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| From
1993, our commitment in this formative task has been backed up by the
educational agreements with the Hotel Management High School of Catalonia
(Bellaterra), with the Hotel Management School of Businessmen´
s Confederation in Baix Llobregat, the Hotel Management School of Sant
Pol de Mar, the Hotel Management High School in Balear Isles, the Hotel
Management High School in Valencia and the School of the Catering Field
in Barcelona. |
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| Summary of contents of SAULA COFFEE´s "TRAINING ROOM" | |
| PPART
I: COFFEE AND QUALITY 1. Coffee in the world 2. Coffee throughout its history 3. Botany of the plant 4. More important botanical varieties 5. Growing of the coffee plant 6. The harvest 7. Beneficiary of the coffee 8. Composition of the coffee 9. Processes of selection in Saula Coffee. 10. The roasting 11. The blending 12. The tasting of the coffee 13. The packaging 14. Dark-roasted coffee 15. Decaffeinated coffee |
PART
II: "ESPRESSO" COFFEE 1. The express coffee maker 2. The water purifier 3. The coffee mill 4. A good cup of "espresso" coffee |
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2· COFFEE THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY |
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2.1.
ORIGIN OF THE COFFEE PLANT 
2.2. SPREAD OF THE COFFEE PLANT IN THE WORLD The first coffee-consuming people were the Arabs many centuries ago. There are several legends about the discovery and later use of coffee. One of the most known legends attributes the discovery of the properties of coffee beans to a shepherd called Kaldi, who noticed his goats´ agitation after having chewed the coffee plant small branches. Kaldi explained this curious fact to the prior of a close monastery, who immediately intuited God´s will to keep awake to the monks during the nighttime offices. The legend says that this happened towards the 8th C AD. According to history, the introduction of coffee in Yemen (Arabia) took place in the 12th-14th C AD as a result of the Abyssinian invasions. The growing is supposed to have begun in the monasteries of the region and it was extended throughout all the Arabian community by means of wars and religion. 2.3. THE COFFEE IN EUROPE In Europe, the coffee which is already made to be consumed was introduced in 1615 by the traders from Venice, that is, before the plant was imported by the Dutch. Therefore, the first European city that commercialized coffee was Venice. Also in this city, in 1625, the first public places where the new drink (the first coffee) could be consumed were opened. In Spain, the first coffee shops were opened around 1715 and they immediately acquired the fame of being the best places to savor a good coffee. In Madrid, the "Café Príncipe" and "El Pombo" can be emphasized. Both were meeting places for politicians and intellectuals. 2.4. THE COFFEE IN BARCELONA The introduction of coffee in our city was consequence of the existing general relations with America and especially with Cuba. According to the File of the City, the first coffee maker in Barcelona was registered in 1783. He was D.Mariano Figueras and lived in 101, Las Ramblas. Coffee throughout its history. Schematic summary:
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3. BOTANY OF THE PLANT. |
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The coffee
plant belongs to the family of rubiaceous plants and the coffea type, according
to the classification that Linnaeus (1707-1778) made and that the botanist
Jussieu ratified later on. This type includes about sixty species but only
some of them are worldwide cultivated. Of the most extended ones, we can
emphasize the "Liberic", the
"Sublime", the "Arabica" and the "Canephore"
ones. The rest grow in wild state. 95% of the consumed coffee belongs to
the types "Arabica" and "Canephore".
The coffee plant: The coffee plant is a shrub-like plant which can measure from 8 to 10 meters high when it is adult. However, in order to facilitate its growing and harvest, it tends to be pruned to about 2 to 4 meters. At the same time, the fact that it is pruned makes its production increase and improve. |
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4. MAIN BOTANICAL VARIETIES. |
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There
are two clearly differentiated types of varieties, which are also the
most cultivated ones in the world. They are the arabica coffee and the
canephore coffee. Here you have a brief description of each one: Coffea
Arábica: Coffea
Canéphora (Robusta)*: |
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5. GROWING OF THE COFFEE PLANT. |
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the worldwide production of coffee is found between the Tropical of Cancern
and Capricorn. But, generally, coffee plants must be planted in areas with the following characteristics: - Temperature: between 18º and 22ºC. - Rain: between 1200 and 1500 mm per year. - Level of land: between 0 and 2500 m. - Sandy and rich in humus areas - Shady (underbrush cultivation) |
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6. THE HARVEST. |
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A good coffee must be harvested when its fruit is
in its right ripening point. However, in the same plant we can find coffee
beans in different stages of ripening. Therefore, it is very important that
the harvest is made manually as it is the only way to select each berry. |
There
are four main harvest methods: - Stripping - Comb - Mechanical system - Picking |
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7.- BENEFICIARY OF THE COFFEE |
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whole of the tasks that allow to take the bean out of the berry to be evaluated
and selected later on is called beneficiary. This process takes place in
the producing country. It is necessary to consider that the process of the beneficiary is going to influence the quality and final characteristics of the final coffee. The same coffee can improve or getworse depending on the beneficiary method that is used. |
Because of this, the main methods or proceedings are:
HUMID PROCEEDING |
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8.- COMPOSITION OF COFFEE |
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The
chemical composition of the green coffee varies according to its botanical
variety, its way of obtaining, the weather conditions in which it has
been developed, its degree of ripening, the technological process that
has been used, etc. Nevertheless, as a reference and having in mind that
is formed by more than 900 components, we will indicate its main ingredients:
