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Coffee: From Harvest to Cup - A Brief Overview
Coffee is a plant. However, before it can be drunk it must pass through a number of stages and travel thousands of miles.
Coffee beans come from the red cherries of the coffea bush. Each cherry usually contains two seeds, or coffee beans. The...
Coffee With Class
A gift basket loaded with gourmet coffee and snacks is a present sure to be appreciated by coffee connoisseur and college students alike. Coffee gift baskets are available with both decaf, for those who enjoy the flavor, and regular coffee, for the...
Gourmet Coffee Beans - a Brief Overview
The coffee plant has two main species. There is the Coffea Arabica, which is the more traditional coffee and considered to be superior in flavor, and the Coffea Canephora known more commonly as Robusta. Robusta tends to be higher in caffeine and can...
What is the Big Deal With Coffee Makers?
When you go to the market you're not thinking about your coffee makers when you buy your favorite coffee beans. But did you know that the type of perculator that awaits you at home makes a huge difference in how the bean will taste once it hits your...
Which coffees are highest in antioxidants?
As researchers learn more about antioxidants with health and disease, they increasingly find themselves drawn to their influence on overall health. With them becoming an ever larger realm of study, people are looking for new ways to obtain high...
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Caribbean Coffee Offers a Taste of the Tropics
Colombian coffee's popularity is no secret, but many countries
in and around the Caribbean also produce this popular bean. Most
coffee-growing islands in the Caribbean, however, do not produce
quantities large enough to export on a wide scale, like the
growing operations in Central and South America, which serve
markets all over the world. This means you may have to make a
visit to try these flavorful brews.
Growing History
This widely popular drink was discovered in Africa and passed
from the Ethiopians to the Ottoman Turks of Constantinople and
even to Pope Clement VIII in Italy, who is said to have baptized
the drink. There are many versions in the story of how the crop
was transplanted to the Caribbean, but the region's lands turned
out to be ideal for growing this unique plant.
"Arabica" coffee is the type of plant most often grown in the
Caribbean region, and was developed from plants grown in Saudi
Arabia, which gave this bean its name. Coffee can be grown in
many different climates, but each climate will create beans with
subtle taste variations.
Mountainous islands are usually better-known for their coffee
than those with more level terrain because high altitudes are
particularly important when growing coffee. The higher the
altitude, the more time the coffee plant will require to mature,
but beans grown under these conditions are full and dense and
yield the richest flavor.
Warm weather and volcanic soils combine to create perfect
growing conditions for these plants, and every island processes
the results differently. The geography of many Caribbean islands
has played an important part in creating delicious coffee.
Top Island Producers
Caribbean islands are known for sun and sand, so some visitors
overlook their mountainous interiors, though others enjoy hiking
and climbing through these rougher regions. Whatever visitors
long to do on Caribbean vacations, they can anticipate a
stimulating beverage to enjoy alongside the activity on many of
the islands, but these top the list of most popular blends.
Jamaica's Blue Mountain area produces full-bodied and highly
aromatic beans and is perhaps one of the best-known producers of
Caribbean coffee. However, if you're visiting Jamaica, be wary
of roadside vendors selling faux Blue Mountain coffee. Still,
true-blue coffee makes a great
souvenir for those who love this drink.
The island of Hispaniola is home to two countries, and each
produces fine coffee. One of the Caribbean's largest coffee
producers, the Dominican Republic offers a popular blend, and
Haiti is enjoying a chance to make a name for itself as well.
Fans of the dark roast should try the sweet Dominican coffee,
while Haitian blends offer a more mellow taste, with plenty of
flavors to suit many palates.
The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is also a great island to
visit for coffee, but most Puerto Rican coffee is consumed on
the island. Aficionados in particular may want to taste these
island brews while visiting, since the drink can be difficult to
come by outside this island. Some of the more popular Puerto
Rican coffees are known for their creamy taste.
For those outside the United States, you may be able to find
imported Cuban coffee, which is known for a heavy body and
particularly fine dark roasts. However, these coffee products
are nearly always exported to Europe and Japan. A word to the
wise - don't be confused by Cuban-style coffee, which is not the
same as coffee from Cuba.
