What makes specialty coffee special? How is it different from your average coffee? Is it the taste, the caffeine content, or how it's produced? Find out!
"Coffee is just coffee at the end of the day, why should I care so much about it?"
"When I wake up in the morning, the only particular thing I care about is how much caffeine is in my cup of coffee."
How many of you have such a relationship with coffee?
Don't lie to me; we all know that most of us (even if only for a short period of our lives) drank coffee just to get energy from it.
But don't worry! The blame does not lie solely with you. On the contrary, most of the blame lies with the coffee industry, which for years has displayed generic coffee blends on supermarket shelves with no specification of origin or quality.
Fortunately, this trend is changing.
But first, what is coffee?
Coffee, the elixir of the gods, is the drink that keeps the world spinning! Made from the magical beans of the Coffea plant, it has a taste beyond description and the caffeine power to get you through the day. Whether you choose an espresso, cappuccino or a simple filter coffee, it is an important companion in many people's lives, always ready to help them start the day or get an energy boost during a break.
How is the coffee industry changing?
Indeed, the entire coffee industry has changed greatly in recent years, and consumers now have many choices. On supermarket shelves, the usual non-identifiable blends have been replaced by single-origin coffees with multiple certifications. Many bars that used to sell only over-extracted coffee now offer more origins of coffee, and in addition to the popular espresso, customers can choose from many brewing methods.
The coffee sector today is the scene of a fascinating dualism. On the one hand, a significant part of the market is still covered by cheap bulk coffee. On the other hand, the demand for premium coffee is increasing and the growth of specialty coffee, especially in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland, is impressive.
This means that a growing number of consumers are becoming more interested in the origin of the bean and the story behind the cup.
Let's start with the basics!
What are specialty coffee beans, and what distinguishes them from 'regular coffee'?
The term specialty coffee refers to the entire process the beans undergoes - from a high-quality single-origin coffee, through the farmer to the barista. The term was coined in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in a Tea & Coffee Trade Journal report to describe the best coffee beans produced in certain microclimates. A few years later, the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) formalized the definition by assigning the attribute "specialty" to all coffees that receive 80 points or more on a 100-point scale during cupping (a sensory evaluation of coffee).
But specialty coffee is much more - it is not only a product that tastes better because of more sophisticated production practices. Rather, specialty coffee is a long-term project that can exist consistently when all those involved in the coffee value chain work together in harmony and maintain a sharp focus on standards and excellence from farm to cup. Farmers, buyers, roasters, baristas and consumers are all involved in specialty coffee.
The farmers behind specialty coffee beans
The farmers skillfully grow the coffee cherry during. The buyers select only the best green coffee beans in the world. The roaster enhances the notes of the beans throughout the roasting process. The barista decides to best brew the coffee and tells the story behind the cup. The consumer chooses to drink a specialty coffee while supporting a supply chain that benefits both society and the environment.
Specialty coffee promotes a new coffee market based on cooperation rather than transactions, a connected system where all actors can mutually benefit from their interactions.
The difference between specialty coffee and 'regular coffee'
The main difference between specialty coffee and generic coffee is that with the former, more in-depth information is communicated to the consumer, while the latter is shrouded in mystery and vagueness. When you go to a supermarket the maximum information you can get is the presence of arabica or robusta in the blend, and if you are lucky they will also tell you what country the coffee comes from.
Furthermore, relationships in specialty coffee are based on transparency and respect, because there is a desire and pride in telling consumers where the coffee comes from and how it was grown and processed. Region of origin, harvest date, lot number and roast date are oftentimes mentioned in specialty coffee.
11 criteria specialty coffee aims to adhere to
In general, these are the 11 criteria that specialty coffee attempts to meet:
- Excellence: Speciality coffee must have exceptional flavor and aroma.
- Purity: No contaminants or defects in the coffee.
- Ethical trade: The coffee farmer must receive a fair price for the coffee.
- Traceability: The origin of the coffee must be known.
- Selective harvesting: Only the most ripe and healthy beans should be picked.
- Precise processing: Processing of the coffee must be skilled and sanitary.
- Responsible farming: The production of specialty coffee must be environmentally friendly.
- Unique flavor profiles: Speciality coffee must have specific characteristics, such as a regional flavor.
- Consistent quality: Speciality coffee must always have the same high quality.
- Cupping scores: Speciality coffee must achieve high scores when tasted (cupping).
- Careful preparation: The preparation of speciality coffee must be expert and with attention to detail.
Wakuli and specialty coffee
At Wakuli, we firmly believe in the specialty coffee market and its ability to have a strong environmental and social impact on those who produce it. Therefore, we believe that the interpersonal relationships we have with our producers are the most important. Transparency is key, so we tell our customers what price is paid to the farmer and everyone involved in the supply chain, and we tell producers where their coffee ends up at what price.
Specialty coffee is not just a hipster trend for people willing to pay 4.5 euros for a cup of coffee. It can be the beginning of a revolution in the coffee industry. We believe that specialty coffee can create interest and education in the world of coffee, making people understand that coffee is not a simple commodity, but a complex product with an infinite number of qualitative differences. Thus, more and more people will demand more transparency and higher quality from companies.
Specialty coffees are not the only possible direction, but they will certainly pave the way to a coffee market with more quality, social justice and transparency, and that is what Wakuli stands for.
Wake up! Coffee is much more than the energy it gives you.
