Beyond the Label: Navigating Coffee and Tea Sourcing Without Certifications

Question: How can I make informed decisions about coffee and tea sourcing even when certifications aren’t readily available?

Decoding Sensory Profiles and Botanical Clues

While certifications offer a standardized benchmark, they aren’t always available. In their absence, a keen understanding of a coffee or tea’s intrinsic qualities can guide your sourcing decisions. For coffee, the distinction between Arabica and Robusta is fundamental. While Robusta is often associated with higher CO2 content, potentially aiding foamability in espresso, Arabica beans, with their higher lipid content, can influence foam stability [1]. Research delves into identifying specific flavor compounds; for instance, phenylethyl alcohol, octanoic acid ethyl ester, hexanoic acid ethyl ester, and β-damascenone have been identified as contributing notes of brandy, honey, spice, fruit, smoke, apple, and floral aromas in coffee pulp wines [4]. Exploring these specific flavor notes can offer a more nuanced appreciation than general descriptors [5]. Similarly, the presence of compounds like amino acids, tribigonelline, and chlorogenic acid are indicative of coffee bean varietals [2].

The Importance of Post-Harvest Processing

How coffee cherries or tea leaves are processed after harvest significantly impacts their final taste and quality. While specific certification details might be missing, inquiring about these methods can reveal a lot. For instance, in specialty coffee, post-harvest processes can be key to discriminating origins and quality [6]. The water activity and pH of coffee co-products, like silverskin and cascara, differ considerably, with silverskin showing lower water activity (0.18-0.28) and cascara higher values (0.39-0.64). pH also varies, with Coffea canephora co-products exhibiting higher pH (5.90-5.97) compared to Coffea arabica (4.22) [3]. These metrics, even if not explicitly tied to a certification, provide insights into potential stability and flavor profiles. Understanding whether a washed or natural process was employed, for example, can hint at the resulting cup characteristics, from brighter acidity to more pronounced fruitiness [3].

Investigating Origin and Producer Practices

Beyond the bean or leaf itself, the geographical origin and the practices of the producers are paramount. Even without formal certifications, direct engagement with suppliers to understand their farming and processing methodologies is invaluable. Knowing the region can offer clues to typical flavor profiles influenced by soil, climate, and altitude [6]. For coffee, the cultivation of specific botanical co-products and their utilization in the food industry highlights a growing focus on sustainability and maximizing value from the entire plant [3]. While spent coffee grounds can be repurposed into biocomposites, their presence in the original coffee bean contributes to its chemical makeup [2]. This deeper dive into the supply chain, even if informal, allows for a more ethical and quality-assured sourcing decision. Ultimately, a commitment to transparency from the supplier is the strongest indicator in the absence of formal labels.

Making informed decisions about coffee and tea sourcing without readily available certifications hinges on a proactive approach. By delving into sensory profiles, understanding the intricacies of post-harvest processing, and investigating the origin and producer practices, enthusiasts can cultivate a more discerning palate and a more responsible sourcing strategy.

References

[1] — Ernesto Illy, Luciano Navarini — Neglected Food Bubbles: The Espresso Coffee Foam. — 2011-Sep — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21892345/ [2] — Magdalena Zdanowicz, Marta Rokosa, Magdalena Pieczykolan, Adrian Krzysztof Antosik, Katarzyna Skórczewska — Biocomposites Based on Wheat Flour with Urea-Based Eutectic Plasticizer and Spent Coffee Grounds: Preparation, Physicochemical Characterization, and Study of Their Influence on Plant Growth. — 2024-Mar-06 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38473683/ [3] — Katarína Poláková, Alica Bobková, Alžbeta Demianová, Marek Bobko, Judita Lidiková, Lukáš Jurčaga, Ľubomír Belej, Andrea Mesárošová, Melina Korčok, Tomáš Tóth — Quality Attributes and Sensory Acceptance of Different Botanical Coffee Co-Products. — 2023-Jul-11 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37509767/ [4] — Rongsuo Hu, Fei Xu, Liyan Zhao, Wenjiang Dong, Xingyuan Xiao, Xiao Chen — Comparative Evaluation of Flavor and Sensory Quality of Coffee Pulp Wines. — 2024-Jun-27 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38999011/ [5] — Oliveira BP, Buozzi MT, Pinto VP, Yasuoka FMM, Neto JCC — Unveiling Sensory Quality in Coffee: A Data-driven Exploration — N/A — N/A [6] — Fosca Vezzulli, Milena Lambri, Terenzio Bertuzzi — Volatile Compounds in Green and Roasted Arabica Specialty Coffee: Discrimination of Origins, Post-Harvesting Processes, and Roasting Level. — 2023-Jan-20 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36766018/