Although these island producers will never have the space to
grow as much coffee as you'll find in Central and South America,
individual island blends each offer something unique. So try a
cup of something special - coffee from the Caribbean.
About the author:
Jennifer Smith writes for StLucia-Guide.info, VirginIslands-Guide.info, and other Segisys travel Web sites.
© 2005, Interactive Internet Websites, Inc. Article may only be
reprinted if it is not modified in any way, and if all links
remain live.
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| Starbucks Homepage |
| Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. The Company's other brands enhance the Starbucks ... |
| www.starbucks.com |
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| Coffee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. ... Coffee aficionados may even distinguish auctioned coffees by lot number. ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Peet's Coffee & Tea |
| Coffee, tea and brewing equipment, information and store locator. |
| www.peets.com |
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| Coffee Review :: The World's Leading Coffee Buying Guide |
| Coffee and coffee-related reviews done by Kenneth Davids and others. |
| www.coffeereview.com |
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| Coffee @ nationalgeographic.com |
| The history of coffee, descriptions of different varieties, map of coffee-producing countries and a discussion forum. |
| www.nationalgeographic.com |
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| Trojan Room Coffee Machine |
| The official site. Includes the final image of the machine being switched off, a non-technical biography, and an audio copy of a 1994 radio report. |
| www.cl.cam.ac.uk |
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| Espresso and Coffee Information from Coffee Universe |
| Linking the entire specialty coffee and espresso industry from coffee beans, coffee roasting to espresso machines. |
| coffeeuniverse.com |
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| CoffeeGeek - News, Reviews, Opinion and Community for Coffee and ... |
| Offers reviews of coffee appliances, news, and articles. |
| www.coffeegeek.com |
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| Coffee Break Arcade - Free Games |
| Play the best FREE games on the web. Select online games from 6 categories including Sports, Shooting, Racing, Classic, Casino and Cool. |
| www.coffeebreakarcade.com |
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| Too Much Coffee Man - Home |
| Online strips, merchandise, and multimedia. [Graphics intensive] |
| www.tmcm.com |
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| International Coffee Organization - News From The Executive Director |
| London-based intergovernmental body of coffee exporting and importing countries. Offers current industry news and legislative alerts; ... |
| www.ico.org |
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| Caribou Coffee — Gourmet Coffee Shops and Online Specialty Coffee ... |
| Caribou Coffee shops and online store feature gourmet coffee and gifts. |
| www.cariboucoffee.com |
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| Fair Trade Coffee |
| Fair Trade for coffee farmers means community development, health, education, ... Updated Action Pack for Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate Campaigns ... |
| www.globalexchange.org |
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| Gevalia.com - Gourmet Coffee & Tea Collections |
| Selections of fine coffees, flavorful teas, gifts and inspirations offered via direct automatic delivery or catalog order. |
| www.gevalia.com |
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| Dunkin' Donuts Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online |
| Coffee sold by the pound, regular delivery programs, gifts and accessories. |
| www.dunkindonuts.com |
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| Over The Coffee |
| Top Ten Coffee Producing Nations Brazil Colombia Indonesia Vietnam Mexico Ethiopia India Guatemala Cote d'Ivoire Uganda. |
| www.cappuccino.com |
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| INeedCoffee - Monthly Caffeination Information |
| This coffee brewer guide is meant to assist buyer to choose the ideal single cup ... I found coffee paradise. The best coffee city is Auckland, New Zealand. ... |
| www.ineedcoffee.com |
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| Coffee Forums Coffee Discussion about Espresso, Coffee Beans and ... |
| Offers discussion boards for enthusiasts to talk about topics such as beans, espresso, machines, and cafes. |
| www.coffeeforums.com |
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| Green Mountain Coffee Roasters: Organic, Fair Trade and Signature ... |
| Gourmet coffees and specialty coffee accessories and gifts. Shop online for Fair Trade and Organic coffee, single-cup coffee, decaf and flavored coffee, ... |
| www.greenmountaincoffee.com |
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| Equal Exchange: Fairly Traded Coffee, Tea & Chocolate |
| Dedicated to fair trade with small-scale coffee farmers in the developing world. |
| www.equalexchange.com |
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