Coffee is a drink that accompanies most of us since childhood. Maybe not exactly the taste of coffee, but the smell of it. Do you know what coffee is and how it is made? The journey of the coffee bean is long. Some will be surprised that coffee is a fruit obtained from the coffee tree. The coffee bean begins its journey already on the coffee plantation, where the farmers carefully select ripe cherries, ferment them and package the green coffee and sent to the roaster. The roaster then roasts the coffee in different ways. A barista is a master who extracts the best from coffee so that we can really enjoy a cup of coffee.

Over the long haul, the coffee bean is affected by several factors that can make us say whether we like coffee or not. Each individual has their own taste, and this in itself is a very subjective matter. The most expensive coffee is not necessarily the best. Specialty coffee is coffee for which we know the origin and origin, its quality and the path to the barista. Coffee offers so many flavors and options that there is something for everyone. Marina and Klemen from the Mariposa roastery believe that the best coffee is the one whose taste "wows" a person and pampers the taste buds for a long time afterwards. This is a coffee you won't easily forget.

How do they produce premium coffee?

The most famous types of coffee are Coffea arabica - Arabic or ordinary coffee, Coffea liberica Bull. – Liberian coffee and Coffea robusta Linden. When the fruit of the coffee tree, which is a bright red color like a rosehip, is ripe, the seed is extracted from it. Then the growers let the seed ferment. When it is dried, raw coffee is produced, which is yellow-green in color. The raw coffee is sent in large bags to roasters around the world, who then roast the coffee and prepare it for grinding. As with all plants, too coffee growers some know how to produce really good coffee, while others produce worse. Roasters know very well that only premium coffee can be used to roast coffee that has a mild taste similar to fruit or nuts.

But if the coffee is of poor quality, or the roaster does not know how to roast the coffee properly, then the coffee tastes bitter because it is literally burnt. Bad coffee can also be too old, so it is best freshly roasted and ground before use. Bad bitter coffee is familiar to most people. Only those who seek more and research come to the realization that there is also an extremely good, premium coffee with a divine taste.

The finishing touch here is made by the barista, an experienced and knowledgeable expert who grinds the coffee in the correct way according to the preparation technique, which he then performs. The coffee preparation technique is the last step that gives the coffee its distinctive different flavors. The different flavors of coffee are also the result of different climates, soil and coffee cultivation on the plantation. At the plantation, everything starts and ends with the barista.

What does coffee contain?

Coffee or coffee beans contain 8-12 % of water, 10-13 % of protein, 10-16 % of fat, 6-8 % of sugar, 24-40 % of cellulose, 0.3-2.5 % of caffeine, the most of which is Coffea robusta. It also contains saponins, pectin, tannins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and many other substances. Roasted seeds have a little less caffeine than unroasted ones. Caffeol essential oil is produced during roasting and contains 42 compounds.

The effects of coffee

Coffee is an analeptic and central nervous system stimulant. It is nervinum and eliminates mental and physical fatigue. Coffee invigorates human perceptions and accelerates thinking and imagination. It has the power to relieve headaches. It also strengthens asthmatics, is a diuretic, hypertensive and cardiotonic in case of weakening of the heart muscle. It works as an antidote for alcohol poisoning, which is best done by coffee charcoal, which absorbs poisons well. It is a corrector and is intended for obtaining caffeine. Fatty oil contains vitamin D, which is irradiated with UV rays and thus vitamin D is obtained from coffee.

How is coffee made?

Coffee is prepared as a decoction or infusion from ground roasted coffee beans. It is a very popular stimulant that is most often drunk in the morning with breakfast or after lunch. We know two basic coffee preparations, i.e. Turkish and express coffee. We also know decaffeinated coffee. They do this by removing the caffeine with solvents before roasting it, leaving only a little bit left. Coffee and coffee extracts are used to prepare sweets and liqueurs. The energy value of roasted coffee is 1259 kJ per 100 g of coffee.

Coffee substitutes and fakes

Seed husks and crushed seeds, which are called sultana coffee, are an inferior substitute for real coffee. In Indonesia, they also use roasted coffee leaves instead of tea. Chicory is the most famous coffee substitute that has been known in our country since time immemorial, even before coffee came to our country. It's malt or Kneipp coffee. It is prepared from fermented barley and also from smokes.

There are many other substitutes, mostly made from roasted seeds or roots, such as chicory root or its consumer ancestor and chicory root. In our regions, it is still used today as a coffee substitute, as it is believed that this form of domestic coffee is healthier. All substitutes resemble real coffee in terms of taste and aroma. They are also the same color.

Many substitutes are nutritious and medicinal and at the same time have a pleasant taste. This is why some people prefer to use coffee substitutes because most people are not aware that there is a good quality real coffee that needs to be properly roasted and prepared to have the same pleasant taste. The only coffee substitutes that also contain caffeine are Paulinia cupana Cola and Theobroma.

Misuses of coffee and fallacies

It is a rule among drivers to drink coffee after consuming alcohol in order to regain the ability to drive a vehicle as soon as possible. This is a big mistake and experts strongly advise against doing so. Experts recommend drinking coffee in moderation, as excessive drinking is known to cause caffeineism. Caffeism is a condition that causes insomnia, irritability, palpitations, depression, tremors, constipation and indigestion, arteriosclerosis and a tendency to heart attack.

