Organic Coffee is a coffee that is grown without using any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, on a land that was given sufficient time to detoxify itself, without the aid of any genetically modified organisms and finally processed and packed without the involvement of any chemical.
Health Benefits: Organic Coffee is good for health (except for the caffeine in it) in the sense as it does not contain any toxic residues of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, artificial flavors or colors, or preservatives. Therefore, these harmful substances cannot enter your body, unlike the case of non-organic coffee wherein these toxic chemicals are present. That does not mean that Organic Coffee can be drunk in excessive quantities.
Other Benefits: The other benefits of Organic Coffee relate to the environment. Since no chemicals are used in its production, processing and packaging; it does not pollute the environment. There is also no risk of smaller animals like birds, rodents, or squirrels, etc. being poisoned and killed due to these toxic chemicals. Therefore, this coffee helps a lot to preserve the biotic environment and its healthy balance.
Processing: Organic Coffee is processed using dry milling or wet milling. Dry milling basically means separating beans from dried coffee berries. This drying, again, is done by machine drying or sun drying. Wet Milling is costly, lengthy and not environmentally friendly (uses a lot of fresh water to wash) unless it is applied to coffee beans, where no chemicals are involved. However, it is one of the surest ways of producing high-quality gourmet beans and big firms often use this method.
Roasting: Organic coffee roasters are used for sorting, roasting, cooling, stabilizing, and packing. Roasting of coffee can be done by drum roasting or hot air roasting.Organic coffee roasters take care that no chemical salts, gases, flavors or additives are added in this stage to influence the taste and flavor. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Dean’s Beans Coffee Roasters are two trusted names who roast coffee.
Varieties
Organic Coffee is available in many varieties, based on the method of farming and its contribution towards the environment. Here are some of them:
Organic Shade-Grown Coffee: This variety is grown in the natural shade of tropical forests without clearing land for farming. Growth is slow, but the coffee is tastier and more flavored. The biggest benefit of this coffee is that no forests are cut down for this and, of course, no chemicals are used. It is richer in taste than its regular counterpart. There are a few varieties of Organic Shade-Grown Coffee, mainly named after their various styles of farming. They include organic rustic, organic traditional polyculture and organic specialized or reduced shade. It has less availability and hence priced higher than the other types of coffee.
Organic Bird-Friendly Coffee: This is almost same as Organic Shade-Grown Coffee, with the difference that this is particularly concerned with preserving the natural habitat of birds.
Organic Kona Coffee: This Organic Kona Coffee is grown on fertile volcanic soil of the Kona region in Hawaii. Organic Kona Coffee is produced in farms that do not use chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. They are absolutely dependent on the fertility of the soil (enriched by volcanic ash and lava), organic fertilizers, and biotic pest control methods. It has a distinct taste and flavor due to the climate and soil in that region. While Organic Kona Coffee itself is a delicacy, the Pea-Berry variety is the best. Always look for the certificate for authenticity and “100% Organic Kona Coffee” on the packets. Many fraudsters will be trying to sell normal coffee under the Kona tag.
Organic Decaffeinated Coffee: The Organic Coffee which has the caffeine removed.
Organic Green Coffee:Organic Green Coffee is the Green Coffee that is obtained from coffee plants that are grown organically. This coffee is obtained from raw coffee beans which are not roasted. No chemicals are used in processing (fermentation/washing etc.). Taste of organic green coffee depends on good soil, right altitude, climate and processing.It is a rich source of antioxidants and contains Chlorogenic Acid, which is believed to be far more effective in neutralizing free radicals than the antioxidants in green tea. It boosts metabolism and the presence of caffeic acid helps energize the body after fatigue. Some varieties include Blue Mountain Cenaproc, Colonial Caranavi, Peaberry, Kenya AA, Tarrazu, Yirgacheffe, Antigua, and Altura.
Species of Coffee
The varieties discussed above also belong to certain species of coffee. The following are the two main cultivars of coffee, grown in different regions.
Coffea Arabica: This is the most widely used species. Almost all the coffee beans that come from Arabia, Eastern Africa, Asia, and Latin America belong to varieties that fall under this species categorization. People have their own opinions, but Arabica is considered far superior in quality to Robusta.
Coffea Canephora (Robusta): Varieties of this species are spread over the Central and Western Africa.
All the varieties of Organic Coffee mentioned above can be used in making Organic Espresso Coffee. Furthermore, when these varieties are purchased through a Fair Trade Organization, they are called Organic Fair Trade Coffee.