How to Understand Packaged Coffee Bean Information_Can Packaged Coffee Beans Be Eaten Directly_Packaged Coffee Bean Prices

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Some friends asked: "I bought a bag of coffee beans, and the label on it has a lot of writing, like some kind of code. Should I just ignore it and drink directly?"

Yes, just drink it.

After you finish drinking, if you happen to have some spare time, then you can study what exactly is written on the packaging bag, or study it while drinking. The benefit is to pass the time, and also to give you some confidence when choosing beans next time. Today, I'm going to very irresponsibly teach everyone how to understand the labels on coffee packaging.

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First, I need to reiterate that what I'm saying is very rough, and many assertions are based on my own experience, which cannot withstand scientific scrutiny or the scrutiny of experts. I just hope that in a short time, friends who are just starting to get into coffee won't be intimidated by all that data and terminology. At least they won't habitually glance at the description when they get a bag of coffee beans, then habitually put it down, completely confused.

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Let's take a look at some coffee bean packaging bags I've tried

*From Xiangtou Coffee

＊From Minority

To summarize,

There are often several difficult characters (dubbing style) that appear on coffee bags,

I'll categorize them with color blocks.

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Region \ Variety \ Elevation

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Producer \ Batch \ Processing Plant

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Picking Processing Time \ Roast Level \ Processing Method \ Flavor

█ Region

Region information is equivalent to the first sentence of a bean's self-introduction: "Who am I". Different regions, different flavors. The region referred to here is precisely located to the estate or even the plot. That bag of Geisha above comes from Volcan, Panama. Beans from the same producing country have different natural conditions in different regions, and the flavor of the beans varies slightly. The idiom "Southern oranges, northern trifoliate oranges" seems to describe this phenomenon. However, I think it's enough to remember the main producing regions. You might not even be able to pronounce the names of more specific regions; you just need to have the awareness of "southern oranges, northern trifoliate oranges."

If you have a lot of time and are very sensitive, precise region labeling can also help you explore the different flavors cultivated by the same coffee under different natural conditions in different regions. For example, places with higher humidity tend to develop fruity aromas, while volcanic rock regions might grow bitter-sweet chocolate notes. Of course, I find this quite difficult. When it comes to drinking coffee, take it easy.

Key point: Remember the main producing regions (such as Kenya, Panama, etc.)

█ Variety

This is difficult to explain. As mentioned before, most specialty coffees belong to the Arabica variety (99.99% maybe). Currently, under the Arabica category, there are 2000-3000 coffee varieties, but they are all descendants of the two parent varieties "Typica" and "Bourbon". Pure varieties are of course rare (same as cats and dogs), but hybrids don't necessarily represent inferior quality. However, coffee has a characteristic that often coffee varieties with stronger disease resistance and higher yield are more likely to have slightly inferior flavors. Scarcity makes things valuable, and scarcity often means better taste. This rule hasn't changed much in the coffee industry for now. Currently, the more recognized, award-winning varieties are probably: bourbon, typica, yellow bourbon, caturra, pacamara, catuai, geisha, which may also be common on the coffee packaging bags you buy.

Key point: Arabica \ Typica \ Bourbon

█ Elevation

Specialty coffees basically grow above 3000 feet (912m), mainly because of the large temperature difference between morning and evening at high altitudes, sufficient sunlight, and slower growth of coffee trees, giving more time for the fruit to develop richer flavor factors. In principle, the higher the elevation, the higher the acidity and sucrose content, the more aromatic the taste, and the lower the oil content. But this is not absolute. For example, some subtropical regions, although not high in altitude, can achieve similar climate characteristics to high altitudes due to monsoons and shade trees. For example, coffee from Hawaii is quite good.

Key point: Elevation \ High elevation tends to produce good beans

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Producer \ Batch \ Processing Plant

It's not that it's unimportant, it's that you won't understand it even if you look at it. Experts among experts, especially green bean importers, might be more concerned about green bean producers and processing plants. Different producers and processing plants definitely have differences in quality, but ordinary coffee drinkers might find it difficult to distinguish. Labeling batches can also prove the uniformity of the bean batch, and different batches have slight differences in taste. So, you can see these labels as meaning that the green bean source is guaranteed.

Key point: It's okay if you don't understand

●Packaged Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's freshly roasted single-origin & espresso packaged coffee beans: Yirgacheffe coffee, Brazilian coffee, Mandheling coffee, etc., are fully guaranteed in brand and quality, suitable for brewing with various equipment. More importantly, the price-performance ratio is extremely high. A half-pound (227g) bag costs only about 80-90 RMB. Calculated at 15g of coffee per pour-over, a bag can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup of single-origin coffee costing only about 6 RMB. Compared to the normal selling price of 30-40 RMB per cup in cafes, this is an extremely high value.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473