A Coffee Philosophy
Once upon a time there was a Sweet Maria’s coffee shop (incredible but true), and once upon a time people without a clue would come in and gawk at the green coffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... ...more. For them, coffee was a brown powder that made a brown liquid. In fact, some had not seen a whole, intact roasted coffee bean before. You might be thinking we are talking about the 1970s here, but actually it was the ‘90s, and with that sort of clientele, the coffee shop was short-lived. For many of us, the days of coffee powder are far in the past, and as we continue to redefine and refine our sensibilities and expectations of the brown beverage, we may feel like Jetsons among the Flinstone masses. But the fact is, we’re all Fred and Wilma in a way … me too. Chalk it up to the-more I-learn-the-less-I-know syndrome; fact is, I still feel like a coffee caveman, not really able to take what I know and use it to solve all the variabilities and
vagaries of the coffee trade. It should be simple, of course it sounds outright remedial. When we prepare coffee, we are simply cooking a dried seed, bashing it to pieces, dumping it in hot water, and slurping it up. Sounds fairly Neanderthal to me, and in its essence, that’s it. The farm can be equally reduced to minimal terms: a flowering tree makes a fruit that really has little meat on it, so why not slip the seeds out, dry them, and put them in a cloth sack. We’ve invented a million ways to complicate all this; the ones I think about all the time are getting good greens, good bean cooking, and careful brown-juice making. But there is something inexact about the entire process, and maybe it is this frustrating, impossible character lurking behind each bag of greens, each roast and each brew that draws us in. As much as we try to master this process, it defies us. Consider this: I went to HondurasHonduran coffee was absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that has changed. It has all the environmental factors on its side: soil, altitude, climate.... ...more to participate in the ’06 Cup of ExcellenceThe Cup of Excellence is a competition held yearly in many coffee-producing countries, designed to highlight the very best coffees from each origin.: The Cup of Excellence (COE)... ...more. 25 International judges spent days evaluating hundreds of cups, and rated the 30 best lots. We logged in for the auction a month later and bid our little hearts out; I spent 15 K that day for 15 bags … $1000 a bag! I wrote preliminary reviews, with flowing descriptions of the tasting experience. Months later, the delayed shipments arrived, totally ruined. One tasted like rubber, dipped in kerosene, left in the hot sun. The other was worse. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. The coffee, beautifully picked and prepared for the competition, had been ruined at the dry millA facility that accepts dried coffee cherry and mechanically separates the coffee bean from the dried fruit and parchment layer. The facility can be highly mechanized, as in... ...more when they prepared it for export. It might have been excessive heat, a batch of bad coffee bags, something with the equipment. In one step of a process that is fundamentally simple and crude, but in fact comprised of so many little processes, all quality was sapped out of these coffees, replaced with, well, rubber and kerosene. These kinds of risks are always lurking in the background when it comes to coffee, because it is a variable agriculture product. It can be excellent because of this capricious nature; good rains, favorable temperatures, the right blend of sun and shade. And it can be ruined by a moment of carelessness, by a freight backlog at port, by a residual odor, by unexpected rain on the drying patio. The same is true when we apply heat to coffee to roast it, when our grinder fails to “tear” the seed into regular shapes and creates powder, when the water is 192 f, not 198, not 203.
So if coffee is really about gaining control over variables in order to produce consistent satisfaction, why dwell upon the fact that it always threatens to slip beyond our control. Does our mastery of the bean make us enjoy it more, or isn’t there some enjoyment in our vexation too, in the variability of the crop, variability of the roast, of cup preparationPreparation refers to the dry-milling steps of preparing coffee for export: hulling, grading, classifying, sorting.: Preparation refers to the dry-milling steps of preparing coffee for export: hulling, grading,... ...more. Is this a craft that we can ever truly master when it is a substance, coffee, that promises to defy our ability to
know it. Ah, grasshopper, that is a question time will answer. YAB (Yet Another Blog) I heard there weren’t enough “blogs on the ‘net” so I decided Sweet Maria’s should have one (joke). I use it to announce new coffee arrivals, make small commentary about the coffee trade, answer Home Roast Mail List questions in more detail, whine and moan … typical stuff like that. It features RSS feed so new posts can show up on your web browser start page, or wherever else you want it. It also links to our Flickr photo feed and to our coffee videos at Google. I think it will be useful, and plan to use it a lot! The link is http://www.sweetmarias.com/weblog -Tom
The Holiday Season
Did you hear the latest about nostalgia? It’s back again. So goes the joke, but the holiday season … now that’s unavoidable. And for us, it’s a mixed bag. I am officially a Grinch; having a retail business during the holidays will do that to a person. I will make my usual appeal to get holiday orders in early. Please understand that our usual 24-hour turn around on orders does not apply during November and December! We try, we really do. We work weekends, we come in early, we work late. But the volume of orders slows us down. Please do not wait until the last minute if you plan to roast coffee for gifts. And don’t be alarmed if we are a bit slower in processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural... ...more orders or answering email. Do let us know about problems as soon as you can so we have a chance to fix them. Also UPS and USPS generally see big increases in package volumes for the holidays- so damaged and lost packages are more likely. Please give yourself time to have a shipping problem, just in case. We think UPS, all faults considered, does a much better job in the holidays than Priority Mail. A few USPS packages seem to rematerialize on planets in distant solar systems. Anyway, here’s Our Holiday Schedule:
