Healthy Happy Tuesday

10/31/2021

Have Fun At Your Local Coffee Shop

In just about every city their are local coffee shops or cafes with a good selection of coffee choices. Hot brew to cold brew to Nitro-cold brew.

If you're looking for a relaxed atmosphere to read a good book while sipping your favorite type of coffee, the local coffee shop is the place to go. A coffee shop gives you a chance to get away from the crazy hustle culture of work projects and kids schedules and gives you some time to yourself to chill-out for awhile. Reading the daily newspaper is always more enjoyable with a cup of coffee so kick back and read your paper while sipping a cup prepared by your favorite barista.

The local coffee shop is also good place to meet a friend and catch up with what they are doing. If your a student coffee shop are a great place to meet with your study group. The coffee is abundant and the setting is perfect for pulling out the class notes and cramming for an up coming exam.

The local coffee bar is also a great place to meet new people sitting alone. You might find you can easily strike up a conversation while waiting on your Latte. That conversation might be the start of a beautiful friendship.

If you're out running errands and need a quick break or a boost after that big holiday shopping list. Use your smartphone to find all the coffee shops in the area, I'm sure you'll find a favorite. Think coffee shop and stop in for your favorite caffeinated beverage.

☕☕

This coffee is doing wonders…take the survey to see why!

10/27/2021

Coffee Mousse Cake

Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (570 cal)
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, not packed (140 cal)
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese (330 cal)
- pinch of cream of tartar
- 8 ounces dark chocolate (1090 cal)
- 4 egg whites (60 cal)
- 3 eggs separated (210 cal)
- 2 tablespoons gelatin
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee (10 cal)
- 1/2 cup milk (65 cal)
- 2/3 cup milk (85 cal)
- 1 tablespoon raspberry sauce (50 cal)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar (390 cal)
- 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar (720 cal)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature (1220 cal)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (10 cal)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (75 cal)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup water

Preparation
For the cake

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Butter a 9-inch cake pan.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together.
Cream the butter and the 3/4 cup of sugar, with a mixer or a heavy wooden spoon.

Whisk in the egg yolks, the milk and the vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.

Whisk in the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Dont overwork.
Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar for about 2 minutes until soft peaks.
Then add the remaining 3 tbsp. of sugar and beat until medium peaks.

Whisk one-forth of the egg mixture into the butter mixture to lighten it.
Fold the rest of the egg white mixture with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter in the cake pan, and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 5 minutes in a cake pan and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
When the cake is at a room temperature, insert 4 toothpicks on 4 sides of the cakes, to mark the middle.
With a long bread knife, cut the cake into 2 halves lengthwise along the toothpicks.

For the syrup

Mix the sugar with water until all the sugar is dissolved.

Place in the fridge until the cake is ready to assemble.
When the coffee mousse is ready using a pastry brush spread the syrup over the 2 halves and let soak for 3-5 minutes before adding the mousse.

For the mousse

Soak gelatin in 1/4 cup water for 3 minutes, heat it up in a microwave for 1/2 minute.

Let it sit for 3 minutes, the gelatin water will become completely clear.

Add instant coffee into 2 tbsp of warm water, stir till melts.
In a food processor or a blender, process the cottage cheese until smooth.

Add coffee, the vanilla essence, 1/4 cup of sugar and the gelatin and blend to uniform consistency.

Whisk 4 egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until medium peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.

Spread 1/2 of the mousse over the first layer of the cake, once its soaked with the syrup.

Place the second cake layer on top of the mousse and spread the remaining mousse over the top and along the sides.
It is very convenient to use an offset spatula to smoothen the mousse.
Chill the cake in the fridge for about 3 hours until the mousse sets.

For the ganache

Break the chocolate into small pieces.

Pour the raspberry syrup over the chocolate.
In a small saucepan heat the milk until simmers.

Pour the milk over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is of uniform consistency.

Let the ganache cool for about 5 minutes until only slightly warm and pour over the cake.
Do not pour hot ganache because it could melt the mousse.

Chill the cake for another 3 hours.

10/22/2021

Should You Freeze Your Fresh Roasted Coffee?

It's time to store all those unopened packages of fresh roasted coffee beans and the unused portion of the black gold you have just ground. Then you remember what your mother told you; "Freeze the unopened beans & Refrigerate the freshly ground coffee".

