Kenya Coffee History

In Kenya coffee production dates back several hundred years. Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia, Kenya's neighbor to the north. Unfortunately, just as in other coffee growing regions of the world, the coffee trade in Kenya triggered heated and bloody battles over the prime growing lands. The Arabs, who monopolized the coffee trade for several hundred years, killed and enslaved many thousand Kenyans and put them to work in coffee production both in Kenya coffee fields and on Arabian coffee plantations.

Around 1900 British settlers came to the region to grow Kenyan coffee. As more and more white settlers entered the region conflicts between the natives and the whites arose and led to more bloodshed. The British, being more skilled in the ways of politics and business quickly assumed control of the country.

This only escalated the violence and several native groups organized and revolted violently. The region remained a violent place until around 1960. Then the British relinquished control and granted the Kenyans independence.

All Kenyan coffee is of the Arabica variety, grown on rich volcanic soils in the highlands of Kenya. Approximately 250,000 Kenyans are involved in coffee production. Most coffee is produced by small holders with small plots of land. They are members of cooperative societies which process their own coffee.

There are two flowerings in each season. The blossom normally appears shortly after the beginning of the long rains in March and April. In most districts, the main crop ripens from October until the end of the year. The second and smaller flowering comes with the short rains in October or November. These are picked in the early part of the season, often starting the following June.

During the harvest, only red ripe cherries are picked, and always by hand. This entails frequent picking rounds with each tree picked every ten days or so. After milling, the coffee beans are graded mechanically into various grades which differ in size, weight and shape. The smoothness of its acidity and the subtle notes of its fruitiness make for an exceptional cup of coffee.

Today Kenyan coffee is a major export crop and provides jobs and security in an impoverished nation. As in many other regions of the world coffee has played a key role in development of under-developed countries. And unfortunately, money has driven some ruthless people and governments to place profit ahead of human rights. But as the world becomes more aware of injustices taking place the people of the world unite in support of democracy.

By Randy Wilson

History of Instant Coffee

Mention instant coffee to any connoisseur and you are sure to get a frown of disgust. Yet, who among us hasn't, after finding the coffee tin empty, scoured the cupboard in desperation with hopes of finding a long since misplaced jar or 'hotel packet' of instant coffee? And, after sighing in relief, relished in amazement that it is still good after all those years of obscurity, abandonment and outright neglect on the dusty top shelf at the back of the pantry. You haven't? Well maybe I just like to live dangerously.

Instant coffee, or soluble coffee, as it was originally called dates back as early as 1771 when the British government granted a patent for a 'coffee compound'. There have been many attempts since then to make instant coffee more palatable but capturing the essence of freshly roasted, freshly brewed coffee has proven a difficult task.

Instant coffee is made by brewing a concentrated liquid solution of real coffee, then removing the water through various means of dehydration. What is left, the residue, is instant coffee. Early methods of dehydration involved spraying the concentrated solution into heated stainless steel drums and after the water had evaporated the drums were scraped and the powdery residue was packaged. The taste was scorched, pungent and bitter to say the least. If you have ever left a pot on the burner too long and have ended up with a charred disgusting mess in the bottom of the carafe, then you have made instant coffee.

The next advancement in instant coffee came in the 1960's when the process of agglomeration was introduced. Particles of instant coffee were steamed and made sticky so they would clump together. The clumps were then redried by reheating. The result was a better looking product that closer resembled ground coffee but the flavor may have actually been degraded even further by the additional heating cycle.

Most recently the process of lyophilization or 'freeze-drying' has become the standard method of making instant coffee. This method is a vast improvement over other methods for two reasons. The first is that the coffee concentrate is extracted under high pressure so the water used never actually boils even though the water is well above the boiling point.

The second is that the water is removed without adding heat which helps preserve the coffee flavor. The concentrate is then frozen and placed in a vacuum chamber and the temperature is raised to just above freezing, at which point one would expect the mixture to melt. However, since it is in a vacuum the frozen water is prevented from becoming a liquid. But since the temperature is above freezing the solid water (ice) goes directly from a solid to a vapor. It is then vented to a separate chamber where it is refrozen as pure water. What is left in the vacuum chamber is the coffee residue.

