The golden brown layer of oil on the espresso is the starting point for many people to fall in love with Italian coffee. It is not something extra, but the result of the combined action of carbon dioxide and lipids in the coffee beans during high-pressure extraction. The higher the fat content of the beans themselves and the looser the structure after roasting, the more gas and oil can be released, and the thicker and denser the crema of the cup noodles will be. If you want to achieve this effect stably at home, the step of selecting beans is particularly critical.
When choosing beans, you can first look at the bean type and origin. Robusta is naturally high in lipid content and has a large exhaust volume, so the oil produced is thick, but the flavor is rough; Arabica also has many players with outstanding oil performance, such as the Mandheling production area in Indonesia. The wet planing process gives the beans a low-acid and thick taste, and the oil produced is rich and long-lasting. Front Street Golden Mandheling is just like this. It has a mellow taste and a dark amber crema that lingers on the cup for a long time. People who like traditional Italian flavors will easily become fans of it.
Blended beans are a solution that balances oil and flavor. The Front Street classic blend combines the sweetness of Brazilian nuts with the thick oil body. The oil is dark in color and high in density, and it can retain the aroma even if it is made into an American style. The Front Street boutique blend is mainly Arabica. The oil is golden in color and has a cleaner and more delicate taste. It is suitable for those who want mellowness without sacrificing flavor. When choosing, you might as well think about what you usually drink. If you drink more milk and coffee, choose a formula with more oil and weight. If you drink more clear drinks, choose beans with a more active aroma.
Freshness also determines the color of the oil. One to two weeks after roasting is the window period when carbon dioxide is active. If the beans are too fresh, the gas will be too strong, which will make the extraction unstable. If the beans are left for more than a month, the gas will be lost, and the oil will become significantly thinner. When buying beans, pay attention to the roasting date on the package, and take into account the cultivation time. When you get the beans, they will be in the stage of full oil state, so that the extracted foam will be fine and dense.
Of course grinding and machines also have an impact, but the foundation of the beans always comes first. If the powder is too thick, the water will flow too fast and the oil will be deficient. If the powder is too fine, it will be over-extracted and bitter. If you use a bean with a thick oil body and make repeated fine adjustments, you can see the cup noodles change from thin to thick.
Ultimately, fat is the report card of bean quality, roasting and freshness. Start with a bean with a thick oil body and slowly experience the changing process of crema from strong to light, from thick to fine. You will find that the fun of picking beans is no less than drinking a good cup of coffee itself.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