Having the best coffee beans available and using the most advanced coffee brewing equipment will not provide you with the best cup of coffee you desire if the beans are not stored correctly.

The natural enemy of fresh roasted coffee is light, heat and moisture. Storing your coffee away these will keep it fresher longer. Therefore, an airtight container stored in a cool, dry, dark place is the best environment for your coffee.

But why not the freezer, It's cool & dark?
This does make some sense, but why doesn't the supermarket store coffee in the frozen food section if this is correct?

Here's why!

Coffee is Porous. It is exactly this feature that allows us to use oils and syrups to flavor coffee beans for those who enjoy gourmet flavored coffees. For this same reason, coffee can also absorb flavors and moisture from your freezer. The absorbed moisture will deteriorate the natural goodness of your coffee and your expensive gourmet coffee beans will taste like your freezer.

The coffee roasting process causes the beans to release their oils and essences in order to give the coffee its distinct flavor. This is the reason why your beans are shiny. These oils are more prominent on dark-roasted coffee and espresso beans and the reason why these coffees are so distinct in flavor.

The process of freezing will break down these oils and destroy the natural coffee flavor. So unless you don't mind frozen fish flavored coffee, you should avoid using the freezer to store your gourmet coffee beans at all costs.

There are some exceptions to freezer storing your coffee, but you should proceed with caution! Fresh roasted coffee will remain fresh for approximately 2 weeks. If you have more than you can use in this 2 week period you can, and I shutter to say, freeze your coffee but you should follow these steps:

Apply the Freeze Once Rule. What this means is that once you take the beans out of the freezer, they should never go back in. The constant changes in temperature will wreak havoc on your coffee. The frozen moisture on your coffee will melt and be absorbed into the bean, destroying the coffee oils and allowing absorption of unwanted flavors. When you put it back into the freezer, you are repeating the process and destroying your expensive gourmet coffee

Keep moisture out! Remember, moisture is coffee's natural enemy. If you have a five-pound bag of coffee to store, divide it up into weekly portions. Wrap those portions up using sealable freezer bags and plastic wrap. If possible, suck out the excess air from the freezer bag using a straw or a vacuum sealer. Remove the weekly portion when you need it, and store it in an air-tight container in a dry place like your pantry. And remember, Do not put it back into the freezer!

So when is it best Refrigerate Coffee?
Simply put, Never ever, unless you are conducting a science experiment on how long it takes to ruin perfectly good coffee. The fridge is one of the absolute worst places to put coffee. The reasons why not to freeze fresh roasted coffee also apply here.

Grind all beans before storing Absolutely wrong!
Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This especially holds true for flavored coffees! For the best tasting coffee, you should buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place. Grind right before serving!

Vacuum-sealed packaging equals fresh coffee.
Again, absolutely wrong. The coffee roasting process causes the coffee beans to release a gas by-product, specifically carbon dioxide. This gas release process continues for several days after roasting. In order to be vacuum sealed, the coffee has to first release all its CO² or it will burst the bag, which means that it must sit around for several days before it can be packaged and shipped. This sitting around begins to rob the coffee of its freshness. Vacuum sealing is best for pre-ground coffee, which we already know is not going to taste as good as fresh-ground coffee. The best method for packaging and shipping is in valve-sealed bags. The valve allows the carbon dioxide gasses and moisture to escape but doesn't allow oxygen or moisture in. Therefore, the fresh roasted coffee beans can be packaged and shipped immediately after roasting, ensuring the coffee's freshness and taste.

10/18/2021

How was the coffee capsule invented?

The invention of the coffee capsule Eric Favre, an investor and pioneer in the field of portioned coffee in June 2010, has revolutionized coffee drinking, adding fire to the increasing popularity of strong black coffee known as espresso. Coffee is brewed in many ways, but espresso has become the connoisseur’s cup of choice. An espresso coffee is brewed under great pressure by forcing hot water through finely ground beans in less than 25 seconds. The result is a concentrated shot of coffee with it's delicate, lite brown froth called crema.