Even with the improved process of freeze drying instant coffee remains a sad substitute for the real thing.

By Randy Wilson

Coffee from Guatemala

In Guatemala coffee grows in the heart of what was once the center of the Great Mayan Civilization. The Maya ruled this region of Central America from around 2500 B.C. until the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors in mid 1500 A.D.

Coffee arrived in Central America from the Caribbean around 1700 and local cultivation began shortly after. Commercial export of coffee from Guatemala did not begin until the mid 1800's as the square-rigged sailing ships of the day could only travel downwind. The trade winds blew the ships across the Atlantic toward the coast of Central America, but there was no easy way to sail back east. The advent of clipper ships around 1850, which could point higher into the wind, made commercial exports possible.

In order to export Guatemalan coffee the small growers expanded into full-scale production. This led to a land war of sorts and the larger plantations took over the smaller ones, sometimes by buying them out and sometimes by force. In Guatemala coffee growing land is in small supply, being that the country is about the size of a small U.S. state.

The larger plantations, or fincas, were owned mostly by wealthy descendants of the Spanish Conquistadors who viewed the native Maya people as inferior. They quickly enslaved large populations of Mayans to work on the Guatemala coffee farms. As you may expect they did not submit voluntarily and a bloody resistance ensued.

In 1877 the Guatemala government passed a law that made it easier for foreigners to get land, granting exemptions for taxes and import duties on machinery and tools. Many Germans fleeing the political unrest in their country took advantage of the opportunity and set up operations to grow, process and export coffee from Guatemala. The German influence had a very positive effect on the coffee industry in Guatemala. The Germans brought capital and modernization to a poor and under developed country. They financed the construction of a railroad from the mountainous interior to the sea to transport coffee. They built sea ports for the ships and processing plants that were previously unavailable to smaller growing operations.

The Germans also treated the Mayan workers better, paying them for their labor, not as much as they would pay non-Mayan workers but it was definitely an improvement. This however, caused dissent among the Spanish plantation owners who were used to getting their labor for free. The Spanish tried to lobby the government to pass laws that made paying the Mayan illegal but they were unsuccessful.

Today, coffee from Guatemala is highly respected among aficionados and is prized for its smooth character, balanced acidity and full flavor.

By Randy Wilson

History of Arabian Coffee

Arabian coffee is the quintessential coffee of the world. Arabia lends its name to the highest quality coffee plant in the world, Coffea Arabica. Arabian coffee accounts for about 80% of all coffee produced in the world. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin C. robusta.

The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabian coffee which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures. This gives it time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.

Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia, just across the Red Sea from Arabia. Coffee soon made its way to Yemen where it was embraced by the Islamic people. Soon it became a beverage endorsed by the Islamic clerics as drinking alcohol was prohibited in their religion. Arabian coffee soon came to be known as an Islamic beverage.

Arabian coffee was exported to Europe where the people embraced it. However, the Catholic Cardinals shunned it as the 'Devil's drink' and tried to have it banned.

But then Pope Clement VIII decided that it would be imprudent to ban the beverage without having tasted it, so he summoned a sample. As legend has it, the Pope was immediately enamored by the distinct, pungent aroma and taste. He decided that to banish the delightful drink would be a greater sin. So he baptized it on the spot claiming that it would be a shame to let the impious ones have this delightful drink all to themselves.

Arabian coffee is still a part of the Islamic faith and is use in ritualistic ceremonies.

Arabian coffee growers protected their monopoly on the prized plant. They were the exclusive providers of coffee throughout the world for several hundred years.

That is until a coffee plant finally made its way to the Caribbean. This began a new legacy of high-quality coffee in Latin America.

It is said that all the Arabica coffee grown in the world started from this plant as cuttings were transplanted all over the world. Arabian coffee is truly the source of coffee throughout the world.

The word mocha comes from the name Mokha, the shipping port in Yemen where all Arabian coffee was exported. Mocha has become a term used for describing a coffee beverage in which chocolate is added. But originally it had nothing to do with chocolate.

By Randy Wilson

Coffee Bean Roaster

The coffee bean roaster is fast becoming a "must have" in today's kitchens. The flavor and freshness of coffee is at its best when it is roasted in small batches at home.

