Coffee Guide

How about a cafezinho prepared fresh and hot? For some this practice is understood in retirement, but the Brazilians still enjoy the glory of drinking coffee from early morning until late at night.

cost of excessive drinking coffee did not cause a transition to another hasty. In fact, one third of the world population as a coffee drinkers. For example, each year, the Belgians drink 149 liters (39 gallons) of coffee, compared with only six liters (1.6 gallons) Tea. The average American drinks 10 cups of coffee to tea. In the Western world, only English has broken the rule of six gallons of coffee consumed annually to 261 (69 gallons) of tea.

Brazil holds the title as the world's largest producer and exporter of coffee. In the first four months of 1977, revenue for the export of this "brown gold reached" the staggering number of one billion U.S. dollars for 4.5 million bags, an all-time record.

Though> Coffee is not all native Brazil. Want to know how to use this drink developed almost universal, where he was born and how it came to Brazil?

Sources and uses

The word "coffee" comes from qahwah Arabic, means strength, and came to us through the kahveh turkish. Coffee's early discovery is shrouded in legend. A story tells of Kaldi, a young Arab shepherd who noticed his goats, after the boisterous crowd, munching berriesand the leaves of a certain shrub. Driven by curiosity, tried the mysterious little berries himself and was surprised at its intoxicating effect. rumor, and "coffee" was born.

Originally, coffee was used as solid food, then as the wine, and then as a medicine and, finally, as a common beverage. Like medicine, has been and is still prescribed for the treatment of migraine, heart disease, chronic asthma and dropsy. (Excessive use, however, as excessive stomachAcid causes irritation and speed up the heartbeat. The common "heartburn" is attributed to this.) As a food additive, the grapes were pressed together, added fats and the mixture was put into round shapes. Even today, some African tribes, "eat coffee. Later, the coffee berries provided a type of wine. Others made a drink by pouring boiling water over the shells dry. Still later, the seeds were dried and roasted, mixed with the skins in a drink. Finally someone on the groundThe grains in a mortar, the precursor of coffee grinders.

Coffee in Brazil

Although coffee probably originated in Ethiopia, the Arabs were the first to cultivate it in the fifteenth century. But their monopoly was short-lived. In 1610, the first coffee trees were planted in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch began to cultivate the study in 1614. During 1720, a naval officer Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu left Paris for the French West Indies, carrying a cup of coffeeSeedlings. Only one survived and was taken to Martinique. Of Dutch Guyana, coffee spread to the West Indies for French Guiana, and from there Brazilian Journal of Francisco de Melo Palheto took the form of Belem in Brazil, so that around 1727 during the nineteenth century, coffee cultivation has started in Campinas and other cities of the state of São Paulo, and soon reached other countries, especially Parana.

Today, coffee plantationsare provided with technical strength. Instead of sowing in the field, plants are grown in shady gardens. Approximately 40 days after sowing, wheat sprouts coffee. Its distinctive appearance gave him the name of "match". After a year of careful treatment in the nursery the plants are transplanted outside.

Usually on the hill, the plants are arranged in curved rows, to make work easier and mechanized field to prevent soil erosion. Four years after sowing,The trees are ready for their first harvest. All increases in time, irrigation and growth performance up to 100 percent.

On the other hand, producer of coffee, the headache is its endless battle against insects and plant diseases such as leaf rust and coffee beans Borer. Rust is a fungus that attacks the leaves and can kill the tree. The Coffee Bean Borer is a worm that destroys the consumption of beans through small holes. Of course there are effective fungicides, andInsecticides, but their production costs increasing use.

Preparing the beans

In planting, can be washed coffee are produced by one of two "or a" dry process ". And 'admitted that the washing process provides a good quality product, because only the ripe coffee beans are selected. But because of less work and lower costs, Brazilian coffee usually goes through the "dry process".

First, all the berries from green to dry, are thrown awayBush on large sheet of canvas. Are then examined with special screens. Then the berries in water channels, in addition to the patio drying rinsed to separate the adult and immature to remove impurities. Then they scattered in layers to dry the fresh air and sunshine. They are often upside down to allow even drying. Finally, the dried berries in stores lined wooden stored until further use.

Drying, incidentally, is of utmostImportance to the final quality of coffee. Some plantations, therefore, wood drying kilns for use more quickly, especially when it rains.