Espresso originated in Italy – it means “fast” in Italian. In the early 1900s, Luigi Bezzera, was frustrated by how long it took to make his morning cup of coffee. So he decided to add steam pressure to his coffee machine. The addition of stream accelerated the brewing process and he discovered he got a much stronger, more robust cup of coffee. Mr. Bezzera was a very smart and gifted person, but did not see success in marketing his new machine. A little while later Mr. Bezzera sold his patent rights in 1905 to Desidero Pavoni, an Italian businessman that was great at marketing. Desidero Pavoni successfully introduced espresso to the Italian market and changed the way we drink coffee.

In 1938, Mr. Cremonesi’s development of a coffee machine with a piston pump eliminated the burnt flavor associated with using steam or boiling water. Mr. Achille Gaggia’s spring-lever piston pump subsequently made it possible to apply pressure to the coffee independently of the boiler, while earlier machines forced water through coffee using boiler pressure. In 1961, the company, Faema, created a machine with an electric pump that would force the water through the coffee. This marked the beginning of the pump-driven machines from which modern espresso machines evolved from.

Mr. Cremonesi and his Italian wife searched and searched all-over Italy trying to find the perfect espresso. When they reached Rome they walking into Café Sant’Eustachio where local Italians lined up to sample a cup of the barista, Mr. Eugenio’s best. His espresso was so good they thought it was the best of any espress they had tasted anywhere in Italy, it was different because of the way it was prepared.

Mr. Eugenio was still using his old classic four-piston coffee machines to prepare his coffee, he didn’t pull the piston down once like everybody else; he pumped it three or four times. The air pressure would aerating the coffee fast and this was the key to Mr. Favre’s invention.

Mr. Eugenio explained to get a good espresso coffee you need to push a large amount of air into the water before it comes into contact with the coffee. Air is 20 percent oxygen. This oxidizes the aromas or the essential oils and makes it possible to extract them more rapidly. Espresso is made of a mix of air, water and coffee oils. It is very simple, but nobody had thought about it before. Mr. Eugenio explained I didn’t invent the capsule, I invented a formula and that is way better.

Mr. Favre started working on his idea of creating an “extraction cell" in which all the flavors are concentrated. Using his knowledge of engineering he agreede on a half sphere which enabled him to incorporate a filter and a membrane at the base. He soon came up with a capsule that initially resembled a bowler hat and later evolved into its present form.

Having played a key role in establishing and commercializing the original Nespresso capsule, Mr. Favre established his own company, The Swiss-based Monodor S.A. in 1991. Since obtaining a patent on his original capsule in 1976, over 30 years earlier he continued to perfect his invention. Mr. Favre and Monodor have filed a number of patents on their new technology to protect their ideas internationally.

Inspired by the architecture of a 2,000-year-old bridge in Italy, Mr. Favre developed a new capsule that creates a filter as it collapses under the pressure that builds up during the extraction process. The new extraction capsule method used eliminates the need for a filter inside the capsule. With this method the machine pierces the top of the capsule, injects pressurized water causing the coffee grains contained in the capsule to swell to five times their volume. This creates pressure inside the capsule which builds until the membrane forming the bottom of the capsule is deformed and pushed against spikes located at the bottom of the coffee machine where the capsule is placed. The liquid flows through this filter into the cup. Doing it this way you get all the aromas, especially if the water is well aired during the infusion process.

With a largely untapped market coffee capsules currently represent around one percent of the multibillion dollar coffee market and this is expected to rise to 20 percent over the next decade. The future looks bright for Monodor, Mr. Favre’s ingenious invention has brought the art of espresso making within the reach of millions of consumers.

10/18/2021

Where is the birthplace of coffee?

The place where coffee originated is Abyssenia, which today is now called Ethiopia. According to an old story, this is how Abyssenia became the birthplace of coffee.

About 1,171 years ago in 850's, there was a goat herder named Kaldi and he is the person who discovered the coffee plant. Kaldi's wife advised him to bring the coffee berries to the monks in a monastery near Lake Tana in Abyssenia.

When kaldi arrived at the monastery, Kaldi gave a handfull of berries to the monks and said they were magical and exclaimed the effect that these berries had on him. I have never felt so happy and full of energy in my body before, you should try one for yourself!

The head monk grabbed the berries from Kaldi’s outstretched hand and threw them into the fire, saying angrily these are the “Devil’s work”. You can take a guess what accidental thing happened next.