Roasted coffee is very susceptible to oxygen damage when it sits on store shelves and in café bins for days or weeks at a time. It spells disaster for specialty coffee beans creating stale, flavorless coffee.

Today, the coffee bean roaster is a coffee enthusiasts dream, bringing the freshness and quality of roasting fresh gourmet coffee at home. It is the beginning of a new era in coffee history and a major step in the return of great tasting coffee.

You'll be surprised to learn how easy and fast it is to roast your own specialty coffee beans at home. Once you experience the flavor of fresh gourmet coffee like this you'll want to share it with everyone you know.

There are basically two types of home coffee bean roasters: fluid bed roasters and electric, radiant heat drum roasters.

Fluid bed roasters work like hot air popcorn poppers. They have a glass-roasting chamber so you can watch as the coffee beans are roasted and stop at the desired roast. These are good for beginners and a great way to get started in home roasting.

The radiant heat drum roaster is more like the professional coffee roasters use. These do not allow you to watch as the beans are roasted so you have to roast by smell or sound.

How about having a roasting party with friends or the family? Home roasting is a lot of fun. You can try some of the best coffees in the world and roast them just the way you like them. What's even more fun and tasty is creating your own custom blends.

So if you haven't tried home roasting, get ready for an amazing treat. Your coffee drinking experience will never be the same once you taste the fresh gourmet coffee you made with your home coffee bean roaster. "Enjoy"

Getting Fat These Days; Is it Starbucks

Starbucks has seen tremendous growth in our cities and the stock is up sharply from its IPO. But for many Americans so is their waist; are you a Starbucks Groupie? Is this fact showing in your body. Are you worried about becoming obese like so many other Americans? Are you already there? Noting is working, you have tried diets, pills and even the hail Marry impossible schemes? If so we may have the answer. Stop filling your gut with foo foo drinks like the Starbucks Frappachinos.

Your risks to diabetes go up hyperbolically with the over indulgence of too much sugar, throw in a little caffeine and you have heart risks too. Some doctors are quite adamant about the drinking of such addicting drinks such as frappachinos. Which patrons of Starbucks joke around and call them "Four Bucks" due to the costs of a Venti Frappachino. Starbucks brand consultants tried to over come this problem by introducing the less fattening version of the frappachino. It did not do well as many customers thought it was too watery and other exclaimed; "It made me want to puke."

I guess the two issues combined, the cost of the frappachinos and the health risks are a double whammy to your personal budget and your obesity. One way to cure this is to buy stock now on a long term hold. This way when you get fat and old you can afford a little better heart specialist and a dietary consultant for your daily insulin pokes.

You need to think about what you are doing to your body. Let Starbucks export to the rest of the world, but you need to stay healthy so you can live your life without worry of early health problems that could cut it short.

By Lance Winslow

Pure Kona Coffee

Pure Kona Coffee is gourmet coffee grown only on the Island of Hawaii. It is grown on the dark volcanic lava rock slopes of Kona which is located on the west side of the Big Island. This area is approximately one mile wide by thirty miles long. It is situated between two volcanoes, Hualalai and Manua Loa. The elevation ranges from 500 to 3000 feet.

The unique island microclimate distinguishes pure Kona coffee from all others. Special care is taken throughout the process of creating the Kona coffee bean. The sunny mornings, cloud-covered rainy afternoons and mild nights create an ideal growing condition for the best Kona coffee.

The trees thrive in the fertile volcanic soil and natural shade provided by the mango and macadamia nut trees. This allows the Kona coffee bean to mature slowly and flourish.

Kona coffee is hand picked, pulped, dried and hulled then sorted by size and shape. It is sun dried and then roasted depending on desired results. A good roasting process can make a big difference in taste. Roasting is referred to as an "art form" by many in the trade.

Dark roasts are typically French Roast, Italian, or Expresso. Medium roasts include Vienna. Flavored coffee is usually sprayed immediately after roasting for the best absorption of flavor. Just after roasting the oxidation process begins and coffee is at its freshest.

Kona coffee is grown and processed with attention to every detail creating an end result of extraordinary coffee, delicate yet rich in flavor and aroma. This quality has made pure Kona coffee one of the most highly famous and valued coffees in the world.