Recently, while in the mountain town of Boquete, Panama, I had the opportunity to take a tour of a small coffee farm, and thoroughly enjoyed being able to see firsthand how my favourite morning beverage makes it all the way from the seed to my cup. It blew my mind how much work actually goes into producing a cup of coffee, so I thought I’d share with you the “story of coffee”.
Enjoy!
~Mandrew
Enjoy!
~Mandrew
Origin of Coffee
light, medium, and a happy dark roast With a coffee shop or four on every street corner these days, it’s easy to take it for granted that most days begin only after I’ve had my first cup of java. After having witnessed the tremendous amount of work that goes into producing coffee, however, I’m forced to wonder – who the heck thought to go through all this trouble? Well, it seems there are a few different stories about how coffee was discovered, and although this one seems the least credible, I find it the most entertaining:
Sometime in the ninth century A.D., an Ethiopian goat-herder named Kaldi noticed that, after eating a certain plant, his goats behaved quite strangely, running and jumping around all nimbly-bimbly. Thinking that he’d be able to get the same kind of energy boost (or maybe just wanting to get high), Kaldi decided to try it for himself. First, he tried munching on some of the berries, but found that they were too bitter. He then tried chewing on some of the leaves, but quickly found them to be too tough and waxy to continue. Next, he got the bright idea of brewing a tea from the leaves, but alas that, too, tasted like crap. In a fit of hopeless rage, Kaldi tore up the plants and cast them into his fire. A few minutes later, however, he noticed that the burnt plants smelled damn good, and after some investigating found that it was the roasted berries that were releasing the fantastic aroma. He ground up some of these roasted berries and steeped them in hot water, and instantly became the happiest man in Ethiopia.
Sometime in the ninth century A.D., an Ethiopian goat-herder named Kaldi noticed that, after eating a certain plant, his goats behaved quite strangely, running and jumping around all nimbly-bimbly. Thinking that he’d be able to get the same kind of energy boost (or maybe just wanting to get high), Kaldi decided to try it for himself. First, he tried munching on some of the berries, but found that they were too bitter. He then tried chewing on some of the leaves, but quickly found them to be too tough and waxy to continue. Next, he got the bright idea of brewing a tea from the leaves, but alas that, too, tasted like crap. In a fit of hopeless rage, Kaldi tore up the plants and cast them into his fire. A few minutes later, however, he noticed that the burnt plants smelled damn good, and after some investigating found that it was the roasted berries that were releasing the fantastic aroma. He ground up some of these roasted berries and steeped them in hot water, and instantly became the happiest man in Ethiopia.
the shack where all the magic happens Many centuries later, coffee is cultivated all over the world, although there are some key ingredients which can help lead to successful coffee production. Factors such as temperature, type of soil, and amount of rainfall and sunlight are, of course, extremely important. One of the trickier and more important elements, however, seems to be elevation: a coffee plant grown at a lower elevation will generally be healthier and able to produce a higher number of berries. Although this is great news for propagation of the plant, more berries means that each one will contain less flavour (because… that’s just the way it is). Too high an elevation, however, and the plant won’t be healthy enough to produce a worthwhile amount of berries. It seems that Finca La Milagrosa in Boquete, at 1500 meters above sea level, is just right. This small farm, which I had the pleasure of touring in December, is run and operated solely by the owner Don Alfredo and one other full-time employee (plus a handful of migratory workers who tour the Boquete berry-picking circuit). Growing a variety of breeds of Arabica coffee (including Geisha, the second most expensive variety after the kind that monkeys poop out), Don Alfredo also processes and roasts his very own brand of coffee, though at this point it’s only available for sale at his farm and a handful of specialty coffee shops in Japan.
Growing
beautiful coffee twig & berries First, the coffee plants need to grow (duh!). Depending on the variety, it can take anywhere from 3 to 8 years after plantbirth before they reach full production, after which they will continue to produce for about 15 years. A successful farm, then, should have plants of a variety of ages, to keep things flowing year after year. There are a number of insects & funguses that can wreak havoc on the plants & their berries, which often means a lot of insecticides, fungicides and/or manual pruning. Many farms, including Finca La Milagrosa, reduce their dependence on chemicals by taking some simple measures such as maintaining groves of larger trees, providing a home for insect-eating birds. Larger trees also help to protect the smaller and more fragile coffee plants from the high winds possible during storms.
Picking
a short man near a coffee plant Because not all berries reach peak ripeness at the same time, the best coffee growers bring in workers multiple times over the season to pick by hand. In Boquete, the job of picking is most often taken care of by families of indigenous peoples who make their rounds from farm to farm. Because they’re generally quite short, most farms prune their plants to prevent them from growing taller than about five feet (nobody wants to drag a ladder around while picking coffee berries).
All berries start green, and depending on the variety turn red or yellow when ripe. A ripe coffee berry has a soft outer skin and pulp, and typically contains two hard seeds. These seeds are much smaller than those in the roast coffee we’re used to seeing, and upon having a taste I can agree with our old friend Kaldi – no thanks!
