Characteristics and Differences Between Single Origin Coffee and Specialty Coffee - Understanding Common Specialty Coffee Varieties

FrontStreet Coffee: Introduction to Single-Origin and Specialty Coffee

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What is Single-Origin Coffee?

As the name suggests, single-origin means "single." Everyone knows that coffee produced from different regions at different altitudes has varying flavors. Many hardcore coffee enthusiasts enjoy pursuing the ultimate experience and tracing its origins. Coffee should emphasize the "three singles" - single origin, single estate, and single variety. As long as one of these conditions is met, it can be called single-origin coffee.

Coffees like Blue Mountain, Kenya, Colombia, Yirgacheffe, etc., all belong to single-origin coffees. Coffee without milk or sugar is usually collectively called "black coffee," which is actually not a very professional term. Although single-origin coffee is authentic in its original flavor, not many people can handle this "bitterness." Drinkers who don't add milk or sugar are basically in the minority. In fact, single-origin coffee grows in different regions, and each variety is influenced by the climate differences of its origin to form unique flavors, so it's recommended to taste the original flavor of the coffee before adding sugar or milk. The main varieties are Arabica and its derived species, such as Typica, Caturra, Catuai, SL28/SL34 (experimental varieties), etc.

Characteristics of Single-Origin Coffee

Nowadays, most people are accustomed to describing coffee's taste by its production region, and this all depends on whether this cup of coffee is single-origin, because coffee labeled with a specific region represents the flavor of that area. Single-origin coffee has "personality" - due to regional differences, some are more bitter, some are more acidic, especially during the roasting process, where the flavors are most distinctly expressed.

What is Specialty Coffee?

Single-origin coffee also has divisions between specialty-grade coffee beans and commercial-grade single-origin coffee.

The concept of specialty coffee was first proposed by Erna Knudsen, known as the "godmother of specialty coffee," in 1974 in the "Tea & Coffee Monthly" journal, highlighting that "only in the most favorable microclimates and soil conditions can unique-flavored specialty coffee be cultivated." Moreover, coffee scoring above 80 points according to SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) standards is considered specialty coffee.

In simple terms, specialty coffee must meet four elements: good raw beans, good roasting, good storage, and good extraction. Every aspect must achieve superior quality to be called specialty coffee.

Characteristics of Specialty Coffee

The characteristics of specialty coffee are clear at a glance - it's all about "specialty" - outstanding raw materials, excellent roasting techniques, superior extraction, and excellent taste and flavor. From bean selection to coffee cup, every step is extremely meticulous, making specialty coffee truly rare.

The Difference Between Single-Origin and Specialty

Single-origin coffee emphasizes singularity, focusing on expressing the flavors of specific regions, without making requirements on coffee quality; specialty coffee focuses more on coffee quality and flavor. As long as the beans are good, it doesn't matter whether they're single-origin or blended. Through various high-quality blended beans and master roasting, different tastes can also be presented, which proves that the coffee made by different specialty coffee shops and baristas will have different flavors.

In summary, single-origin coffee is not equal to specialty coffee, and specialty coffee is not necessarily single-origin coffee.

Knowledge Point

In the world of specialty coffee, particular attention is paid to coffee varieties, origins, and processing methods, because these greatly affect the flavor of specialty coffee beans, and also influence how we should roast and brew these coffee beans.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a research-focused coffee establishment, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation just to help more friends fall in love with coffee, and we hold 3 discounted coffee activities every month. This is because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest prices, which has also been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473