, the flavor of the beans cannot be perfectly and fully expressed.
For example, the finer the grind, the larger the total contact area with hot water, and the easier it is for the aromatic components to be extracted by the hot water, so the extraction time should be shorter. Espresso is extracted at 92°C under high temperature and high pressure, requiring only 20 to 30 seconds, the shortest extraction time among all brewing methods, so it requires the finest grind. Pour-over coffee, because the grounds are in contact with hot water for a slightly longer time, must use a medium particle size.
Whichever brewing method is used—espresso, drip, or French press—water quality, water temperature, and the amount of water added must all be considered. Only when all these factors are comprehensively taken into account can it be called specialty coffee .
In a broad sense, as long as every process from the coffee tree to the liquid in the cup meets the above standards, it counts.
In a narrow sense, we evaluate whether every step has met the standard. For example, it is impossible for us to inspect every single bean in every coffee field, nor can we monitor every link from processing and drying to transportation one by one. However, we can conduct meaningful evaluations based on the standard procedures established by the SCAA. In addition, there is the so-called cupping method, used to judge the quality of the coffee liquid in the cup.
From green beans to the final coffee beverage, the standards set by the SCAA not only govern bean quality but also include relevant regulations for coffee brewing methods. For example, for brewing drip coffee, there are clear requirements for how much water to use for a given amount of coffee, as well as the brewing temperature and time.
When we judge whether a batch of beans is specialty coffee , we look at the quality of the green beans, the quality after roasting, and even the taste of the brewed coffee.
A cup of quality coffee satisfies the palate and enriches the soul. Photo by Nathan Walker
The satisfaction brought by a cup of quality coffee comes from strict control at every stage of production. Therefore, we hope that every coffee lover, when tasting quality coffee, can feel more happiness and life value—and this is precisely the most meaningful reason for the existence of " specialty coffee " (specialty coffee).
As a side note, drinking coffee really does bring happiness~ According to recent research, coffee can reduce the risk of depression and also lower the risk of death. Sure enough, good coffee really can bring happiness!
Thank you for reading, and now I'll take my bow~
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
