The QARR Coffee - Newsletters

Articles

With hundreds of years of history, coffee is still an
evolving science among researchers, whether
concerning health implications or processing
methods. Here, we will feature articles from wide
ranging topics to shed information that we hope
will be useful for coffee lovers who appreciate fine
coffee or in search of the perfect cup .

Learning Tools & Guides

For those in search of the perfect cup and like to
delve deeper into understanding the different
tastes and aromas of coffee, here are a few
beginners' tools that can sharpen your senses and
skills in making great coffee.

Books

To discover the world of coffee in all perspectives,
we have compiled a list of books that covers topics
ranging from recipes, history and agriculture to the
science of coffee making. Some books can be
found in Singapore bookstores while the rest can
only be purchased in the US.

Coffee Equipment Buying Guides

Whether you are a coffee or espresso drinker, there
are brewers that suit your needs. Go through the
guides here to understand the different types of
coffee making equipments that will help you in
making a sound purchase leading to great coffee.

“Do you really know the taste of coffee?”

Why start a website on coffee? Because I find that this centuries-old beverage, though widely consumed
worldwide, has been very much unappreciated. Since its discovery, coffee has been the choice of drink in
the morning, owing to the effect that caffeine brings about. Caffeine plays a double-edged sword in the
proliferation of coffee drinking: on one hand, the pro-coffee camp presented research results indicating
that moderate coffee drinking does bring some health benefits including reducing risk of diabetes and risk of
gallstones, improving cognitive function and discouraging the development of colon cancer; as opposed to
the years of negative reports indicating that caffeine can harden the arteries that in turn increases the risk
of a heart attack or stroke. Whatever the benefits and risks are, coffee has gone through centuries of
evolution together with mankind and its impact on us is by far inconclusive. And as far as health is
concern, moderation is the keyword to any type of food. Extreme or over consummation of any food can
lead to health problem without doubt.

With a hectic lifestyle and a constantly changing economy, coffee has reinvented itself and taken on many
forms including re-branding into what is called gourmet coffee. This is a concoction of coffee or espresso
based mixture with different ingredients that can include frothed milk, fresh cream, cognac, Kahlua, etc.
Italian names like cappuccino and latte sounds familiar? Such drinks are usually served in cafes. At home
or office, most of us sacrifice quality for convenience and choose instant coffee with or without sugar
and/or creamer. A minority who prefers better quality coffee will make their own coffee using coffee
makers with pre-ground coffee. Only a discerning few will grind their own coffee beans on-demand to
ensure minimal loss of aroma and flavor.

It is the coffee culture dated since its discovery that most people drink coffee with sugar and/or
creamer/milk. Due to caramelization of sugar with darker roast to minimize acidity to achieve a balanced
taste profile, the end cup usually takes on a bitter base that blends well with sugar for sweetness and milk
or creamer for smoothness and additional body. The result is a sweet, smooth and strong coffee that
easily appeals to the general consumers. As we know that coffee contains more than 800 compounds that
give its flavor and aroma, most of these are lost or overpowered. And this has homogenized coffee of
many origins, neglecting the qualities and the unique characteristics of what the individual origin has to
offer. Since quality is of no significance, the value of coffee is thus affected, and this chain reaction
eventually affects the livelihood of the coffee growers.

Fortunately, time has slowly changed on the positive side. The coffee scene has become more colorful
now, with more coffee organizations set up to address various issues with the aim to improve and sustain
the quality of coffee in its entire value chain, the livelihood of the coffee growers and finally the coffee
industry in general. These organizations include the International Coffee Organization (ICO), International
Association on Coffee Science (ASIC), Coffee Quality Institute, Specialty Coffee Association of America,
and Cup of Excellence, just to name a few.

So, how does coffee really taste like? Contrary to what we have taken for granted on how our coffee
should taste like, it is in fact an aquired taste, analogous to wine tasting. I know that this is going to be
risky, that is drawing parallel between coffee and wine, but I will get back to this in the near future. Though
there may be similarity between them, I see more differences than similarities and I must say that coffee
demands a lot more care in order to truly prepare a cup of fine coffee, which in this case: a sensory art.

What follows is a series of monthly newsletters to explore the various aspects of coffee, all in the spirit to
improve the quality of coffee that we can enjoy and the experience we can appreciate.

Hopefully, you will find the information here useful and gives you a different perspective to your daily
dosage of the caffeine beverage.