Buying Coffee for Beginners #2
Okay, you’re faced with the important choice of buying new coffee (beans). Do you actually know what to look for? It’s quite difficult to determine exactly what a bag of coffee beans from the supermarket or coffee shop will taste like.
Coffee expert and Dutch Aeropress champion Edward from Trakteren Koffie in Amsterdam will help you develop your palate and translate it into a purchase.
#2 Country of origin
Looking for a particular flavor profile? Then pay close attention to which country the beans come from. It makes quite a difference whether you buy coffee from Brazil, Ethiopia or Colombia. Each country produces different coffee beans and processes them differently as well.
Do you put lots of sugar and lots of milk in your cup of coffee? Then you’re better off choosing coffee from Brazil (the world’s largest coffee-exporting country) or Colombia. Brazilian coffee is versatile and perfect if you’re not in the mood for complex flavors and fuss. Anything from Central America works with milk, but is also perfectly enjoyable black. Are you looking for truly refined flavors — let’s say you’re the slow-brew fan type — then choose African coffee from Kenya, Burundi or Ethiopia.
When trying something new, it’s important to give yourself time to get used to new flavors. People are sometimes a little afraid of acidity, because it isn’t found in Illy or Lavazza. But remember that coffee is a natural product from a fruit and that acidity is simply part of it.
Flavors & countries
South America: chocolate, nutty and not too acidic
Brazil: almond, hazelnut, milk toffee, fairly mild acidity and lots of body
Asia: spicy, earthy, chocolate
Vietnam: pure, strong, intense
Central America: lightly nutty, mild, fruity and somewhat more acidic.
Colombia: cane-sugar sweet, lovely red fruit, date-like.
Africa: complex, fruity, milk chocolate, more acidic notes
Kenya: acidic and fruity
Ethiopia: the birthplace of coffee, mild, refined, complex, sweet, milk chocolate
Read buying coffee for beginners #3 here and #1 here.
With thanks to Edward Beumer of Trakteren Koffie.
Text: Nora van den Heuvel
Image: Shutterstock
