Coffee is a beverage that has accompanied us since childhood. Maybe not exactly the taste of coffee, but its smell. Do you know what coffee is and how it is made? The path of the coffee bean is long. Some will be surprised that coffee is a fruit obtained from the coffee tree. The coffee bean begins its journey on the coffee plantation, where farmers carefully select ripe cherries, ferment them and pack green coffee and sent to the roaster. The roaster then roasts the coffee in different ways. The barista, on the other hand, is a master at extracting the best from coffee so that we can really enjoy a cup of coffee.

In the long run, coffee beans are affected by several factors that can make us say that we like coffee or not. Each individual has their own taste and this in itself is a very subjective thing. The most expensive coffee is not necessarily the best. Specialty coffee is coffee for which we know the origin and origins, its quality and the path to the barista. Coffee offers so many flavors and possibilities to find something for each individual. Marina and Klemen from the Mariposa roastery believe that the best coffee is the one whose taste "seduces" a person and pampers the palate long after that. This is coffee that you don’t forget easily.

How do they make premium coffee?

The most famous types of coffee are Coffea arabica - Arabic or ordinary coffee, Coffea liberica Bull. - Liberian coffee and Coffea robusta Linden. When the fruit of the coffee tree, which is bright red as a pomegranate, ripens, the seeds are extracted from it. The growers then let the seeds ferment. When dried, raw coffee is produced, which is yellow-green in color. Raw coffee is sent in large bags to roasters around the world, who then roast the coffee and grind it. As with all plants, too coffee growers some know how to make really good coffee, others worse. Roasters are well aware that only top-quality coffee can be used to roast coffee with a mild taste similar to fruit or nuts.

However, if the coffee is of poor quality, or the roaster does not know how to roast coffee properly, then the coffee tastes bitter because it is literally burnt. Bad coffee can also be too old, so it’s best freshly roasted and ground before using it. Poor bitter coffee is known to most people. Only those who seek more and explore come to the realization that there is also an exceptionally good, premium coffee of divine taste.

The barista, an experienced and knowledgeable expert, makes the finishing touch by grinding the coffee in the right way according to the preparation technique, which he then performs. The technique of making coffee is the last act that gives coffee its characteristic different flavors. Different flavors of coffee are also due to different climates, soil and coffee production on the plantation. On the plantation, it all starts and ends with the barista.

What does coffee contain?

Coffee or coffee beans contain 8-12 % of water, 10-13 % of protein, 10-16 % of fat, 6-8 % of sugar, 24-40 % of cellulose, 0.3-2.5 % of caffeine, which has the most Coffea robusta. It also contains saponins, pectin, tannins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and many other substances. Roasted seeds have slightly less caffeine than unroasted. Caffeol essential oil is formed during roasting and contains 42 compounds.

The effects of coffee

Coffee is an analeptic and a stimulant of the central nervous system. It is a nervinum and eliminates mental and physical fatigue. Coffee invigorates human perceptions and stimulates thinking and imagination. It has the power to relieve headaches. It also strengthens asthmatics, is a diuretic, hypertensive and cardiotonic in weakening the heart muscle. It acts as an antidote to alcohol poisoning, making coffee charcoal, which absorbs toxins well. It is a corrective and is intended for caffeine extraction. Fatty oil contains vitamin D, which is irradiated with UV rays and thus vitamin D is obtained from coffee.

How is coffee made?

Coffee is prepared as a stew or infusion from ground roasted coffee beans. It is a very popular stimulant that is most often drunk in the morning at breakfast or after lunch. We know two basic preparations of coffee, that is Turkish and express coffee. We also know decaffeinated coffee. They do this by removing the caffeine with solvents before frying it, leaving only a small amount left. Coffee as well as coffee extracts are used to prepare sweets and liqueurs. The energy value of roasted coffee is 1259 kJ per 100 g of coffee.

Coffee substitutes and counterfeits

Seed husks and crushed seeds, called the sultan’s coffee, are an inferior substitute for real coffee. In Indonesia, they also use roasted coffee leaves instead of tea. Chicory is the most famous coffee substitute that we have known for a long time, even before coffee came to our region. It’s malt or Kneipp coffee. It is prepared from sprouted barley and also from figs.

There are many other substitutes, mostly prepared from roasted seeds or roots, such as chicory root or its ancestor and from chicory roots. In our places it is still used today as a coffee substitute, as it is believed that this form of home-made coffee is healthier. All substitutes are reminiscent of real coffee in taste and aroma. They are also the same color.

Many substitutes are nutritious and healing and at the same time have a pleasant taste. Therefore, some prefer to use coffee substitutes because most people are not aware that there is quality real coffee that needs to be properly roasted and prepared to have the same pleasant taste. The only coffee substitutes that also contain caffeine are Paulinia cupana Cola and Theobroma.

Misuse of coffee and mistakes

There is a rule among drivers that they drink coffee after drinking alcohol in order to gain the ability to drive a vehicle as soon as possible. This is a big mistake and experts strongly advise against it. Experts recommend drinking moderate coffee, as excessive drinking is known to cause caffeism. Caffeism is a condition that causes insomnia, irritability, heart palpitations, depression, shivering, constipation and indigestion, arteriosclerosis, and a predisposition to heart attack.

