Did you know that caffeine is the most sought after and widely used psychoactive stimulant in the world? It is found in food, drinks, medicines. The world is completely under the control of caffeine, so to some extent it can be called a drug. For millions of people, it has become an integral part of life. We are not even talking about the fact that caffeine is also a medicine. We hardly think about the fact that each of our coffee cups is a small part of a huge industry worth a billion dollars. Many of us simply cannot do without the obligatory daily dope - a morning cup of coffee. Therefore, coffee has long been a product of constant demand and consumption for residents of all countries and continents.
Coffee tree plantations can be found in all corners of the world, as the agricultural crop of coffee is grown in seventy countries, and is consumed almost everywhere. Coffee production is a large-scale industry. Coffee has gone through a lot in its history - from a magical ingredient in religious ceremonies to today's familiar cup that we brew when getting ready for work or after lunch (which, however, for many is also akin to an almost religious ritual). Coffee is not only a stimulant, it also helps digestion. Many varieties of coffee are produced, depending on the type of coffee tree and the way the beans are processed. The wide variety of varieties depends on both different cultivation methods and different geographic regions of growth. I am convinced that there are at least a few secrets, stories or legends related to coffee that you have not yet heard of.
It is clear that true connoisseurs of coffee are unlikely to hear something completely new for themselves. And, nevertheless, it is obvious that the development of processing technology, the invention of new methods of preparation leads in the end to a tangible difference between cups of ordinary and high-quality coffee. Of course, they cost differently. Let's take a look at the top of the most expensive coffees offered by manufacturers on the world market today.
10. Coffee Yauco Selecto AA (Puerto Rico) - $ 24 / lb
In Puerto Rico, coffee has long been the leading agricultural crop, and the fruit of the coffee tree is the country's staple both domestically and internationally. Growing on the slopes of the Yayuko mountain range, this coffee owes its rich taste to a unique combination of natural factors and methods of its cultivation. In Puerto Rico, and especially in its mountainous part, where coffee plantations are located, there is a lot of rainfall. This coffee owes its unique taste to the clay soil, which is rich in useful substances. The Yauco Selecto is produced in very limited quantities, which certainly adds to its already high price tag. What can a true connoisseur expect from a freshly brewed cup of the very best Puerto Rican coffee? This is its rich aroma and taste, in which you can taste and guess the shades of butter and chocolate.
9. Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon (Rwanda) - $ 24 / lb
Bourbon coffee is inherited from the famous Arabica, which made Rwanda, with its unique climate, a world renowned coffee producer. The aroma of Bourbon coffee is a sour mixture of black cherry and butter flavors with a hint of spicy nutty. But it should be noted that the aroma and taste of these grains is not their only value. Starbucks' multitude of coffee-growing businesses was also a social mission that helped rebuild Rwanda's entire economy, which had been damaged by internal unrest. The reliance on the principles of fair trade and efforts aimed at restructuring the country's economy ultimately led to a natural result - grains from Rwanda are among the most popular on the world coffee market today. Rwandan coffee companies consider Black Apron Exclusive beans as one of their flagship varieties.
8. Coffee Mi Esperanza (Honduras) - $ 35 / lb
The position of the leader in the production of coffee in Central America belongs to Honduras. 1,320 pounds of coffee from Mi Esperanza's farm was purchased in an online auction this June at a record price of $ 35.10 per pound. Fans of Mi Esperanza coffee appreciate it for its pleasant spicy aroma with a fruity touch and nutty chocolate flavor. This very aromatic coffee leaves no bitterness, for which connoisseurs especially appreciate it.
7. Los Planes (El Salvador) - $ 40 / lb
Finca Los Planes coffee is grown in the very remote mountainous region of El Salvador - in Chalatenango, on a family plantation run by Sergio Tikas Yeis, who in turn inherited the business from his father. The cup of this premium coffee took second place in the 2006 Quality Cup and 6th in 2011. In the shades of its taste, the most noticeable are citrus notes with caramel and a taste of unrefined sugar. The average consumer may think that giving $ 40 a pound is too expensive, but for true coffee lovers, this price for a cup of coffee from the Los Planes family's plantations looks quite fair.