As the berries started to roast in the fire, the room began to fill with a deliciously wonderful smoky smell. There was so much smoke that poured into other rooms of the monastery it caused other monks to search where the smell was coming from. The monks followed the smell back to the head monks room where the aroma was the stongest.

Fascinated by what had happened the curious monk used a wooden stick shaped like a fork to remove the berries from the fire. The monk stepped on the beans to stop the smoke, then using a near by pot of boiling water doust the crushed beans, and coffee was born. As they say the rest is history.

The Monks stayed up all night drinking this new magical bean brew. News of this event spread, and soon coffee was consumed throughout the country. These coffee beans were brought to market in 1454 when the M***i of Aden visited Ethiopia and sampled the new hot beverage. Soon word of mouth spread like wildfire and coffee was brought to the ports of Yemen and Mecca and coffee was now on every menu throught the country.

Linguists have studied and researched early Arabic documents dating back to the year 900 in Ethiopia. The documents refer to a strange new drink called “buna” that was being consumed throughout the country; “buna” is Oromiyan word in an old Ethiopia language meaning coffee.

Arabica coffee has always been grown wild in the hilly farms of Kaffa and Buno regions. Today, 98% of the Ethiopian coffee farmers are small scale. Because coffee still grows wild in many of these areas, farmers harvest their crops utilizing four different methods which they call forest coffee, semi-forest coffee, garden coffee, and plantation coffee.

The country is able to continually produce over 200,000 tons of coffee per year; its coffee industry is responsible for employing over 15 million people! Ethiopia is ranked in the top 5 as one of the world’s top coffee producers.

10/15/2021

It's time for a coffee break, Swedish style!

Everybody loves afternoon coffee break in Sweden, it's part of Swedish culture. Swedish give this coffee break a name because it's so in grained in culture it's known as "fika”. It a time around 11am where you socialize with college friends, work friends and family.

What go's with a mandatory Swedish coffee break, Swedish pastries, of course known as fikabrod, or coffee bread and may also include a yummy cinnamon bun called a (kanelbulle).

In the corporate world a coffee break is not an option it’s almost a law, all employees take two fika coffee breaks per day!

How did this coffee culture become a tradition and when did it start?

Coffee was brought to Sweden in the middle of the 17th century somewhere around the 1670s. Coffee became increasingly popularity among the wealthy class in the 1750s. However, in 1746 the king at the time imposed a hefty tax on the newly popular beverage, which the Swedes refused to pay. Ten years later, coffee was banned from Sweden, though that didn’t stop the locals from continuing to drink it. Higher taxes were imposed on coffee, leading to a black-market-type coffee trade with Swedes.

King Gustav III, a rather crazy monarch, feared that coffee drinking was bad for ones health. However, what he really worried about was secret coffee meet-ups that might be used to plot to overthrow of his monarchy. The King Gustav III decided to use science to ban coffee. So he found two sets of twins to do a study on how bad coffee is. The twins he chose were condemned to death, and the king offered them life imprisonment instead, on the condition that they would take part in a health research study on coffee and tea. One set of twins would drink three pots of tea daily for the rest of their lives, and the other set of twins would drink three pots of coffee daily. In an ironic twist, both sets of twins outlived the doctors monitoring their health, and the king was assassinated in 1792, prior to any results being revealed. But the irony doesn’t stop there. The tea drinker actually died first, at a whopping 83 years old, while the coffee-drinking twins continued to live on. There were multiple failed tries to ban in years to come but never were able to get coffee removed from Sweden. By the 1820s coffee drinking skyrocketed. The coffee culture rules in sweden today are everybody needes to take two fika breaks a day, once in the mid-morning, and again around 3 p.m.

The word fika actually derives from the 19th-century slang word for coffee, kaffi. It’s pretty simple - Invert the word kaffi, and you get fika. And for the Swedes, fika is pretty serious business; along with Finland and the Netherlands, Sweden rounds out the three biggest coffee-consuming nations in the world.

10/14/2021

Have Fun At Your Local Coffee Shop

In just about every city their are local coffee shops or cafes with a good selection of coffee choices. Hot brew to cold brew to Nitro-cold brew.

