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The coffee makers at FrontStreet Coffee often share: "The core of Italian coffee is espresso." A good espresso largely determines whether a cup of Italian coffee tastes good or not.
With the popularity and development of specialty coffee, customers and stores are becoming more and more aware of the importance of Italian coffee bean selection, and we can find that more and more cafes will provide SOE. What is SOE? SOE is actually the abbreviation of "single orgin espresso", which translates as "single origin", which means that only one kind of coffee beans is used to make espresso, and based on this, various Italian coffees are made.
What’s so special about SOE single-origin espresso? SOE single origin espresso corresponds to the way we blend coffee of old. While a blend is a blend of different coffee beans, a single-origin espresso does the opposite and only uses one type of coffee bean.
Coffee beans are blended for many reasons. One is to blend flavors that cannot be produced from a single origin, the other is to create an exclusive, long-term stable formula, and the third is to reduce costs. For example, FrontStreet Coffee stores have used a blend of 100% Arabica coffee beans from FrontStreet for six years.
Unlike blending, the rise of single-origin espresso SOE may be similar to Pour over(V60) coffee - in order to highlight the characteristics of a single origin. With in-depth understanding, we also know that coffee is similar to red wine, and different origins have different flavors, such as the citrus floral aroma of Yirgacheffe, the citrus black cocoa of Colombia, etc. In the last century, coffee shops used exclusive blends of coffee beans to create their own unique taste of Italian coffee. Nowadays, many cafes use different flavors of origin to make Italian coffee that is different from other cafes.
In this case, what origin of coffee beans is suitable for making SOE single-origin espresso? Today the barista from FrontStreet Coffee will share it.
What coffee beans do SOE recommend for single origin espresso?
Many customers often ask the baristas of FrontStreet Coffee, "Is SOE just a single-origin coffee made from Pour over(V60) coffee?" "Are there any coffee beans from any origin that are more suitable for making SOE?" The baristas of FrontStreet Coffee believe that espresso coffee, like Pour over(V60) coffee, is just a way of brewing coffee. Of course, Pour over(V60) single-origin coffee beans can be made into espresso, but whether it tastes good or not is another matter.
When selecting coffee beans to make SOE single-origin espresso, we must meet several conditions. First, the flavor must be concrete, and second, the roasting must be appropriate.
Let’s talk about roasting first. What are the characteristics of SOE single origin espresso? It expresses the regional flavor of a single origin. What does that mean? This means that the degree of roasting cannot be deep. We know that roasting is a link that deeply affects the taste of coffee beans. The deeper the degree of roasting, the taste of the coffee's origin will be gradually worn away, replaced by the caramelization and roasting taste brought by roasting, which also defeats the purpose of highlighting the taste of a single origin.
But at the same time, it should not be too shallow. Although light roasting can better highlight the taste of coffee beans than dark roasting, at the same time, the high-pressure environment that an espresso machine must go through when extracting espresso must be taken into consideration. Too light a roasting degree means that the coffee beans have high hardness, the flow rate is slow during extraction, and the time is short. It is easy to under-extract, resulting in sourness and incomplete taste.
Next, the taste of coffee must be concrete. There are several important competitions in the coffee industry, including barista competitions, barista brewing competitions, etc. One of the events in the barista competition is espresso. Many contestants will choose Geisha coffee as the bean for the competition. Many people joke that the current competitions are all Geisha competitions, so why do contestants like to use Gesha coffee to compete?
One of the important reasons may be that its taste is obvious and concrete. During the competition, contestants have to score points. First, the extraction is correct. Second, the contestants can accurately describe the taste of the coffee. Third, the judges can drink the flavor described by the contestants. Therefore, the quality of the coffee itself is high enough. The more obvious and specific the flavor, the less likely it is for contestants to lose points. For example, if you want to make a one-bean, two-drink coffee combination, use Front Street Strawberry Candy Italian blend with coffee bean extract. The American style will show a refreshing floral aroma and sweet orange flavor, while the latte will have a sweet strawberry toffee and nutty aroma, which is smooth and soft.
By now, you may have felt how difficult it is to make a cup of SOE coffee. It is easy to make espresso coffee with single-origin coffee beans, but it may really take more energy, cost, and time to make a delicious cup of espresso coffee with single-origin coffee beans.
