Coffee - Brazilian Coffee

Brazilian Coffee

Adultery, deceit and politics, all the makings of a modern-day best-seller, yet this story is over 250 years old and what ultimately led to brazilian coffee. In 1727 a Brazilian official named Francisco de Melho Palheta was invited to mediate a heated border dispute between French and Dutch Guiana. Both governments were actively growing coffee in Guiana and closely guarded their financial interests by not allowing the exportation of viable coffee seeds.

Palheta quickly accepted the invitation with hopes of somehow obtaining some seeds for planting coffee in Brazil. While in Guiana Palheta became romantically involved with the French Governors wife. Upon his departure, after successfully mediating a solution to the border issue, the Governors wife presented him with a bouquet of flowers in which she had disguised several coffee seedlings.

The Brazilians quickly learned the rudiments of growing coffee with emphasis on quantity over quality, which is still the prevalent philosophy when it comes to growing coffee in Brazil. Brazil is by far the largest producer of coffee in the world with over forty percent of all coffee coming from this country. However, the vast majority is of marginal quality and what the major commercial processors such as Folgers, Maxwell House etc? rely on as the base product for their blends. By adding small amounts of higher quality coffee they are able to enhance flavor, body and aroma and provide a product that is acceptable to the masses at a reasonable price.

The production of coffee in Brazil had a dark side. As the cultivation of coffee in Brazil grew, so did slavery. Without enough local labor to handle the ever increasing demand for coffee, the Brazilian Government imported slaves by the tens of thousands. By 1828 well over a million slaves, nearly a third of the population, labored on the coffee plantations.

In response to pressure from the British Government, who had outlawed slavery and were boycotting Brazilian slave-grown coffee, Brazil half-heartedly outlawed slavery. Though importation of slaves declined, it did not cease and the two-million or so slaves that were already in the country remained in bondage. It would be another fifty years before slavery was truly abolished.

As production of coffee in Brazil modernized, modern being a relative term for a third-world country. A few growers established a reputation for providing high-quality coffee and edged their way into the American specialty market.

The best coffee in Brazil comes from the region around San Paulo and is named for the port through which it is exported, Santos. Santos is known for its smooth flavor, medium body and moderate acidity. While Santos is the best coffee in Brazil, it is still far from extraordinary when compared to other gourmet coffees of the world.

Even with the reputation of providing low-grade coffee to the masses, the impact Brazil has had on the world coffee trade is undeniable. Without Brazilian coffee to stabilize the market, coffee prices could be three to four times what they are. Imagine paying $15-20 for a one pound can of Folgers. I, for one, am grateful to Brazil for providing the world with cheap coffee.

Randy has more articles on coffee such as Colombian Coffee, Coffee and Alzheimers and Coffee Breaks.

Car Insurance Rates | Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Starbucks Coffee Company
Starbucks Coffee Company was founded in 1971 by three businessmen in Seattle, Washington who had a love for coffee and tea. It was important to them that the city of Seattle to have access their coffee.The Starbucks Coffee Company grew slowly but by 1...(related: Coffee)

Ganoderma Coffee - Can It Be Good For You?
Are you a coffee addict? Are you searching for a healthier coffee alternative? Do you enjoy a good cup of coffee, but choose other beverages, because it does not agree with you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are in for a pleasant surprise.Believe it or not, all coffee is not bad for you. Ganoderma coffee is here! In fact, its ever-increasing popularity indicates that it is probably here to stay.What is Ganoderma? In one word, it is a? MUSHROOM. That's right, a mushroom! The scientific name for this species of wild Asian mushroom is "Ganoderma Lucidum". They have been harvested on plant...(related: Coffee)

What Is Sustainable Coffee And How Does It Affect My Wake Cup?
Gourmet coffee lovers have been seeing a few new terms in thelocal premium coffee shop as they file past the seasonal retaildisplays of roasted whole bean bagged coffees. Phrases includeeco-friendly, organic, shade grown, fair trade and certifiedsustainable. Most often those beans seem to the casual buyer tobe simply more expensive than the corporate mega-brands.But these few phrases represent far more than at first glance,including economic and social gains for the growing regions andfarmers, harvesters and processors of green coffee beans at thelocal level. Sustainable coffee means premium prices and qualitycoffee due to organic farming practices, fair market payment forbeans to local growers and quality controls being adopted by the"certified" coffee brands.Those premi...(related: Coffee)

History Of Instant Coffee
Mention instant coffee to any connoisseur and you are sure to get a frown of disgust. Yet, who among us hasn't, after finding the...(related: Coffee)

Gourmet Coffee Stops Decrease Gas Mileage;home Brewed Premium Coffee Reduce Traffic Congestion
A researcher has stirred up the commuter coffee mug with the suggestion that morning rush hour traffic is worsened by stops for daily morning gourmet coffee at Starbucks and other premium coffee houses. Nancy McGuckin, a travel behavior analyst, studied a report called "National Household Travel Survey" by the U.S. Department of Transportation as the basis for her provocative conclusions.It has long been known that frequent starting and stopping during a commute drastically reduces fuel economy due to the need to rev up the car engine to accelerate to traffic speeds and then stop for traffic lights and accelerate once again. This is the reason why manufacturers estimaged "city" mileage is always ...(related: Coffee)

Why Your Cup Of Coffee In The Morning May Keep You Up All Night
One of the most common complaints among coffee drinkers isthat the caffeine can disturb their sleep. This resul...(related: Coffee)

Coffee, Caffeine & Fitness
One look at a line at the local Starbucks in the morning and you don't need to be convinced of the huge amount of coffee consumption in the U.S. The National Coffee Association foun...(related: Coffee)

Italian Coffee - Something For Everyone
Espresso, caffè latte, cappuccino; there would seem to be as many types of Italian coffee as there are pastas. And just like pasta, Italian coffees are an art form accompanied by hundreds of customs and traditions. Whether it's a corretto coffee thrown back like a shot of alcohol, a cappuccino coffee and croissant for breakfast, or an iced coffee to cool off from the hot midday sun, in Italy there is a coffee drink specific for every time and mood.But how do you make the perfect cup of espresso? There are fully automatic espresso makers, pump driven espresso machines, lever piston espresso machines, and, of course, the classic aluminium espresso coffee maker ? the choices are endless. All will make a great cup of coffee but it is entirely dependant on the features that you desire. The perfect ...(related: Coffee)

Try The Tradition Of Turkish Coffee And Taste The Difference
The Europeans got their first taste of Turkish Coffee, and coffee in general from the Ottoman Turks, who brought coffee to the West. They were great coffee drinkers, both at home and in public houses, the forerunners of our cafés, which started to spring up across the Islamic countries. Turkish coffee became part of the Turks life and was known as the "Wine of Islam" and the "Milk of Chess Players and Thinkers".Turkish coffee is derived from the famous Arabica coffee bean, often the addition of the a...(related: Coffee)

Portrait Of A Barista
The barista is the Italian word for the skilled person who prepares coffee (ultimately espresso) in a coffee house.What would you want your barista to be like?This is not a trick question. The more I think of it, the more I believe it, that the world of coffee making must be laying on the shoulders of a barista.I believe that because the coffee I am beeing served in a coffee house, I expect it to be good. On the other hand, the manager of the bar expects me to be pleased with the service and come again. If the coffee is not g...(related: Coffee)