FrontStreet Coffee: An Introduction to Floral and Fruity Coffee Beans

The main factors that influence coffee flavor are four-fold. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will explain how to select the right coffee beans for you from four perspectives: variety, origin, processing method, and roast level.

Coffee Varieties

Currently, coffee is mainly divided into two major species: Arabica and Robusta, with many sub-varieties under each. For instance, the most famous Geisha belongs to the Arabica species. When selecting beans, you must choose Arabica coffee beans, as their flavor quality is significantly higher than that of Robusta.

Origins

Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya

Processing Methods

Coffee processing methods refer to the process by which coffee is stripped of its fruit flesh by local coffee processing plants after harvesting to produce green coffee beans. There are two main processing methods: washed and natural. The washed method involves removing the fruit flesh from coffee beans and fermenting them in water, resulting in a cleaner taste with prominent floral and fruity notes and higher acidity. The natural method involves drying coffee cherries directly in the sun, allowing sugars from the fruit flesh to penetrate the coffee beans, resulting in sweeter coffee with a fuller body. Of course, many new processing methods have been developed recently, such as honey processing, anaerobic fermentation, barrel aging, and more.

Roast Levels

Finally, let's look at roast levels. After processing, green coffee beans are transported to roasters nationwide for the final step—roasting. The deeper the roast level of coffee beans, the stronger the caramelization, and thus the more bitter the coffee; the lighter the roast level, the more prominent the floral and fruity notes. Currently, the specialty coffee community mainly prefers light-roasted beans, which have abundant acidity, sweetness, and aroma. The commercial coffee that people typically drink, such as Starbucks, uses medium to dark-roasted beans with higher bitterness. If you haven't tried specialty coffee before, FrontStreet Coffee recommends starting with medium or light-medium roasts, and then trying light-roasted beans after you've become accustomed to them.

About FrontStreet Coffee

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a research-focused coffee house dedicated to sharing knowledge about coffee with everyone. Our毫无保留的分享 is aimed at helping more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee tasting events with significant discounts because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide more friends with the best coffee at the lowest possible price—this has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!