If you're looking for a relaxed atmosphere to read a good book while sipping your favorite type of coffee, the local coffee shop is the place to go. A coffee shop gives you a chance to get away from the crazy hustle culture of work projects and kids schedules and gives you some time to yourself to chill-out for awhile. Reading the daily newspaper is always more enjoyable with a cup of coffee so kick back and read your paper while sipping a cup prepared by your favorite barista.

The local coffee shop is also good place to meet a friend and catch up with what they are doing. If your a student coffee shop are a great place to meet with your study group. The coffee is abundant and the setting is perfect for pulling out the class notes and cramming for an up coming exam.

The local coffee bar is also a great place to meet new people sitting alone. You might find you can easily strike up a conversation while waiting on your Latte. That conversation might be the start of a beautiful friendship.

If you're out running errands and need a quick break or a boost after that big holiday shopping list. Use your smartphone to find all the coffee shops in the area, I'm sure you'll find a favorite. Think coffee shop and stop in for your favorite caffeinated beverage.

10/14/2021

Coffee Fellowship and Fun!

I decided to host a coffee fellowship with a bunch of old friends, it was so much fun catching up. It's been a long time since I had that much fun! I scheduled another get together next month.

I plan on having a coffee tasting party with several type of coffee from around the world. I just bought a fancy new espresso maker, but I also have my French press for any body that wants a stonger cup. Featuring different coffee growing regions as well as different roasting types like dark, medium and light as well as a small class about how coffee beans are roasted.

I also plan to have very exotic roasts, such as Hawaiian Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain, for my friends to savour. I'll also have some fancy chocolates, to enjoy with the amazing java. This party will be quite an event. I think I'll also have an assortment of fresh muffins and pastries.Raspberry and Blueberry topped with gram cracker crumbles. Maybe a few french quiche, a fruit bowl, assorted deli meats and cheese tray.

An over looked metric of an outstanding gathering is to make sure all your friends are taken care of and properly served, to eat and of course to drink! In addition to the coffee, I also plan to have pitchers of iced tea and lemon water. Sometimes when sampling different foods, it is a good idea to serve other beverages in addition to the coffee. That way everyone has something to sip and nibble while enjoying good company, conversation and games!

10/11/2021

Coffee is a big part of Italian culture

Coffee is a big part of the culture in Italy and is very serious. There is a variety of different styles of coffee you can order at a coffee bar or cafe. However, there are certain unspoken rules of etiquette to drinking coffee when in Italy. These rules establish what to drink at what time of day, how to order your coffee, how to drink your coffee and the amount of time you take to drink it.

Italians consume large amounts of coffee everyday as a pick me up as well as a social thing. Friends gather together with friends over a cup of coffee especially in the spring and summmer when the weather is beautiful outside. Some Italians will close up their stores for an hour because coffee is that important.

If you are traveling to Italy and want to understand the different types of Italian coffee and some facts you can learn to impress your friends I will share what I have learned about Italian Coffee.

Here are some popular styles of coffee drinks you might taste on your Italian coffee adventures.

Caffé means coffee.
It is used as a generic word to refer to coffee when it comes plain, with no milk.
When at home, italians usually make caffe with a “moka” coffee pot. If you go to a café and ask for a coffee, you will get an espresso.

Espresso
Espresso is the most well known Italian coffee.
When we order a coffee we ask for a "caffè" not an espresso. Italians don't order espresso, but if you do everybody will know your a tourist.

Don't embarrass yourself while ordering a coffee, there is no drink called a double espresso in Italy.
If you want a larger shot, order a “caffé lungo.”

Contrary to popular belief, a "ristretto" or espresso doesn’t have more caffeine than other types of coffee. The funny thing is it’s the opposite. Caffeine dissolves in water, so the longer you brew the coffee the more caffeine you get. If you need a good wake-me-up, you should get a French Press and let the coffee brew for a minimum of 4 minutes.

Cappuccino
A Cappuccino only comes in one size. Espresso and Cappuccino are the two most famous coffee drinks in Italy today. A popular Italian breakfast is a "Cornetto e cappuccino". A Cappuccino with Cornetto (Italian croissant). This breakfast is made with espresso, steamed whole milk and a frothy milk top and Italian croissant.