In other Latin American countries and elsewhere, from the routine washing is common, although it is lengthy and expensive. First press machine pasta with beans from the skin. They are divided into large tanks where they remain for about 24 hours, without prejudice slight fermentation of "honey" as the surrounding gelSubstance is called. After fermentation, the "Honey" off machine washable channels. Subsequently, the coffee, the sun is expected to dry, as in "dry process". Some farmers use dryers, perforated cylinder in which circulates hot air through the coffee. Finally, the coffee beans go through shelling and polishing. And like the best quality coffee is picked by hand, so that the control is made of the berries after washing withhand.

Soon is the last step is made – the packaging of coffee in burlap bags for shipment. The 60 kg (132 lb) bag, followed by Brazil has adopted, is held around the world as the statistical unit. The bags are stacked in a clean and well ventilated warehouses. Finally, the coffee is ready for sale.

Classification, and marketing costs

The Instituto Brasileiro do Café (IBC: Brazilian Coffee Institute) provides technical and economic assistance for Brazilian coffee growers and manages the home and export trade. For the classification is judged by its aroma and taste. No chemical test of the quality has never been possible. The smell and taste are still the decisive factors. According to the source, preparation and drying, it is considered absolutely soft, smooth (pleasant mild taste and is filed), difficult to taste (bitter or spicy) and Rio (very hard type preferred in Rio de Janeiro). Other species are less important for trade.

For the past 20 years> Coffee led about 50 percent of revenue in exports to Brazil. Some 15.5 million people are employed in the cultivation and trade. But Calazans Camilo de Magalhães, President of IBC, warned that 1978 will present a situation unprecedented in the history of the coffee trade. First time ever, because it is totally dependent on the crop, as all stocks of Brazilian coffee outside Brazil will exhausted through. In addition, fears that the IBC, the spectrum ofProblems with the frost, insects and diseases cause more losses in 1977/78 and 1978/79 crops.

In a recent series of misfortunes met some of the major coffee producers in the world at, what the product price increases scarcity – and a lot of speculation. It all started in July 1975. Brazil has been hit the trees, an unusual cold spell, almost half of the destroyed coffee plantations or 200-300. Moreover, in Colombia, a drought followed by torrentialThe rain has destroyed their plantations. In Angola and Uganda, political turmoil hit exports. Then, an earthquake struck Guatemala. The "coffee crisis" was over!

As stocks fell, tension grew in business circles. Brazilian coffee for the first time in the price, dragging behind him Coffea arabica Colombia, traditionally the most expensive because of their superior quality. Coffea robusta Africans, usually less appreciated, have followed the trend. To make matters worse,Brazil imposed an export tax of $ 100 (U.S.) on each bag, which was launched in April 1977 of up to $ 134 (U.S.) a bag.

Speculation increased tension in commerce, as the coffee is purchased in advance. It 's a real challenge. Traders and roasters see buying a "high" and large quantities, however, made only months later. The movement is about to explode and prices. The IBC allows registration of export sales a few months before delivery of the goods, provided that the registration isPayment within 48 hours. Consequently, exporters are often "run the risk of Sign Up" sales, which has not yet taken place in reality. This allows them to benefit their customers or take advantage of higher prices.

Despite the upward trend, the Brazilians do not pay the high price of coffee should pay more. The Brazilian government is to protect the local coffee roasting, and the price per kilogram (2.2 pounds) is still lower than abroad, with $ 4.08 (U.S.)July 1977. However, statistics show that the Brazilian. Drink less coffee consumption in 1976 was 3.5 kg (7.7 pounds) of coffee per person, while in 1970 5.7 kg (12.6 kg) a.

Producers seemed satisfied with the new pricing policy, how to get more money from consumers. The coffee plantation workers, is also benefiting financially. maintain high prices, Brazil has purchased large amounts of central AfricaCoffee. Suddenly, however, was the absence of Brazilian exporters to international buyers face. to fall as a direct response to prices abroad, which began in July 1977, a sudden movement in New York and London stock exchanges to cut prices so that a 50 percent decline registered since the first three months of record prices . The exporters are nervous. Buyers demand, Brazil will reduce the price? What is the future of coffee? Time will tell.

Meanwhile, BrazilConselho Nacional Monetary approved a plan to revitalize and refresh the coffee plantations the nation with the addition of 150 million trees in 1977-1978 to a total of three billion trees and an output of 28 million bags in 1980. So there is no fear of the coffee is from the scene. Although this popular drink is more expensive now, yesterday, drinking coffee remains with us today.