COFFEE AROMA – SENSE OF SMELL

The sense of smell can be extraordinarily evocative, bringing back pictures as sharp as photographs of scenes that had left the conscious mind. – Thalassa Cruso (1909 – 1997), plant lover

Smell

We smell and sense the world around us every day. A lot of what we actually “taste” is done through smelling. Our sense of smell could be capable of so much more – if we would train it! George Dodd, who runs the Aroma Academy in Aberdeen, emphasizes: “People don’t realise that the sense of the smell is like a muscle. Use it or lose it.” Our noses are amazing. We just need to pay attention.
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TWO IDEAS FOR BETTER “COFFEE LIFE”

Mindful Coffee Moments: Grinding Coffee Beans

The mortar and pestle are ancient grinding utensils and historically closely associated with creating medicine. They are effective tools to prepare ingredients and to bring out aromatic and essential oils in a natural way.
In the Ethiopian culture, coffee preparation is a mindful ceremony during which the beans are ground with a mortar and pestle. It’s a long ritual, a time of contemplation and a process that is not performed quickly.

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WATER TEMPERATURE AT COFFEE BREWING

Water temperature

The water temperature plays a crucial role in the brewing process and affects the aroma and flavours of the final coffee drink.

Coffee grounds are filled with various oils, acids and chemical compounds. There are soluble and insoluble particles. The soluble particles affect the aroma and flavor and the insoluble particles contribute to the body of the coffee. Continue reading WATER TEMPERATURE AT COFFEE BREWING →

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COFFEE TASTE PERCEPTION AND THE COLOR OF OUR CUP

Color is a power which directly influences the soul.

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), Russian painter and art theorist

Cups in specialty coffee

Specialty coffee culture is a multi-sensual, aesthetic experience. We experience the preparation and enjoyment of the coffee drink itself with not only our nose and taste-buds but also with all our other senses.

As Aradhna points out: the reason all of our senses matter is because all sensory inputs are ultimately combined into one overall evaluation in the part of our brain called the orbitofrontal cortex.’ Continue reading COFFEE TASTE PERCEPTION AND THE COLOR OF OUR CUP →

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KODAWARI AND KISSATEN – JAPANESE COFFEE CULTURE

The passionate pursuit of an ideal

Kodawari

Kodawari is the noun form of kodawaru, an intransitive verb meaning “to be sensitive to minor things”.

Japanese Culture and Behavior: Selected Readings., edited by Takie Sugiyama Lebra, William P. Lebr

“Kodawari, the desired quality of focus and perfection-seeking, is a constant goal for makers of coffee, and fine craftsmen in any art in Japan. What he calls kodawari is dedication to his work, comprising service, skill in making coffee, and an uncompromising sense of the importance of what he does” – Coffee Life In Japan, Merry White (2012)

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COFFEE BREWING METHODS

Two main coffee brewing methods

INFUSION METHODS:

It can be any method, where the water consistently flows through ground coffee from the filter to the cup. The exit holes of the coffee-maker are open and not blocked. Pre-infusion gives you control over clarity and extraction of the coffee brewing process.

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MISTAKES AND SOLUTIONS AT FILTER COFFEE

Possible sensory characteristics of the final coffee drink

CORRECT: sweetness, complex acidity/fruit tones, sweet & ripe, full body, long ending
UNDER-EXTRACTED: Sourness, saltiness, grassy, quick finish, lacking sweet, straw feeling
OVER-EXTRACTED: bitter, sharp, dry, saltiness
FLAT FLAVOURS: Usually the problem is not only created during the brewing process (for example by not choosing a suitable preparation method), but often times it’s caused by low quality coffee beans as well.
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COFFEE BREWING – DEFINITION

Brewing

Brewing is a very important part of all the processes. It is hard to say what part of the process, from selecting coffee beans, equipment, preparation, blooming or even writing the recipe for the coffee drink to be served, is most important. I think the only difference is in the time for blooming and brewing. You have limited time and you can’t really postpone the time limit like for other processes. So, there is less time for improvising like for other parts of the processes.

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TOP 10 THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS AT POUR-OVER COFFEE

What is most important with coffee brewing

I would say everything. All the processes are important. Hard to tell which one is most important. But I have tried to analyze, and in my opinion, these are the most important things: Continue reading TOP 10 THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS AT POUR-OVER COFFEE →

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COFFEE AT HOME OR IN COFFEE SHOP

Home Barista vs. Barista

If we want to prepare and enjoy tasty coffee at home, it is important to keep in mind that every little detail during the brewing process matters.

Always remember you can prepare better coffee at home than in coffee shops, the professional Baristas! Continue reading COFFEE AT HOME OR IN COFFEE SHOP →

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Mindful Living with Coffee