The Art and Science of Great Coffee
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2011-10-05/art-and-science-great-coffee
Across every continent, people build their daily routines around coffee. Many Americans see "a cup of joe" as little more than a caffeine delivery device. But this unique tropical fruit can take on the flavors of micro-climates around the world, from the mountains of Jamaica to the high plains of Ethiopia. We dive deep into the art and science of coffee with a James Beard Award-winning writer and the brain behind a small-batch roasting company and coffee shop in Washington.
Guests
Corby Kummer
Senior Editor, The Atlantic; Author, "The Joy of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying" (Houghton Mifflin, 1997)
Joel Finkelstein
Owner, Roaster, Qualia Coffee (Washington, D.C.)
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Qualia Coffee owner Joel Finkelstein talks about the art and science of coffee roasting; how he uses roasting profiles; and why a really good cup might not need any milk or sugar.
Comments
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Is anyone familiar with the difference in coffees between those found in the US and those found in the Middle East? The flavor profile of drip coffee in places such as Bahrain and Dubai is noticeably different from that found in the US, even when buying it from traditionally Western sources such as a Dunkin' Donuts branch in a mall in Dubai. I've tried unsuccessfully to replicate the flavor, including by adding cardamom, but to no avail. What makes the coffee there so much better?
Have either of the guests delved into the environmental implications of coffee?
All of our songbirds have just flown south, generally to coffee growing areas of south America. Shade grown coffee, also marketed as "bird friendly coffee", which preserves the trees that birds live and nest in and grows the coffee, originally a shade plant, underneath them. It is also generally a more community and family based farm form of agriculture as well- birds and beans is one company that sells this, and thanksgiving coffee company is another.
Aside from Mr. Finkelstein, how many micro and small roasters are there in the DC/Baltimore area? Which are the "best"? and how/where can I purchase their coffee?