Thanksgiving: Closed November 23rd and 24th
Christmas: Closed December 20th through January 1st
2007 Re-open January 2nd 2007. Shopping cart will be off as usual from December 19th through 26th. December 12th at 9 am is the deadline to get orders in using regular UPS Ground or USPS Priority Mail delivery anywhere in the US. West Coast customers have a couple more days. –Maria, Derek & Erica (The Office Staff)
Sweet Maria’s Coffee
1115 21st Street, Oakland CA 94607
web: www.sweetmarias.com
email: [email protected]
Sweet Maria’s Green Coffee Offering List
Oct 15, 2006 – check the web page for the latest list
Central American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
Costa RicaCosta Rican coffee is typically very clean, sweet, with lots of floral accents. hey are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity,... ...more Dota Tarrazu Hermosa $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Costa Rica Pulp NaturalPulp natural is a hybrid method of processing coffee to transform it from the tree fruit to a green bean, ready for export. Specifically, it involves the removal... ...more -La Candelilla $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $47.31 $87.78
Costa Rica SM Select PeaberryA peaberry is a green coffee "bean" that has a rounded form: Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree - each fruit having... ...more $5.75 $10.93 $25.01 $47.73 $88.55
Costa Rica Tarrazu -Hacienda La Minita $6.80 $12.92 $31.62 $56.44 limit
El SalvadorEl Salvador coffee had an undeservingly poor reputation for years, marred mostly by the inability to deliver coffee of high quality in an unstable political climate. Unfortunately, agriculture... ...more Cup of Exc #2 -Los Planes $21.90 1 lb limit.
El Salvador Cup of Exce #12 -El Zapote $9.20 1 lb limit
El Salvador OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms... ...more -Santa Adelaida $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $39.01 $72.38
El Salvador- The Juan Francisco Project $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to... ...more Antigua PeaberryThe Spanish-language term for Peaberry is the same for "snail". See Peaberry for more information on the single bean fruit of the coffee tree. A peaberry is the... ...more -Maria Especial $6.00 $11.40 $26.10 $49.80 $92.40
Guatemala Cup of Excellence #1 – El Injerto $29.90 1 lb limit.
Guatemala Fraijanes – FincaSpanish 101: Finca is the Spanish word for farm. Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean the farm has its own wet-mill.... ...more Agua Tibia $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Guatemala San Marcos -Finca Maria Elisa $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $39.01 $72.38
Guatemala FTOFTO is shorthand for a coffee that is certified as both Fair Trade and Organic. ...more Quiche – Maya Ixil $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Honduras PacamaraAs the name implies, Pacamara is a large bean cultivar, a cross between Pacas and Maragogype with unique flavor properties. This variant originated in El Salvador in 1958,... ...more – Santa Marta EstateA "coffee estate" is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does... ...more $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
MexicoMexican coffee originates from South-central to Southern regions of the country. For that reason, coffees from Coatepec and Veracruz are much different from Oaxacan Plumas, which are in... ...more FTO Chiapas -Special Lot $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Mexico Organic Oaxaca -Finca El Olivo $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
NicaraguaNicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other... ...more Cup of Exc #3-El Cipres $8.80 1 lb limit
Nicaragua Cup of Exc. #17-San Antonio $6.50 $12.35 $28.28 $53.95 100.10
Nicaragua Matagalpa -Pacamara Peaberry $6.10 $11.59 $26.54 $50.63 $93.94
Nicaragua Limoncillo Estate Var. JavaThere are several types of Abyssinia variety coffee, but they are not from Ethiopia but rather Indonesia. Abyssinia 3 = AB3. PJS Cramer, a Dutch plant researcher, introduced this variety... ...more $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Nicaragua FTO Lozahoren (Dipilto) $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Nicaragua Prodecoop Dipilto $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $38.18 $70.84
PanamaPanama coffee ranges from medium quality lower altitude farms to those at 1600 - 1800 meters centered in the area of Boquete in the Chirqui district near the... ...more HaciendaHacienda is used to imply an Estate that has a full processing facility (wet mill): Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean... ...more La Esmeralda GeshaGesha is a long-bean Ethiopia selection with unique cup character. Gesha is the name of the town in Western Ethiopia where the original samples were collected. Spelling it... ...more $15.70 $29.83 2 lb limit
Panama Organic Los Lajones $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
South American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... ...more FazendaFazenda is the Portuguese word for farm, hence it is the term used in Brazil. Fazenda is not a coffee-specific term. ...more Brauna Peaberry $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Brazil Organic Cachoeira -Yellow BourbonA coffee cultivar; a cross between Typica and Bourbon, originally grown in Brazil: Mundo Novo is a commercial coffee cultivar; a natural hybrid between "Sumatra" and Red Bourbon,... ...more $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true.... ...more ExcelsoA Colombian coffee grade referring to screen size of 15-16. In the traditional bulk Arabica business, Excelso is a step below the large bean Supremo grade, which indicates... ...more 13556 $4.45 $8.46 $19.36 $36.94 $68.53
