Barista "Talk"
Acidity A tart, tangy taste experienced mainly on the tip and side of the tongue. Coffees are low in acidity, between 5 and 6 on the PH scale.
Arabica The earliest cultivated and most widely grown species of coffee tree. It produces about 70% of the world’s coffee.
Aroma The sensation or smell released from brewed coffee.
Bouquet The smell released from coffee grounds.
Burr Grinder Sometimes known as a Burr Mill. A coffee grinder with two burrs, or shredding discs, that can be adjusted.
Cafe au Lait A coffee drink combining one-third drip coffee with two-thirds hot, frothed milk.
Caffe Americano An espresso that is cut with very hot water to fill an American sized cup.
Caffee Latte A serving of espresso combined with three times the amount of hot milk and then topped with froth.
Caffeine An odorless, bitter alkaloid responsible for the stimulating effect of coffee and tea.
Cappuccino An espresso drink composed of one serving of espresso topped with hot milk and froth. Cappuccino gets its name from the order of Italian Catholic Capuchin monks, whose hooded robes resemble the drink’s cap of foam in shape and color.
Cherry Common name for the fruit of the coffee tree. Each cherry usally contains two regular coffee beans. If only one bean is found, it is called a peaberry.
Crema The caramel colored foam that appears on top of a shot of espresso during the brewing period. The crema helps retain the aromatics and flavors of the espresso within the cup. Crema is caused by colloids and lipids being forced out into an emulsion under the pressure of the espresso machine.
Cupping A procedure used by professional tasters to perform sensory evaluation of samples of coffee beans.
Decaffeination Process Specialty coffees are decaffeinated in the green state. To qualify as decaffeinated in the United States, a coffee must have 97 percent of its caffeine removed. There are three methods of decaffeination: water decaffeination, supercritical carbon diozide decaffeination and solvent decaffeination.
- Water decaffeination
Water decaffeination is the most popularly employed method to decaffeinate coffee. This method simply uses water to extract caffeine from coffee without using any chemical solvents. One of the most famous water decaffeination methods is called Swiss Water decaffeination. This non-toxic process does not compromise the flavour and aroma of the coffee beans. - Supercritical carbon dioxide decaffeination
This method used carbon dioxide to remove caffeine. In this process, the combination of high temperature and pressure enables carbon dioxide to become a solvent. The word "supercritical" in this context means the process occurs "above both critical temperature and pressure".
Supercritical carbon dioxide method is said to be the best of the chemical decaffeination processes currently in use. This method uses carbon dioxide, which is more stable than the other chemicals employed for caffeine extraction. Residual carbon dioxide can be safely vented into the atmosphere without any harmful effects on the environment. In addition, precise control over temperature and pressure can selectively remove caffeine leaving most, if not all, of the flavour intact. Removing 97-99% of a coffee's caffeine is possible employing this method. In addition, this method leaves behind little or no toxic residue and is therefore not usually a health concern.
The disadvantages of using this method include the fact that it's rather costly, since the high pressure used requires expensive equipment. - Solvent decaffeination
This is the oldest method used to extract caffeine from coffee. This process involves soaking coffee beans in a caffeine-absorbing solvent. The caffeine soaks into the solvent and the solvent containing the caffeine is separated from the beans. The process of soaking and extraction is repeated until the caffeine level reaches the desired level.
This method of extraction is the least desired method as the solvents used have the potential of leaving behind a toxic residue in the beans.
Espresso Used to describe a roast of coffee AND a method of brewing in which hot water is forced under pressure through a compressed bed of finely ground coffee. Espresso comes from the Latin word “Expresere” which means to press out.
Fair Trade For a farm or co-op to be considered certified organic or fair trade, a professional must make regular inspections and attest to the fact that the farm meets a series of requirements. The Fair Trade movement started in Europe in the late 80’s as a way to protect agricultural workers. Participation in the Fair Trade program guarantees a minimum price, per pound, of coffee.
Flavor In cupping, flavor is what distinguishes the sensory experience of coffee once its acidity, body and aroma have been described.
Fragrance As a specialized term in cupping, fragrance describes the scent of dry coffee immediately after it has been ground, but before it has been brewed.
Robusta Currently, the only competitor of Arabica, among cultivated coffee species. Robusta produces approximately 30% of the worlds coffee.
Specialty Coffee The practice of selling coffees by country of origin, roast, flavoring or special blend, rather than by brand or trademark.
Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) An important and influential association of specialty coffee roasters, wholesalers, retailer, importers and growers headquartered in Long Beach, California.
