The standard kinds of coffee include Mocha, Java, Mara-caibo, Santos, Rio, and Bogota.

Coffee Adulteration

Adulterants are seldom found in coffee that is unground, or in the whole berry. Ground coffee is sometimes adulterated with cereal or chicory root. A mild coffee is improved by the addition of dried chicory root, roasted. Unadulterated ground coffee should be free from dust and chaff. When a teaspoon of ground coffee is stirred into a half glass of cold water, there should be little discoloration of the water and few grains should sink to the bottom.

Care

Coffee gives best results when bought in the whole grain and ground just before using. If bought ground, it must be kept in an air-tight container which is never left with the cover off. To freshen a stale or weak coffee, the grounds should be stirred in a hot frying pan until they are well dried but not scorched.

Composition

The substances found in coffee include: caffein, a mild stimulant; volatile oils, which give flavor and odor; coloring matter, developed in roasting; and tannin, present only in very small quantities, except in the chaff.

Development Of Flavors

Bitterness is brought out by boiling. It is also dependent on the proportion of coffee used. The roasted flavor is brought out by fresh roasting and quick making. The aroma from the volatile oils is brought out by slow heating without boiling or the escape of steam.