6. Blue Mountain (Jamaica) - $ 49 / lb
Blue Mountain coffee is known to connoisseurs all over the world for its excellent taste, and despite its price tag of $ 49 a pound, consumption is still growing. But most of its fans live in Japan - almost 80 percent of all Blue Mountain coffee produced annually goes there. Coffee plantations are located on the Blue Mountain in Jamaica, which reaches a height of one and a half kilometers above sea level. Constant downpours here create ideal conditions for the growing season of coffee trees. The high moisture content separates the grains from the fruit immediately after harvest, giving Blue Mountain its special, well-balanced mild aroma.
5. Fazenda Santa Ines (Brazil) - $ 50 / lb
For Fazenda Santa Ines, tradition means everything. Fazenda Santa Ines is a family run business. Fazenda Santa Ines produces quality coffee with an enviable consistency, thanks to traditional and consistent cultivation and processing methods. And therefore its quality is quite worthy of its high price - $ 50 per pound. This type of coffee owes its unique characteristics to many components: these are the established values of a family business, which are based on respect for employees and the natural environment, and the peculiarities of the local landscape - coffee trees grow on fertile soil and feed on mineral water from spring springs. Each drop of this coffee, all processing steps of which are performed by hand, has a pronounced taste of sweet berries and soft caramel.
4. Molokai Coffee (Hawaii) - $ 51 / lb
The only American state with a climate and soil condition that appears to be specifically designed for growing coffee is Hawaii. So these islands are home to many popular coffees around the world. In particular, this is Molokai Coffee, produced by the Coffees of Hawaii company on coffee plantations in Kalapuu with a total area of 500 acres.
Molokai Coffee is a natural coffee that is distinguished by its floral aroma, rich, slightly sour fruity taste with a hint of caramel and a long chocolate aftertaste. All these features make Molokai Coffee quite expensive and almost unaffordable. Although on the company's website, fans of this coffee can always order online. Muleskinner and Hawaiian Espresso, flavors of Molokai Coffee, sell for $ 51 a pound.
3. St. Helena Coffee (St. Helena) - $ 79 / lb
St. Helena Coffee is the very drink whose taste was enchanted by Napoleon Bonaparte. During his exile on Saint Helena, he himself tended the coffee trees. Since the days of Napoleon, the coffee produced on St. Helena has only strengthened its position. The island itself is located about 1200 miles off the west coast of Africa, and on the map, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.Of course, the high price of beans can be explained by the geography of the island (you have to transport coffee over long distances), but when connoisseurs buy a pound of St. Helena Coffee for $ 79, that's not what they pay for. Its gorgeous, intense floral scent with citrus hints is truly one-of-a-kind and worth your while.
2. Luwak Coffee (Indonesia) - $ 160 / lb
The reputation of a unique and valuable Indonesian Luwak Coffee has gained thanks to the specific way of processing it using ... the digestion process. The fact is that Kopi Luwak, which is often called civet coffee, undergoes fermentation in the stomach of the animal. More specifically, the civet animal eats the pulp of the coffee berry, leaving the coffee beans intact, which are then taken from the animal's feces. In the process of digestion, enzymes are secreted in the stomach of the civet, which change the taste of the coffee bean. And this taste is so popular all over the world that consumers are willing to pay $ 160 for a pound of Luwak Coffee.
1. Hacienda La Esmeralda (Panama) - $ 350 / lb
Hacienda La Esmeralda's award-winning shelf is bursting with prizes. Introduced in 2004, this coffee has won first place in 13 different world cups. And his most recent record was the sky-high $ 350.25 per pound at the Best in Panama International Coffee Fair. The coffee is produced only in small batches and is grown on the slopes of Mount Baru in Panama, where small plantations hide in the shade of guava trees. Coffee connoisseurs prefer this variety to all others, although Hacienda La Esmeralda is a rarity and rather a delicacy in the coffee world. But a true fan of this drink should brew it at least once in a lifetime.
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