Vocabulary and glossary to help you navigate the coffee world
Coffee Belt
The name given to the band of subtropical regions crossing around 50 countries where coffee is grown. Principally mountainous regions that lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Coffee Waves
The evolution of coffee over time: - 1st wave: air-tight cans and pre-ground portion packs were introduced - 2nd wave: focused on coffee origins, artisans and roasting styles - 3rd wave: consumers understand the specifics of their coffee.
Body
The layer beneath the crema with most of the rich and delicious flavours and aromas associated with espresso. Soft, syrupy, creamy, buttery/oily, silky when it’s good, dry or astringent when it’s not.
Latte art
Creative drawing technique that involves skilfully pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso to create visually appealing designs such as hearts, rosettes or tulips on the surface of the coffee.
Grinding
Transformation of the roasted coffee beans into a coarse to fine powder, allowing the oils and flavours to be extracted. Can be done with a basic, blade-type grinder or with a higher quality burr one.
Roasting
Roasting is the ‘cooking’ of the green coffee beans through the application of heat for a certain time. Only after roasting are beans are ready to be ground.
Robusta
Coffea Robusta is the most popular coffee variety of the Coffea Canephora. Mostly grown in Vietnam, but also in Africa and Brazil, it generally has a much higher caffeine content than other species.
Frothing
Milk frothing serves two purposes: to create a creamy foam by incorporating air and steam, as well as heating the milk to an ideal temperature (up to 65°C).
Flavour
Four basic flavours are used to describe coffee: bitter, sour, salty, and sweet. The predominance of one or more over the others depends on the blend composition. Sometimes, umami is also perceived.
Specialty coffee
Exceptional quality coffee scoring at least 80 points on the 100-point Coffee Review scale: the SCA oversees quality standards at every stage of the coffee production, from green beans defects to water standards and brew strength.
Tamping
The act of compacting ground coffee with a tamper to restrict water flow, forcing the coffee and water to interact at the right pressure. Tamping should be firm, even and perpendicular to the filter.
Extraction
Extraction is what determines the quality of the final result of the coffee in cup, defining the thickness of the crema on the surface and giving the coffee its fine and persistent texture.