Ristretto
One of the strongest tasting coffee you can get is ristretto, which is like a super short espresso.

Caffé shakerato (shaken) or freddo (cold)
The best way to enjoy a coffee on a warm summer day is to have it freddo. A caffé shakerato or freddo is prepared by pouring cold espresso over ice cubes and shaker until it becomes frothy.

Caffé al vetro
The only difference between a regular espresso and a caffé al vetro is the cup it is served in. Vetro in Italian means glass, so this kind of coffee is served in a small glass cup.

Caffellatte or Caffé Latte
When Italians are home they also enjoy this simple but good drink for breakfast. It's literally a combination of hot milk with coffee. If ordering a caffellatte at a coffee bar you will get a large glass of steamed milk with some froth on top with one shot of espresso. The main difference between a cappuccino and a caffellatte is the proportion or ratio of the ingredients. Caffellatte comes in a bigger glass with about 60% milk. Be careful if you order a "Latte" in italy, because in Italian it means milk and thats what you will get. So don't get mad if your brought a glass of milk.

Macchiato
If you want your espresso with a drop of milk, make sure to order a caffé macchiato (pronounced mah-kyah-toh). Macchiato caldo comes with a drop of hot frothy milk; macchiato freddo has a drop of cold milk.

Marocchino
WOW, what a deliciously yummy creation! A Marocchino (pronounced mah-row-keen-oh) is the same as an American style mocha, but served in a small glass. It is made with espresso, steamed milk and cocoa powder, with a sprinkle of cocoa powder on top of the foam and NO whipped cream.

Caffé al ginseng (Coffee with pressed ginseng root)
This is a very powerful coffee drink. To make it brew espresso and add ginseng juice from a juice extractor and mix or add a big dollop of cream on top.

10/11/2021

Bali Is and Island of Coffee

Bali is known by many names to those who have visited the island. Many Indonesians refer to this slice of paradise as "Pulau Dewa" or "Island of the gods". Our visit to Bali in March was not a holiday, but rather a visit to look at the cooperative growing system for Arabica found in the highland areas of central Bali.

Traditionally Balinese coffee was of the robusta variety. This is the coffee that many tourists visiting the island experience and love. The origins of Robusta here can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century or earlier. Commercial coffee growing never made an impact in Bali because the Dutch did not get control over the island until the 1900's. By this time the big growers in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi were already well established. The Robusta in Bali most likely came via traders from Ampenan in Lombok. The growing conditions in Bali are ideal for coffee trees so small-scale production quickly expanded in the cooler, higher altitude areas of the Island.

Currently, the falling prices of Robusta beans is causing farmers to start planting Arabica trees in several areas of the Island. Some of these plantings are in commercial plantations, however the bulk are beans grown by small-holders in a number of villages straddling the volcanic peaks. Our visit was to examine the drying and processing facilities for this mountain grown Bali Arabica.

As in the rest of the coffee world, the small-holders make up the bulk of the growers, but receive little real financial reward for their efforts. Our concern is always to look for a way in which to help these small growers to improve their picking, drying and sorting processes in order for them to be able to market their coffee to the specialty coffee market outside of Indonesia.

In most cases the growers are more than happy to listen to ideas on how to improve the finished quality of their product. In Bali the yields from the trees in raw cherries is very good. Most co-op growers are not certified as organic and follow the dry method of processing the beans. This involves laying the fruit out under the sun in large, flat concrete drying pens. The coffee is raked regularly to ensure the drying proceeds at a constant pace.

Prior to drying the cooperative removes poor quality cherries usually berries that are not ripe, have evidence of surface fungal diseases or berries that have been damaged by birds or other pests. After drying and removal of the remaining mucilage, the beans are again sorted. The beans are sorted by looking for evidence of damage by borer, discoloration, black beans or split and broken beans. This is the extent of sorting there is no screen sizing done by the cooperatives at origin, as normally the beans are sold to big producers who then sort the beans more carefully.

We like the early season green cherries that we saw in the highlands of Bali. The colors and firmness of the bean are of good quality. Test roasting results in deciding the dry-processed beans have some characteristics that remind us of the lower altitude Java Arabica beans. These beans are very mellow, slightly honey-dew tasting. We are looking forward later in the year when we can return to Bali for the bean harvest again.