Can Single Origin Coffee Beans Be Used for Espresso? SOE Coffee Sounds Sophisticated and Complex

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FrontStreet Coffee - Single Origin Espresso (SOE) Introduction

What is "SOE"?

The so-called "SOE" is actually an abbreviation for "Single Origin Espresso," which in Chinese means: single-origin espresso coffee.

Well, "SOE" is not profound at all - it's simply replacing "blended coffee beans" with "single-origin coffee beans" to create espresso through high-pressure extraction.

Note that this is merely a terminology and doesn't universally indicate green bean roasting information or extraction protocols. Therefore, it doesn't represent any standard of coffee quality, nor is it a criterion for "whether it tastes good or not."

Why did "SOE" emerge?

SOE, which became popular starting in 2007, has gradually matured, and its influence has progressively spread. North American consumers have become accustomed to ordering single-origin espresso coffee at cafés based on seasonal availability.

Previously, people felt that coffee bean flavors were incomplete, so to compensate for the shortcomings of some beans, they would add other beans - this is what we call blending. However, gradually, as the quality of specialty coffee green beans has become increasingly high and roasting techniques have improved, excellent beans have emerged that can be used alone for espresso without any drawbacks. Moreover, these beans showcase distinct regional characteristics such as floral notes and citrus aromas.

The popularity of SOE has made people realize that as long as there are sufficiently excellent beans, espresso formulas don't need to be complex to produce a good cup of coffee.

However, in the current environment, cafés that dare and are capable of offering SOE are注定 to be rare, because the production quantity of high-quality coffee beans is insufficient to supply the mass market, and simultaneously, fully expressing the coffee's sweet and sour characteristics through light roasting is no easy task.

Good coffee is a product of seasonal flavors

Coffee flavor is a unique taste achieved through variety, origin, climate, and roasting. Coffee producers hope that the efforts they make in cultivation and green bean processing can be tasted by consumers.

The popularity of simplified formulas means that consumers have come to accept the concept that "good coffee is a product of seasonal flavors." Specialty coffee roasters no longer need to include more than seven or even more than ten types of green beans in their formulas to maintain richness and consistency of flavor. (Because fewer components mean that each time a "part" is replaced, it will cause significant changes to the overall flavor expression.)

Flavor stability and consistency are no longer the primary consideration; consistency of "philosophy" is the key point. Faithfully presenting seasonal flavors while maintaining espresso formula products under the same "philosophy."

Knowledge point: Arabica and Robusta varieties

According to coffee bean combinations, they are divided into single-origin coffee and espresso coffee.

In summary:

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research institute dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three discounted coffee events each month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible prices - this has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

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