Creole Coffee is prepared by slow percolation. The coffee, fresh roasted and ground, is pressed compactly in the filter of the pot and a small quantity of boiling water is poured over. When this has passed through, more water is added, the process being continued at intervals of about five minutes. The result is a very strong and rich extract, which may either be served fresh or be preserved in an air-tight vessel for future use. A small quantity—even so little as a tablespoonful—of good "Creole Coffee" is sufficient for a cup of coffee of ordinary strength.
Turkish Coffee is made from beans ground as fine as powder, placed in a pot (either large or "individual") with cold water and brought to the boiling point. It is never allowed to boil and is served as it is without straining or settling the grounds.
Dutch Coffee is prepared by cold water process from very fine-ground coffee held in a special filter' with top and bottom reservoirs. It requires four hours or longer for the water to percolate through the coffee, and in its passage it extracts a large percentage of strength and flavor.
Russian Coffee is strong, black coffee.
Coffee Extract or Essence. Genuine coffee extract is made commercially by distil lation—steaming and evaporating the liquid until it is reduced to the desired strength. One or,two teaspoonfuls is generally sufficient to make a cup of coffee of moderate strength. For household purposes, it can be made with nearly the same result by following the formula for "Creole Coffee." Coffee, whether raw or roasted, should always be kept away from all strong odors, as it absorbs them very rapidly. Roasted coffee (as already mentioned) should never be exposed to the air, as it will quickly lose its flavor and aroma.
The Principal Coffee Growing Countries.
The first division of coffee is into "strong" and "mild." The Rios and some of the Santos constitute the "strong" varieties. The other part of the Santos crop and prac tically all the importations of other kinds, come under the heading of "mild." The next classification by the wholesale merchant is by the country of export, sub divided in each case into various growths and grades.
The best known Brazil coffees are the Rios and Santos.
– Rio coffees are heayy in body and with a distinctly characteristic flavor and aroma.
The beans vary in size and cOlOr from large to small, and dark green to light yellow.
Santos coffees are generally milder than the "Bios" and very smooth and pleasing in the cup. The finer grades are of Such excellent quality that they have been widely substituted for even high grade "Javas." They range from large to small and from green and rich yellow to very pale yellow.
"Red Bean" Santos is obtained from the Ca mpinas district. It is considered more "flavory" and richer than the yellow or greenish beans.
"Bourbon Santos" is a small bean variety which has grown rapidly in popularity on account of its acid or vinous character. It was formerly sold as "Mocha" or "Mocha Seed." Among the numerous other types of Brazilian coffee are "Victoria" or Capotinea, Bahia and Liberian Rio.
The most generally accepted grades of "Rio" and "Santos" are from 1 to 10 or as follows : Fancy—large and uniform in color and in size ; clear and perfect in selection and attractive in general appearance. Divided into "Light," "Medium" and "Dark." Prime—very clear and regular in color and size, but not so rich in appearance as "Fancy." Divided into "Light," "Medium" and "Dark." Good—uniform in color and size, but ranging from "clear" to "strictly clear." Divided into "Light," "Medium" and "Dark." This is the average or "standard" grade.
Fair—only moderately clean and liable to contain some broken and other wise imperfect beans.
Ordinary—irregular in color and size and liable to contain many black broken beans and a proportion of hulls, etc.
Common—the lowest grade, mixed with bad and broken beans, chaff, hulls, etc.
Colombia has in recent years grown largely in importance as a coffee raising country and its natural advantages promise still more abundant production.
The two best known varieties are Bucaramanga and Bogota, which rank among the finest of American coffees.
The Bucaramanga bean is large and solid and the liquor full, fragrant and aro matic. France and the United States take practically all the exportation.
Bogota is a mountain grown coffee, the bean large, uniform and bluish-green, and the liquor full-bodied, round and fragrant. It is the basis of a great number of high grade blends.
Medellin is, in the best grades, also very highly considered.