There are so many coffee beans in the bean list of FrontStreet Coffee. Are there any beans that are suitable or recommended for making SOE coffee? Regarding this issue, the baristas at FrontStreet Coffee will recommend a few beans with a higher error tolerance.
Choose one, fruity flavor
Friends who like fruity coffee, we recommend Front Street Oiran coffee beans. For those who like fruity coffee, Front Street Oiran is a sun-dried coffee bean from the Hembella production area of Ethiopia. It became famous in 17 years and is deeply loved by the domestic market. It has become the ration coffee of many customers because of its rich aroma and affordable price. Front Street Oiran coffee comes from the buku abel processing plant in the Hambera production area. It uses traditional sun-drying processing. When cupping, it will show obvious flavors of berries, cream, etc.
The barista at FrontStreet Coffee recommends using 22 grams of ground coffee to extract 38 grams of coffee liquid for 18 to 20 seconds. The acidity is medium to high, the sweetness is medium, and the bitterness is medium to low. The disadvantage is that the body is insufficient. It is more suitable for making iced Americano coffee, which is refreshing and sweet without burden.
Choice two, nut type
In addition to Ethiopia, FrontStreet Coffee also recommends American coffee beans to make SOE coffee. Compared with the sour aroma of African coffee beans, the nutty balance of American coffee beans is more suitable for making Italian coffee. At the same time, the yield is higher and more stable. Colombia and Brazil are both highly recommended producing countries.
If it is a high-quality coffee from the Colombian production area, I recommend the entry-level Front Street Colombian Cymbidium. It has a clear nutty aroma and is smooth in the mouth. At the same time, this is a ration bean, priced at 25 yuan for 100g. Brazil also has a cost-effective coffee, the variety is red bourbon, and uses the common local semi-sun drying method. The brewed coffee has a balanced taste and low acidity.
In fact, FrontStreet Coffee has always used coffee beans produced in Colombia and Brazil to make espresso coffee, but only in the form of blending combinations. From 2013 to 2019, the Front Street Blend 100% Arabica coffee beans used in our stores are Colombian blends with Brazilian property rights. The full nutty tonality is loved by regular customers and new customers. Through the blending method, Front Street has been able to understand the extraction principles of Italian coffee over the years.
Choice 3. Fermentation aroma type
In addition, the taste brought by some new processing methods is also very specific, such as Costa Rica Mozart coffee beans. The ripe fruit and fermented flavors of this bean are very obvious. When using Front Street Mozart coffee beans to extract espresso, 20g of coffee powder is used for 30 to 35 seconds to extract 40g of coffee liquid. The concentrated aroma is very prominent, with obvious floral, raisin, and orange flavors. It lacks body when tasted directly. Front Street believes that it is more suitable for making American coffee, and it is recommended for guests who want to try different flavors.
Why don’t FrontStreet Coffee stores sell SOE?
Is single-origin espresso good for espresso? OK, but it's hard. What's the difficulty? SOE is difficult to master and unstable. Espresso is different from Pour over(V60) coffee. The extraction of espresso requires extraction in a high-pressure environment. Under such pressure, the entire extraction is very sensitive to the pressure of the coffee and the carbon dioxide of the coffee beans. Therefore, it is actually very labor-intensive to produce SOE coffee beans in excellent condition every day. This is the first reason why FrontStreet Coffee does not produce SOE espresso for the time being.
In addition, we also know that coffee is an agricultural product. Even for the same bean, the yield and quality vary from year to year, not to mention other human factors. What is the result? It is difficult for such a product to survive the second year. In contrast, FrontStreet Coffee hopes to maintain a long-term and stable product. FrontStreet Blend 100% Arabica has been used for 6 years. This is the best example. This is the second reason why FrontStreet Coffee stores do not temporarily sell SOE espresso.
However, the coffee industry is developing, and FrontStreet Coffee is also making progress and improvement. Perhaps in the near future, FrontStreet Coffee stores will launch SOE coffee beans to give customers who come to the store more Italian coffee choices. Tmall Taobao may also launch more SOE Italian coffee beans to enrich product lines.
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