Scientists have discovered that coffee that is heavily roasted and bitter, like most on the market, causes an excess of caffeine, which is very harmful. Specialty quality and proven coffee, roasted by a qualified roaster, is something completely different. Coffee is not recommended for children. Not even for heart patients, for people with high blood pressure and for those who have gotten over jaundice. It should also not be drunk by those who have problems with the stomach and stomach acid. Real tea is more recommended for these risk groups. It was also found that cholorogenic acid accelerates the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the intestines. For this reason, it is not recommended to drink coffee and eat cheese of animal origin and meat products at the same time.

How else is coffee used?

Sometimes, if coffee remained in storage and was no longer useful, it was simply processed into building material or other technical material.

Coffee grounds, or zorec as we call them, are extremely useful in the household as a means of cleaning dishes. It is very useful, for example, for cleaning greasy dishes, bottles and glasses.

Coffee grounds are also used to impregnate shoes.

Coffea arabica is a plant that some people grow as an indoor ornamental plant, but it also develops fruits and seeds, so you can have coffee right at home. The most suitable for this is the Nana type.

If you want to get rid of the musty smell in the cupboards, use coffee beans.

Coffee grounds eliminate the smell of garlic.

Coffee grounds are also used in gardening, as they are an excellent substitute for peat.

Coffee grounds are also used for divination.

The history of coffee

Coffee is certainly the most widely used stimulant in the world. In some countries, they have a good coffee drinking culture, such as Turkey, where they value coffee as part of a ritual and do not consume it very often, but on special occasions and in the morning when family gathers or friends and chat while drinking coffee. In some countries, a lot of low-quality coffee is drunk, including the Balkan countries, including ours. The purpose of the Mariposa Coffee Association is to raise the culture of coffee drinking to a high level.

Coffea arabica originates from Ethiopia, from the Kaffa region, where the locals have known it for an extremely long time. According to legends, animals chewed coffee leaves, which were significantly more energetic as a result, and shepherds and monks imitated them and thus discovered the invigorating effects of coffee. There are several legends about the origin of the name. It was most likely discovered by locals from Ethiopia who chewed coffee leaves, which also have similar effects as coffee seeds. Later, the Arabs brought it to themselves and from there it spread gradually through kings, emperors and merchants all over the world. That is why it is cultivated in quite a few countries today.

It is also possible that the name kava comes from the name of the Persian king Kavus Kali, or from the Arabic words hood, quahwa, and kahwe, which are words that denote an irritant. The use of coffee over time At first, raw coffee was used as an infusion of seeds and leaves for medicinal purposes. Only later did they start drying and roasting it.

Coffee has become extremely popular, especially in the Muslim world where alcohol is not allowed. Because of its excessive popularity, it was also banned several times in some places, but the majority who enjoyed coffee always won in the end.

The effect of coffee on society

Coffee had a positive effect on society by suppressing alcohol. There were also cafes, gatherings of artists, thinkers, knowledgeable and learned people who met over coffee. Later, it was also used by ordinary people. Cafes expanded and opened their doors to all people, who could socialize over coffee and enjoy it. At the same time, they exchanged news and knowledge.

Are coffee farmers being exploited?

The coffee industry makes a lot of money at the expense of coffee growers. The farmer gets the least and that is not fair. That's why the Mariposa association tries to buy coffee at higher prices directly from the growers, and they don't haggle on the price, because they value good coffee and the efforts of the farmers. They don't even buy bad coffee.

Is the coffee bitter?

Coffee is a fruit and is not bitter by nature. Bitter coffee occurs when roasters over-roast the poor quality coffee to mask the bad taste of the coffee. The more the coffee is roasted, the more bitter it is. Real coffee has a mild taste of nuts and fruit. Beginners who drink specialty coffee think that it has a slightly sour aftertaste of fruit.

How is coffee roasted?

Raw coffee needs to be roasted and ground before it is brewed, because that's how it really tastes best. Old coffee is not good coffee. Coffee can be roasted medium roast or light roast, while dark roast is burnt and bitter. Roasters roast coffee in special cauldrons that are similar to those used to roast chestnuts, except that they are more elaborate and very precise machines that measure the parameters known to the roaster for a well-roasted coffee.

How is coffee brewed at home?

You can prepare several types of coffee at home. Turkish coffee or filter coffee is most often brewed. Pour the water into the jezva. Use a ratio of 1 dcl of water and 10 g of coffee. Boil the water and cool it a little, because it is better to put the coffee in boiling water, as it loses its taste. It is good to put the light roasted coffee in hotter water, the darker one in slightly cooler water and mix it. Put the kettle back on the heat and remove it from the heat before it boils. Put the coffee aside and immediately pour it into a cup. Wait a little until the sediment falls to the bottom and you can drink it.

Of course, coffee can be prepared in several ways, which we will describe in the following articles and entrust you with Marina's and Klemn's original recipes.

What advice does Marina give when making coffee at home?

Everyone should prepare their coffee according to their own feelings, because that's the only way you'll really enjoy a cup of coffee. No matter what type of coffee you have in front of you and from which roaster, you will never enjoy a cup of coffee if you don't prepare it the way we like it. I suggest you use as little sugar, milk and other additives as possible, because all this changes the taste of the coffee itself and then you can't even enjoy the original taste of the coffee.