Scientists have discovered that coffee that is heavily roasted and bitter, like most on the market, causes an excess of caffeine, which is very harmful. Quite something else is the specialty quality and proven coffee roasted by a qualified roaster. Coffee is not recommended for children. Also not for heart patients, for people with high blood pressure, and for those who have had jaundice. It should not be drunk by those who have problems with the stomach and stomach acid. Real tea is more recommended for these risk groups. Colorogenic acid has also been shown to promote the production of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the gut. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink coffee and consume cheese of animal origin and meat products at the same time.

How is coffee used differently?

Coffee was sometimes simply processed into building material or other technical material if it remained in storage and was no longer usable.

Coffee grounds, or according to the local sample, are extremely useful in the household as a means of cleaning dishes. It is very useful, for example, for cleaning greasy dishes, bottles and jars.

Coffee grounds are also used to impregnate shoes.

Coffea arabica is a plant that some people grow as an indoor ornamental plant, but it also develops fruits and seeds, so you can have coffee at home. The most suitable for this is the Nana species.

If you want to get rid of the musty smell in your closets, use coffee beans.

The coffee grounds eliminate the smell of garlic.

Coffee grounds are also used in horticulture, as they are an excellent substitute for peat.

Coffee grounds, however, are also used for divination.

History of coffee

Coffee is certainly the most widespread stimulant in the world. Some countries have a good culture of drinking coffee, such as Turkey, where coffee is valued as part of a ritual and is not enjoyed very often, but on special occasions and in the morning when family gathers or friends and chat over coffee. In some countries, a lot of low-quality coffee is drunk, including the Balkan countries, including ours. The purpose of the Mariposa Coffee Association is to raise the culture of coffee drinking to a high level.

Coffea arabica originates from Ethiopia, from the province of Kaffa, where the locals have known it for an extremely long time. According to legend, coffee leaves were chewed by animals, which made them much more energetic and imitated them by shepherds and monks, thus discovering the invigorating effects of coffee. There are several legends about the origin of the name. It was most likely discovered by locals from Ethiopia who chewed coffee leaves, which also have similar effects as coffee seeds. Later, however, the Arabs brought it to themselves and from there it spread gradually through kings, emperors and merchants around the world. That is why it is grown in quite a few countries today.

It is also possible that the name kava comes from the name of the Persian king Kavus Kali or from the Arabic words haube, quahwa, and kahwe, which are the words that denote the irritant. The use of coffee over time First, raw coffee was used as an infusion of seeds and leaves for medicinal purposes. It was only later that they started drying and roasting it.

Coffee has become extremely popular, especially in the Muslim world, where alcohol is not allowed. Due to its excessive popularity, it was also banned several times in some places, but the majority who enjoyed coffee always won in the end.

The effect of coffee on society

Coffee had a positive effect on society by displacing alcohol considerably. There were also cafes, gatherings of artists, thinkers, viewers and scholars, who met for coffee. Later, it was also used by ordinary people. The cafes have expanded and opened their doors to all the people who were able to socialize over coffee and enjoy it. At the same time, they exchanged news and knowledge.

Are coffee growers being exploited?

The coffee industry makes a lot of money at the expense of coffee growers. The farmer gets the least and that’s not fair. That is why the Mariposa Association tries to buy coffee at higher prices directly from growers, but they do not bargain about the price because they appreciate good coffee and the efforts of farmers. They don't even buy bad coffee.

Is coffee bitter?

Coffee is a fruit and is not bitter by nature. Bitter coffee is created when roasters roast it too much due to poor quality to mask the bad taste of coffee. The more coffee is roasted, the more bitter it is. Real coffee has a mild nutty and fruity taste. Beginners who drink specialty coffee, however, believe that it has a slightly sour aftertaste of fruit.

How is coffee roasted?

Raw coffee needs to be roasted and ground on the spot before it is brewed, because it really tastes the best. Old coffee is not good coffee. Coffee can be roasted on medium or lightly roasted, while dark roasted is burnt and bitter. Roasters roast coffee in special cauldrons, similar to those on which chestnuts are roasted, except that they are more sophisticated and very precise machines that measure the parameters known to the roaster for well-roasted coffee.

How is coffee brewed at home?

You can prepare several ways of coffee at home. Most often, Turkish coffee or filter coffee is brewed. Pour the water into the jug. Use a ratio of 1 dcl of water and 10 g of coffee. Bring the water to a boil and cool slightly, as coffee would be good to put in boiling water as it loses flavor. Lightly roasted coffee is good to put in more boiling water, darker in a little cooler water and stir it. Put the cezve back on the fire and remove it from the heat before it boils. Set the coffee aside and immediately pour into a cup. Wait a while for the sediment to fall to the bottom and you can drink it.

Of course, coffee can be prepared in several ways, which we will describe in the following articles and entrust you with the original Marina and Klemen recipes.

What does Marina advise when making coffee at home?

Everyone should make their own coffee, because that's the only way to really enjoy a cup of coffee. No matter what kind of coffee you have in front of you and from which roaster, you will never enjoy a cup of coffee if you do not prepare it the way we "fit". I suggest you use as little sugar, milk and other additives as possible, as all this changes the taste of the coffee itself and then you can’t even enjoy the original taste of the coffee.