Ever fantasized about drinking an aromatic and flavorful cup of coffee first thing in the morning, only to be hit with a bitter taste in your mouth? You’re not alone. You see, many commercial coffee shops over-roast their coffee beans, to guarantee having the exact same taste and flavor with every cup, which, more often than not, results in that tangy sensation that overwhelms your taste buds.
Over time, two things start to happen; you either boycott store-bought coffee, or your palate gets used to the fact that coffee just tastes like burnt bread bits. Time to learn about specialty coffee and why it has all the hype right now.
What is specialty coffee and why should you care?
Specialty coffee is the highest quality of coffee with the richest flavors, using a process of roasting, brewing and cupping. Free from defects, and picked at the peak of ripeness, specialty coffee is about enjoying the authentic flavor of the coffee bean, instead of just tasting the added sauces or flavor pumps packed with sugar. According to the Specialty Coffee Association, there are four stages that transform your coffee from a seed to a specialty coffee cup: Growing, Roasting, Cupping, and Brewing.
Growing:
The journey of specialty coffee begins from planting a seed. Coffee farmers plant seeds and spend years nurturing coffee bushes in altitudes and climates that guarantee producing the highest quality of coffee crop. Within a few years, coffee bushes begin to bloom bright red coffee fruits. During the coffee harvest, ripe coffee beans are handpicked by farmers who filter and choose every bean to get the best crop. Fresh coffee crop is then packed and transported to the brewers.
Roasting:
Now comes the most critical stage—the making or breaking of your coffee roast. Roasting coffee is an art that requires not only being a coffee connoisseur, but also having hands-on training in skillfully producing specialty level roast profiles.
Coffee beans are roasted at a really high temperature between 230-260 degrees. During the roasting process, coffee beans are moving in continuous motion. Now begins the fun part. When the beans’ temperature reaches 230 degrees, the oil inside them begins to emerge, causing them to change color from green to brown and for the beautiful coffee aroma to come through. Roasted beans are then left to cool down before they head to their next phase, the cupping.
Cupping:
Cupping involves doing testing and quality inspection for the coffee roast in terms of color, smell, and taste. Once the taster –also known as the cupper— tastes the coffee and approves the flavor, the rest of the beans can be roasted in the exact same way.
Brewing:
Now comes the highlight of all the stages; brewing. Another delicate phase into the coffee’s journey, brewing specialty coffee requires having the right brewing equipment and a strong knowledge in the origin of the coffee bean and its flavor profile.
Coffee brewers or baristas must be able to determine the right brewing operations for the beans’ flavor profile, otherwise the specialty bean would lose its authentic taste.
Introducing Specialty Coffee from Breadfast
Unlike store-bought coffee, a cup of Breadfast Specialty Coffee goes through a long journey. Devoted farmers in South America nurture coffee fruits in select altitudes and climates, to guarantee growing coffee bushes and reaping the best coffee crop. During the coffee harvest season, ripe coffee beans are handpicked and transported all the way to Egypt’s coffee roasting specialists, Cairo Coffee Collective, who work on roasting, cupping, and brewing beans to bring out the individual taste in every bean, and ensure an enriching coffee flavor with every sip.
Boasting authentic caffeine flavors brought all the way from South America, Breadfast’s specialty coffee collection features signature ‘Las Americas’ Espresso Blend, limited-edition ‘Colombia Serranía’ Single Origin and ‘Filter House Blend’.
The coffee shop’s menu also includes cold coffee drinks like cold brew, Spanish latte, not to mention, a selection of fresh bakeries like fresh croissants, donuts and some exclusive Breadfast Coffee products like salted caramel donuts.
Enjoy the rich aromatic flavors Breadfast Specialty Coffee offers. Grab your cup of coffee from Breadfast Coffee stores near you or order our signature blends through our app to make specialty coffee at the comfort of your home.