Colombia Huila -Palestina Micro-regionWe use this term to denote a coffee-producing sub-region within a larger coffee area - Micro-Region is more specific coffee-producing zone. For example, if the Country for a... ...more $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
African- Arabian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... ...more FTO DP Lekempti $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Ethiopia Organic Dry ProcessDry process coffee is a method for taking the fruit from the tree to an exportable green bean. The whole intact coffee cherry is dried in the sun... ...more Sidamo $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Ethiopia Organic Idido Misty Valley DP $6.20 $11.78 $26.97 $51.46 $95.48
KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... ...more Auction Lot 503-Gethumbwini Peaberry $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
Kenya AA Auction Lot 438- Hiriga $5.80 $11.02 $25.23 $48.14 $89.32
Kenya AA Auction Lot 764- Ndaroini Nyeri $6.40 $12.16 $27.84 $53.12 $98.56
UgandaWhile Arabica was introduced at the beginning of the 1900's, Robusta coffee is indigenous to the country, and has been a part of Ugandan life for centuries. The... ...more Organic Bugisu $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
YemenYemen has a coffee culture like no other place, and perhaps some of what we enjoy in this cup is due to their old style of trade...: Technically,... ...more MokhaThe Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms of the family of cultivars planted there, and the general trade name.: Mokha Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms... ...more Sana’ani $6.40 $12.16 $27.84 $53.12 $98.56
ZambiaFrom the country formerly known as upper Rhodesia in a country now named for the Zambezi River, Zambian coffees range from Kenya-like brightness to subtle, balanced coffee with... ...more AA+ Lupili Estate $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
ZimbabweZimbabwe, formerly known as lower Rhodesia until independence in 1980, has produced great coffee since production was introduced in the 1960s. Like Zambian coffees, these coffees are often... ...more AAA – Dandoni Estate $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Indonesian- Indian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
India Monsooned MalabarIndian Monsooned coffee refers to a method of aging coffee in India where the unroasted green coffee is exposed to humid monsoon winds. Monsooned coffees are stored in... ...more “Elephant” $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Java Government Estate Djampit $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia. The two primary areas for... ...more -Kimel Plantation $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
SulawesiSulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial... ...more Wet-Process TOARCO $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body... ...more Iskandar Triple-Pick $6.00 $11.40 $26.10 $49.80 $92.40
Sumatra Classic MandhelingA trade name used for wet-hulled Sumatra coffees. It is an area and a culture group as well (spelled Mandailing often) but there is not as much coffee... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Islands- Blends -Etc. 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
AustraliaAustralian coffee bears resemblance in the cup to the soft "Island Coffee" flavor profile. Coffee cultivation began in Australia in 1880 and continued through 1926, but was found... ...more Mountain Top XF “Bin 35” $11.20 $21.50 $52.08 $92.96
SM’s Moka Kadir Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
SM’s EspressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is... ...more Monkey Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
SM’s Classic Italian Espresso Blend $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
SM’s Decaf Espresso Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
SM’s Liquid Amber Espresso Blend $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
SM’s French RoastSugars are heavily caramelized (read as burned) and are degraded; the woody bean structure is carbonizing, the seed continues to expand and loose mass, the body of the... ...more Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
SM’s Puro Scuro Blend $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
SM’s Roasted French ChicoryChicory was a popular coffee substitute and economizer for 2 centuries, back when coffee was more prized, and pure coffee was a luxury. : Chicory was a popular... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Decafs 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
African Highlands WP Decaf $5.80 $11.02 $25.23 $48.14 $89.32
Brazil Mogiana WP Decaf $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Colombia WP Decaf $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Costa Rica La Magnolia SWPSWP means Swiss Water Process is a patented water filtration decaf method, not a chemical solvent method. The plant is in Vancouver, Canada. ...more Decaf $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
El Salvador Las Ranas WP Decaf $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Ethiopia Natural (DP) Sidamo WP Decaf $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Guatemala Santa Elena WP Decaf $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Indonesian Organic SWP Komodo Blend $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Java WP Decaf $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Mexico Organic Chiapas WP Decaf $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Panama WP Decaf -Panamaria Farm $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $45.65 $84.70
Sulawesi Toraja WP Decaf $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Sumatra Organic Gayoland WP Decaf $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Premium Robustas 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
Indian RobustaAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely... ...more – Sethuraman Peaberry $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $39.01 $72.38
Thumbs Down: Vietnam RobustaRobusta usually refers to Coffea Robusta, responsible for roughly 25% of the world's commercial coffee. Taxonomy of Robusta is debated: some sources use “Robusta” to refer to any... ...more Gr 1 $1.00 1 lb limit