SUGARS FATS PROTEINS MINERALS VITAMINS NON-NUTRITIOUS COMPONENTS ACIDS In all cases we must
know very clearly the following concepts: |
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9.- SELECTION PROCESSES IN SAULA COFFEE |
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idea of introducing some selection proceses in Saula Coffee installations
came up of the company´s experience proving that coffee producing
countries´ cleaning andselection was not enough according to the quality
standards that are required by Saula Coffee. Therefore, Saula coffee has developed a unique process of second selection of coffee to remove those substances and materials that could ruin the common aroma and taste of a cup of coffee. With this, the regularity of the quality and the desired service is kept. Once the best coffee in the world is imported, it undergoes a selection process made of seven stages whose aim is to get rid of the impurities that have not been removed at point of origin. These seven stages are -Suction of dust -Selection process of impurities, magnet and suction of dust. -Selection process of small impurities and broken beans. Suction of dust. - Selection process by density, selection of hard beans -Cleaning by suction -Magnet battery -Mechanical selection process bean by bean. |
The
physical impurities which are more frequently found are stones, sticks,
terra-cottas,berries, little beans broken beans, plastic or metal pieces,
etc
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150
millions of cups of coffee sold per year by Saula coffee have passed these
seven selection processes.
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10.- THE ROASTING |
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moment of roasting is the decisive moment of a process that takes the coffee
from the plant to the cup. Here it is not only decided the general quality
of the future drink but also its aromatic trait, flavor and colour. 10.1. ROASTING METHODS There are three roasting methods: traditional, fast and ultra-fast. A.- THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM Duration of the process: 15-20 minutes. Amount of coffee: 750 kg./hour. Temperature: 220 ºC This is the system used in Saula Coffee. It is the most highly prized system by toasting professionals. With this system, you can develop the aromas at their right time. B.- THE FAST SYSTEM C. THE ULTRA-FAST
("FLASH") SYSTEM |
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11.- THE BLENDING |
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coffee-producing country makes a different type of coffee, that is to say,
with certain characteristics that differentiate it from other countries´
coffees.Thus, some have a clearly acid flavor, others have a substantial
body, others have a fruity flavor, etc. Very few coffees on their own have the suitable features of flavor, body and acidity; and this is why it is necessary to blend them to obtain a balance. However, not all the consuming countries want the same type of coffee. The blending´s function is, then, blending (if you will excuse the repetition) different coffees to compensate the differences until we get a coffee that is suitable for the country to which we want to sell it. -The body is a feeling of fulfillment -The acidity causes a slight hot sensation, a bitter taste which is very highly prized in the Nordic countries. -The aroma is more difficult to define but it would be what the essences of the coffee bean make in the sense of smell. CARABICA COFFEE: ACIDITY: it increases depending on the height of cultivation. Sometimes fruity. BODY: its cup tends to be clear and with sweet flavor. AROMA: the aroma is sometimes predominant over the other qualities. ROBUSTA COFFEE: |
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12.- THE TASTING |
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The tasting of coffee has as its main aim the checking
of each coffee´s characteristics (aroma, body, acidity, texture, etc.)
and the noticing of the options of blendings among them to obtain the most
complete and balanced coffee. At the same time, the tasting will serve us to verify that the imported coffee really has what has been stipulated in the purchase contract. It is about looking for the possible qualities and faults that the coffee can have. The way of making the coffee tasting is the following one: The cups in which the tasting will be made are put on a round table. We must check that water is suitable in temperature and amount (as we will need it to rinse ourselves later on) The making of the coffee can be: - Brazilian way - In the form of "espresso" coffee. |
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13.- THE PACKAGING |
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packaging is the final stage of all the processing of our product, and this
is why it has to be done carefully so as not to lose all the effects of
the previous tasks that we have done with extreme care. If the roasted coffee is not packed as soon as possible, it ages quickly and loses its properties when comes into contact with air. As coffee contains a percentage of oils, the aim of the packaging will be that of avoiding the contact of coffee with the oxygen from the air, in order to completely prevent this oil from becoming rancid. Common packaging methods: - Aluminium container with unidirectional valve that lets carbon dioxide go out but avoids the entrance of oxygen (into the container) -Vacuum-packed - Packed in a modified atmosphere where the air composition is changed by means of the replacing of oxygen by an inert gas (carbon dioxide or nitrogen) inside the package. There is also the possibility of combining several systems. |
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14.- DARK-ROASTED COFFEE |
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addition of sugar to the coffee during the roasting process appeared at
the beginning of the 20th century to prevent the bean from becoming rancid. This tradition persists as an exclusive feature of coffee in Spain, Portugal and Mexico; and it makes the drink dark, bitter and with a certain burned flavor but it does not provide it with more body (although some people believ it does). For this reason, it is blended with natural coffee in proportions that vary from 10% to 50 and 60%. |
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15.- DECAFFEINATED COFFEE |
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Caffeine is an stimulant that can be found in coffee
in proportions that vary from 0.8 to 4% approximately Caffeine can be extracted from coffee by means of three different methods depending on the components used in its making: - organic
