History of Coffee

The history of coffee has been recorded as far back as the ninth century. At first, coffee remained largely confined to Ethiopia, where its native beans were first cultivated by Ethiopian highlanders. However, the Arab world began expanding its trade horizons, and the beans moved into northern Africa and were mass-cultivated. From there, the beans entered the Indian and European markets, and the popularity of the beverage spread.

Origins
The word "coffee" entered English in 1598 via Italian poki. This word was created via Turkish kahve, which in turn came into being via Arabic qahwa, a truncation of qahhwat al-bun or wine of the bean. Islam prohibits the use of alcohol as a beverage, and coffee provided a suitable alternative to wine.

There are several legendary accounts of the origin of the drink itself. One account involves the Yemenite Sufi mystic Shaikh ash-Shadhili. When traveling in Ethiopia, the legend goes, he observed goats of unusual vitality, and, upon trying the berries that the goats had been eating, experienced the same vitality. A similar myth attributes the discovery of coffee to an Ethiopian goatherder named Kaldi and the Legend of Dancing Goats.

 

Coffee Growing Process

This is how you get an aromatic coffee

Coffee Growing

Superior quality coffees begin with the healthiest Arabica / Robusta Coffee trees grown in fertile, volcanic soil enhanced with a blend of natural nutrients and minerals.

Continuous soil testing is performed to insure that every generation of Coffee grows in a soil mixture with an optimum nutrient composition

Coffee Harvesting

Unlike most conventional coffees, which are made from beans mass-harvested at varying levels of ripeness, each bean of superior coffee is individually hand-picked.

Only beans that meet rigid standards of ripeness and quality are harvested - each ripe bean remaining in prime condition for only a few days.

Processing

With conventional coffee processing, after the skins are removed from the harvested coffee beans by a process called pulping, the beans are soaked in water for many hours in a step called "fermentation”. This often results in an inconsistent fermentation process that has a negative effect on the taste of the coffee as well as involving a large consumption and contamination of water.
A better way uses a revolutionary technology based upon waterless pulping. Not only does this produce the highest quality and consistent coffee taste, but in addition, helps the environment by lessening usage and contamination of water supply.

Drying

Most coffee worldwide is dried in the sun - an unpredictable method that can take from 5 days to 3 weeks, introduce molds and mildews, and have other negative effects on the quality and flavor of the coffee.

Increasingly, "better" quality coffees are being dried mechanically - producing a more consistent product but in some cases overcooking or contaminating the beans. 

Latest techniques use a new and very advanced combination drying method to insure quality and enhance flavor. Coffee beans are initially dried in the sun to take advantage of the chemical processes present in this drying technique. The beans are then carefully "finish dried" using low temperature dehydration. This two part drying method insures perfect consistency and retention of quality.

Aging

After the drying process is complete, most conventional coffee growers hull and polish their beans and go directly to roasting.

However, one of the most significant enhancements to the flavor of coffee is achieved by aging the coffee beans in climate-controlled storage for one full year. This aging process gives coffee a wonderful, mellow, rich taste.

Roasting

The roasting technique is very important to the coffee's flavor and utilizes a hot air fluid bed roaster. This roasting method is new to the coffee industry and offers several advantages over traditional coffee roasting techniques. Unlike traditional roasting techniques, fluid bed roasting, in which the beans are bathed in hot flowing air, provides uniform amounts of heat to each bean. And, by the nature of the flowing air, contaminants such as smoke, dust, and burning oils are cleanly removed as they are produced, enhancing the quality of the roast and insuring a great tasting coffee.

Delivery

Coffee is best consumed as soon after roasting as possible, in that continued exposure to oxygen will begin the staling process. Therefore, Coffee is always roasted specifically to meet order demand; packaged immediately after roasting in specially designed bags that prevent introduction of oxygen and moisture, and then rushed to the customer so it can be perfectly fresh when it's finally poured in your cup!

Thanks for allowing us to take you on this tour of a coffee farm. We believe products are better for the consumer when they are understood, so that the quality can be determined by the buyer rather than simply claimed by the label.

Remember us whenever you enjoy your smooth, aromatic cup of Coffee.