What Makes Single Origin Coffee So Special? Why Are All Coffee Shops Selling 'Single Origin'?

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Understanding Single Origin Coffee

Let me introduce what's known as "Single Origin Coffee." But why do we need to understand this term? Because it appears so frequently! Even many coffee shops have made it a trend, adding "Single Origin Coffee" options to their menus in recent years. Usually, when you order one, the staff will ask you to choose which type, and then tell you about coffees from various countries... At this point, do you all have some concept of what this means?

Single Origin vs. Blend Coffee

However, choosing a coffee-producing country doesn't necessarily mean you've selected single-origin coffee. Instead, you need to know more specifically about the growing region—that is, where a coffee's origin comes from. This term emerged to distinguish it from Blend Coffee, which is typically used in espresso coffee (the espresso, Americano, latte, or cappuccino that most people encounter earlier are usually what we call espresso coffee). Blend coffee is a comprehensive coffee created by roasters who select coffees from different origins and flavors to mix and roast (or they might roast individually before mixing), combining the characteristics of different coffees to create an impeccable flavor profile. Single-origin coffee, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of this concept—you only drink coffee from one region, appreciating the unique flavors of that growing area, giving people direct choices of different flavors rather than just the fixed combination of blended coffee.

The Evolution of Single Origin Coffee

Today, the trend of tasting single-origin coffee has been developing for some time. Current single-origin coffees don't necessarily completely represent the flavors of their growing region; instead, they carry more of the roaster's personal style. Roasters have particular preferences for certain flavors, so the coffees they roast tend to show common characteristics. For example, Alice herself prefers to make the sweetness of coffee more obvious, making the acidity less prominent—creating a smooth, pleasant cup of coffee is Alice's style. A coffee that might have been too acidic to drink can be transformed through adjustments to the roasting curve into a marvelous coffee with full sweetness and pleasant acidity. This method of adjusting coffee flavors according to customer preferences has also become a way to showcase a roaster's skill.

How to Truly Experience Regional Coffee Flavors

For friends who truly want to experience the original flavors of coffee-growing regions, FrontStreet Coffee suggests choosing light or medium roast coffees. Even if roasters deliberately adjust their roasting methods, light and medium roast coffees still retain more regional characteristics than medium-dark or dark roast coffees. Also, pay attention to the brewing method. Some coffee shops might use espresso machines, pour-over, siphon, or AeroPress for brewing. Typically, single-origin espresso brewed with an espresso machine is abbreviated as S.O.E. (Single Origin Espresso). Under high pressure, this is a brewing method that amplifies flavor details, but friends who are accustomed to drinking pour-over or siphon coffee might find it difficult to accept at first—acidity, sweetness, and bitterness are all amplified and concentrated. Especially for friends more sensitive to acidity, the acidity might seem sharper, and you can only take small sips to savor slowly, but the flavor perception is deeper. Next in terms of experiencing more intense flavors is the AeroPress, which also uses pressure brewing but extracts coffee with more obvious flavors that are much less sharp than S.O.E. (after all, the brewing pressure is much lower), making it a brewing method that most people can accept. As for pour-over and siphon, Alice feels these two methods allow the coffee to carry the barista's style—whether regional flavors can be presented depends on the barista's extraction method.

Next time you visit a coffee shop to order single-origin coffee, why not ask the staff about the coffee's roast level and brewing method, then take your time to savor whether the coffee's flavor meets your expectations!

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse variety of beans, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online shop services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473