solvents -water
method - carbonic
anhydride |
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| PART
II. THE "ESPRESSO" COFFEE.
1. THE EXPRESS COFFEE MAKER |
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| What
is a "espresso" coffee? It is an extracted coffee, made by puting a little amount of water to a high temperature and pressure. The result is a very hearty coffee, black,aromatic, full-bodied,with froth in the surface. The word "espresso" comes from an Italian verb which means "to put under pressure", and this is what is really made with the coffee. The coffee maker is the tool with which we make a "espresso" coffee. To get a "espresso", the coffee maker will provide us with a constant water pressure together with a stable temperature to not scald the coffee. With the coffee maker, a thermal and hydraulic balance is obtained and this allows us, on the one hand, to make coffee constantly and, on the other hand, to extract the natural elements of the product (colloid, sugars, oils, proteins, etc.) which will make us enjoy a coffee flavor, cream, aroma and body. The first express coffee makers appeared at the beginning of the 20th C. Its public presentation was in 1906 when Luigi Bezzera installed the first coffee makers in his stand of the fair of Milan. He was also the first one in using the expression"espresso coffee". 1.1. TYPES OF EXPRESS COFFEE MAKERS: 4 different types of coffee makers can be found nowadays in the market: - LEVER - HYDRAULIC - SEMI-AUTOMATIC OR CONTINUOUS DISTRIBUTION - SUPERAUTOMATIC Among the semi-automatic ones, we can find 4 different models: - MANUAL - PRESSING - TIME-LAG - ELECTRONIC 1.2.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL COFFEE MAKERS: |
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2. WATER PURIFIER: |
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| The water purifier is in charge of softening the water of the net. The lime is the great enemy of coffee makers and if the purification is not undergone, we can find a lot of problems in important parts of the coffee maker(such as the boiler, the tubes, groups, etc.) causing failures and reduction in the quality of the "espresso"coffee. |
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3. THE COFFEE MILL: |
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The mill is an important element when making coffee.
The absolute knowledge of its use will provide us with the basic points
to obtain a good coffee cup. A good adjustment of the grinding point together with a constant dosage are the key to find a regularity in the frequent making of coffee cups. 3.1. PARTS OF A MILL: A. HOPPER B. BERRY CARRIER AND GRINDING POINT REGULATOR C. DOSAGE MEASURE We can find three types of dosage systems in the market: - LEVER - AUTOMATIC - ELECTRONIC D. COFFEE PRESSING The coffee pressing allows us to equal and compact the ground coffee dose in the small saucepan. E. STARTING SYSTEM 1. ORDINARY STOPPAGE 3.2.GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE MILL: We will give now a series of instructions to take into account when working with the mill if we want to make the most of the coffee cup. - Choice of the mill according to the needs ( more production, more powerful motor) - General cleaning - Daily checking of the grinding point - Periodic checking of the dosage measure - Change of coffee beans (400-500 Kg). |
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4. A GOOD CUP OF "ESPRESSO" COFFEE: |
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The
obtaining of a good extraction of "espresso" coffee always depends
on the person who is in charge of making it. When coffee arrives at our
hands, we have the responsibility to extract all its qualities obtaining
a cup of coffee with flavor, body, froth and aroma. 1. THE COFFEE FALLS
GRADUALLY 2. THE COFFEE FALLS
VERY QUICKLY 3. COFFEE WITHOUT
FROTH AND WITH CROWN AROUND IT 4. COFFEE WITH WHITE
FROTH AND BUBBLES. BURNED FLAVOR 5. COFFEE FROTH WITH
BUBBLES AND DARK CROWN AROUND. BITTER FLAVOR 6. COFFEE WITH DARK
FROTH AND BITTER FLAVOR 7. COFFEE WITH VERY
DARK FROTH, WITH WHITE BLOT AND BITTER FLAVOR 8. THE COFFEE GUSHES
OUT 9. COFFEE WITH BURNED
FLAVOR 10. COFFEE WITH RANCID
TASTE 11. KEEPS OF GROUNDS
IN THE CUP |
