P

Glossary Of Coffee Terms

Parchment
The thin crumbly paper-like covering that is left on wet-processed coffee beans after the coffee berries have had the pulp removed and the beans dried.

Peaberry
A small round or football shaped bean that is formed when the coffee cherry develops only one seed as opposed to the usual two. Peaberry beans are usually sold as a separate grade of the particular coffee.

Peruvian Chanchamayo
The best straight coffee from Peru, Chanchamayo is flavorful, aromatic, and mildly acidic. It displays the quality and characteristics of the best Central American coffees.

Portafilter
The cupped handle on an espresso machine that holds the...

O

Glossary Of Coffee Terms

Oaxaca
(Wah-HAH-kuh) coffee from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca is among the best from Mexico. Oaxaca Pluma is especially distinguished.

Ocoa
One of the best coffees from the Dominican Republic.

Old Arabicas
These old botanical varieties are considered superior to the newer varieties. The old Arabicas include varietal Bourbon, varietal Blue Mountain, varietal Typica.

Old Crop
This is coffee that has been held in warehouses before shipping. Old crop may or may not be superior in cup characteristics to a new crop of the same coffee.

Organic Coffee
Coffee that has been certified by a third-party agency as...

N

Glossary Of Coffee Terms

Nairobi
Coffee grown on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, Kenya.

Neapolitan Roast
A roast of coffee that is darker than standard espresso but not quite black.

New Crop
Coffee that is delivered for roasting fairly soon after harvesting and processing, when it is at its brightest and highest acidity.

New Guinea
Straight coffee grown in Papua New Guinea that is moderately rich, full-bodied, and has the low key acidity that distinguishes all of the coffees of the Malay Archipelago and Indonesia.

New Orleans Coffee
A dark roast coffee blended with up to 40 percent chicory root (see above). Cafe Du Monde is the most...

M

Glossary Of Coffee Terms

MAM
The acronym for Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales, the three most famous coffees from Colombia. They are often marketed together to simplify large coffee contracts.

Manizales
One of the best coffees from Columbia.

Maracaibo
A class of distinguished coffees from Venezuela.

Maragogipe
Pronounced MAH-rah-goh-SHZEE-peh, this Arabica coffee is distinguished by its extremely large, porous beans. It was first discovered in Maragogipe, Brazil, and is now cultivated all over the world.

Matagalpa
One of the best coffees from Nicaragua.

Mattari
Also known as Matari, this coffee is one of the best...

L

Glossary Of Coffee Terms

Latte
Is one of several types of coffee beverages made with hot milk. The term is from the Italian "caffè e latte" (commonly "caffè latte"), for "coffee and milk," analogous to the French "café au lait." As the term has come to be used in the United States since approximately 1985, a latte consists of one or two shots of espresso and about three times as much hot milk, topped with a small amount of milk froth. A latte has more milk than a cappuccino, and has a weaker, milkier taste. Lattes should be prepared by pouring milk and coffee simultaneously, from either side of the drinking vessel, which ideally should be a tall, ceramic mug.

Latte Macchiato
Hot milk froth with a...

K

Uncategorized

Kauai
A Hawaiian coffee that is less expensive than Kona. The beans are small, but larger than peaberries.

Kenya AA
The AA signifies the best grade from Kenya. Grown on plateaus over 6,000 feet above sea level, there is no finer coffee grown on earth. This is a meticously prepared coffee famous for its rich full body, strong pleasant acidity, floral fragrant aroma and a winery aftertaste with overtones of berries and citrus fruit.

Kenyan
A rich, full-bodied coffee with wine-like acidity, noted for its consistent quality and availability. The "AA" grade in Kenya is reserved for the largest beans of the crop.

Kilimanjaro
Coffee...

J

Glossary Of Coffee Terms

Jamaica Blue Mountain
One of the most respected coffees in the world from the Blue Mountain District of Jamaica. Grown on estates at over 3,000 feet, this premium coffee is full-bodied, rich in flavor, and has a sophisticated, smooth acidity.

Jamaica High Mountain
This coffee is grown in the mountains of Jamaica and exported under the name of High Mountain Supreme or Blue Mountain Valley. Both are excellent coffees, although less distinguished than true Jamaica Blue Mountain.

Jamaican Style
A blend of Jamaica Blue Mountain and other coffees that tries to simulate the richness of Jamaica Blue Mountain at lower cost.

Java
A...

The Coffee Industry Commodity Chain

Frequently Asked Questions

Coffee is an extremely powerful commodity, reigning as the world's most heavily traded product, behind petroleum, and the largest food import of the United States. The global commodity chain for coffee involves a string of producers, middlemen, exporters, importers, roasters, and retailers before reaching the consumer.

Coffee is a vital source of export for many of the developing countries that grow it. Some 20 million families in 50 countries now work directly in the cultivation of coffee; an estimated 11 million hectares of the world's farmland are dedicated to coffee cultivation. Arabica and Robusta are the two principle species of coffee harvested today. Approximately 70% of the world's production is...

How Coffee Prices Are Set

Frequently Asked Questions

Coffee prices are set according to the New York "C" Contract market. The price of coffee fluctuates wildly in this speculative economy, generally hovering around fifty cents per pound.

Most coffee is traded by speculators in New York, who trade approximately 8-10 times the amount of actual coffee produced each year. The single most influential factor in world coffee prices is the weather in Brazil. Droughts and frosts portend shortages of coffee and the price increases.

Specialty coffee is often imported at a negotiated price over the C market, which is considered a 'quality premium'. Most of those premiums never reach the coffee farmer, but rather stay in the hands of the exporter. This creates a...

I

Glossary Of Coffee Terms

Indian
Also called Indian Mysore, and Mysore Straight. Indian coffee from the State of Karnataka (formerly Mysore). Indian coffee at its best is rich and subtle, with moderate body and acidity.

Indian Filter Coffee
Particularly common in the south of the country, is made by adding milk to a coffee decoction prepared by the drip brew method.

Indian Monsooned Malabar
An extremely low-acid, complex-flavored bean, created by leaving Mysore beans out in open-roof silos during the Indian monsoon season. The term monsooned is also be used to describe other types of beans similarly processed.

Indonesian
General geographic reference that...