To Be or Not To Be: The Best Gourmet Coffee
 by: Tana Ticer

The best gourmet coffee is not always just a matter of popular opinion. As with any other aspect of life, the best things are not always simplistically easy. If you want a good gourmet coffee, almost anyone can do that. If you want only the best gourmet coffee, then you have quite the chore in the road ahead.

To respect the best gourmet coffees in the world, you must understand some of the interesting history associated with that famous coffee bean. Coffee has a history that spans well before 1000 AD. A tribe in Ethiopia discovered that by grinding up a certain red berry, mixing the powder with animal lard, and eating the mixture, that people received quite the energy boost. Around that same time, Arabs relocated those little red berries to their homeland and quickly cultivated the berries on their plantations. After Arabs boiled the beans, they would drink a concoction called "kahway" or "that which prevents sleep". Perhaps "kahway" is most recognizable when I say it is the Arab word for "coffee". In 1645, Italy opens the first, official coffee shop. Before long, coffee replaced the long time winner of the breakfast beverage of the world: beer. As you can see, coffee has a rich history in the culture of the world.

Surprisingly, there are only two species of coffee: Arabic and Robust. All the best gourmet coffees are always created from the Arabic species: Arabic is considered the superior coffee species. Arabic coffee requires a greater elevation than does Robust. In addition, all but a quarter of the coffee grown around the world is Arabic. Robust coffee is grown in a moisture-rich environment such as those offered in tropical areas. As is obvious, Arabic is a drying coffee than is the Robust.

The best gourmet coffee is indeed a matter of opinion. However, many factors are decided long before the consumer is served that final cup of rich java. Many gourmet coffees have specialty flavorings added directly to the coffee bean immediately following the roasting process. When the coffee bean is warm, the infusion of additives is much easier. There are a large number of options when considering what to do with that coffee bean. However, only the best, high quality coffee beans are used in the creation of gourmet coffee.

Coffee manufacturers, coffee shops, and coffee retailers all want to make you, the consumer, happy. They want to see you come back for more. By creating good gourmet coffee, a few specially selected coffees gain the title of the best gourmet coffee in the world. Of course, there is more than one. You may ask yourself: how can this be? Well, what is the best gourmet coffee for one person may not be for the next person. Everyone's taste is uniquely there own. When a gourmet coffee is simply the best, they have discovered the secret of benefiting a great number of people. Do not be surprised by the options available when selecting your coffee. Just follow your nose and take a sip or two.

About The Author Tana Ticer has been an avid coffee and tea drinker her whole life. She has tried more than 100 different varieties of coffee and tea. At her site http://www.thelittleteahouse.com, Tana reveals to you her delicious secret blends of coffee and tea that she has experienced through her years.

This article was posted on September 04, 2006