All berries start green, and depending on the variety turn red or yellow when ripe. A ripe coffee berry has a soft outer skin and pulp, and typically contains two hard seeds. These seeds are much smaller than those in the roast coffee we’re used to seeing, and upon having a taste I can agree with our old friend Kaldi – no thanks!
 a bucket of berries earns the picker about $2.00 |  a ripe berry and its two seeds |
removing skin & pulp
the skin removing machine Next, the first layer of skin and pulp is removed from the ripe berries. At Finca La Milagrosa, this is done using a machine that consists of a hopper that feeds the berries onto what looks like a spinning cheese grater. The remaining seeds are then soaked in water for about a day, during which time they begin to ferment and their hard layer of skin softens. The fermented seeds are then fed through a second machine which removes the layer of fermented skin and mucous (yum!). This mucousy mess comes out of the machine like a thick honey, and is collected to be used as a component in fertilizer, or more likely, as an ingredient in “chicha” (moonshine).
Sorting & Washing
mixing after 2nd skinning - HURRY! HARD!! The seeds then need to be rinsed with a bunch of fresh water in order to remove any remaining schmenk. Another important step here is sorting of the beans into their three levels of quality: high quality (which make it into Don Alfredo’s specialty coffee packages), medium (which can still be sold but at a lower price), and low (which are good for feeding the worms). Luckily, it just so happens that the quality of the bean corresponds to its density, allowing the beans to be sorted and washed at the same time.
the first stage of the coffee canal The seeds are placed at the upstream end of a miniature replica of the Panama canal (as our tour guide insisted), consisting of three gates of successively lower height. Because the lower quality beans are less dense, they will eventually find their way over the gate and into the next section of the canal. While fresh water is run over the seeds, a worker mixes them with a curling broom to ensure none remain trapped beneath others. Eventually, they all come to rest in their appropriate groups: high quality seeds end up before or just after the first gate, medium quality end up before or just after the second gate, and low quality beans settle after third gate or continue through into the ocean. Don Alfredo boasts that over 90% of his seeds are of high quality, and only about 3% end up as rejects.
Drying
drying screens at work Before we can start the fun stuff, the processed seeds need to be dried. This is done by spreading them out on drying screens and leaving them to sit for about two weeks, mixing them daily to ensure even drying. An important thing to keep in mind here is that at no point should the seeds be touched by hand, as this can introduce oils that affect the finished flavour of the coffee. Instead, Don Alfredo ensures that only precision-engineered stirring sticks are used to mix the seeds. Once finally dry, the seeds are small and very hard, and look a lot like small peanuts. At this point, the seeds can be sorted according to colour & uniformity and then bagged and sold as “green coffee”.
 a nearly dried seed and its skin |  completely dried, this is "green coffee" |
Roasting
can you spot the scrap Volkswagen parts? With almost no taste or smell as green coffee, it’s really during the roasting of the coffee that all the magic happens. Don Alfredo is one of the few growers in the area with his own roasting equipment (the first version of which he MacGyvered together from scrap car parts). The contraption we used was nothing more than a rotating steel cylinder over an open flame, but was enough to ensure the seeds were uniformly heated and remained well-mixed during roasting. I’ve yet to try this, but apparently you can do a decent job roasting your own coffee at home using a frying pan, being sure to keep it moving around (jiffy-pop, anyone?).
Don Alfredo's roasting contraption After 2-3 minutes over a medium-high flame, the seeds will begin to pop. This is your first gauge of how much longer they’ll need. About 30-40 seconds after the first seeds begin to pop, the coffee should be a light roast. In another 30 seconds, they’ll be a medium roast. In another little while, you’ll begin to hear a second, sharper-sounding pop, which means your coffee is now a dark roast and will soon be burnt. With each pop the seeds grow slightly in size, taking them from their tiny-peanut appearance to the “coffee bean” we’re all familiar with. After roasting, a small layer of dry skin may have been shed by some of the seeds. This “chaff” can be removed using air movement (i.e. by sneezing on it), but is often left on for dark roasts to help soak up some of the excess oil.
We removed some seeds at various points during roasting, and were later able to compare the differences in flavor and aroma. According to some people much smarter than I, as coffee is roasted its oils & acids are broken down, reducing the intensity of its flavor & aroma (but smelling damn good). For this reason, lighter roasts have a more complex and stronger flavor, while darker roasts aren’t quite as bitter. All I could really tell was that my nose preferred the dark roast but my mouth liked the medium.
We removed some seeds at various points during roasting, and were later able to compare the differences in flavor and aroma. According to some people much smarter than I, as coffee is roasted its oils & acids are broken down, reducing the intensity of its flavor & aroma (but smelling damn good). For this reason, lighter roasts have a more complex and stronger flavor, while darker roasts aren’t quite as bitter. All I could really tell was that my nose preferred the dark roast but my mouth liked the medium.
Enjoying
taking a break after a hard day's work So there you have it, all you need to grow your own coffee is your very own plot of perfect tropical land, a load of time and dedication, a modified curling broom, and a troupe of traveling Oompa-Loompas. Coffee is a wonderful thing!
As for preparing the drink itself there are many different techniques, but my favourite while traveling (due to lack of proper implements) seems to be good old-fashioned cowboy coffee brewed in the pot and filtered through my teeth (or a sock, depending on my laundry situation). How do you guys like to brew your java?
Happy brewing!
~Mandrew
As for preparing the drink itself there are many different techniques, but my favourite while traveling (due to lack of proper implements) seems to be good old-fashioned cowboy coffee brewed in the pot and filtered through my teeth (or a sock, depending on my laundry situation). How do you guys like to brew your java?
Happy brewing!
~Mandrew
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