and the South Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Due to the popularity of certain coffees and the mystical Juan Valdez, most people believe coffee originated in Colombia, Costa Rica, or Brazil. However, this is not so; coffee first originated on the plateaus of central Ethiopia before 800 b.c. Around 1720, the first coffee tree was cultivated and in 1726 was the first harvest in the Americas. Fifty years later, there were nearly 19 million coffee trees.
Arabica is the oldest known species of coffee trees. Arabica is the high grown species, cultivated on mountainous plateaus or volcanic slopes at optimum altitudes of 3200 to 6500 feet.
Robusta is very different from Arabica. It is very robust in taste, and resistant to disease and pests. However, in this case, strong is not the best and its flavor is not as desirable as that of the Arabica. Robusta accounts for less than 30% of the world's coffee production.
Specialty coffee is that which is very carefully and meticulously grown, processed, roasted, and prepared, resulting in a coffee that is virtually defect free and has a distinctive flavor in the cup. Specialty coffees bought fresh and brewed correctly are more than good; they are extraordinary, and extraordinary in a variety of ways.
Why Mission Coffee's specialty coffees?
Specialty coffees are available from different origins around the world. These coffees are prepared as single origin, and roasted to fully develop the flavor characteristics of the bean to show off its true personality, as well as blended to create a truly unique cup of coffee. Coffee is roasted once the order is placed, packaged immediately after roasting in specially designed bags with one way degassing valves, and delivered to you. This guarantees you the freshest coffee available.
What are the advantages of specialty coffee?
Freshly roasted specialty coffee tastes better, and possesses a richer and more balanced flavor than mass-produced coffee. Supplying you with freshly roasted specialty coffees from around the world, which have a very distinct and satisfying flavor, will ensure you are providing your customers the best coffee available which is typically found only at your local specialty coffee shop or online.
What specialty coffees are available?
We offer coffees from South and Central America, Africa, and Asia.
The specific roasts can range anywhere from Light, which is described as cinnamon in color or New England, to French, which the surface of the bean is lightly oily to very shiny. Depending on the origin of the coffee and the desired flavor, the level of roast is then determined.
- Coffee comes from the fruit of a tree. The tree produces flowers and fruit known as "cherries". Each cherry contains pulp, parchment, and typically two coffee beans.
- Green coffee's keep for years, with only a slow, subtle change in flavor.
- After the 24 to 48 hour degassing period, freshly roasted whole bean coffee holds its flavor and aroma for about a week; after two weeks, it still tastes reasonably fresh but the aroma begins to slip; after three weeks, the flavor starts to go.
- Freshly ground coffee starts losing flavor in a few hours and freshly brewed coffee in minutes.
- Grinding coffee fresh is the single best thing you can do to improve the quality of your coffee. This guarantees you the freshest and most flavorful cup of coffee time after time.
- Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, second only to crude oil.