Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-22
FOR COFFEE DRINKERS.
Different Varieties of Coffee-How
it Should be Preferred.

IL Should be Preferred.
According TO recent statement, writes
physician to the w ashington Star, there
are over 600 grades of coffee on the mar
ket, which might lead many to believe
that there are as many different species
of the plant, which is not true, however,
for there are but few of these and one
only. e., the cOfpa arabica-from
which the genuine article is obtained
| consequently the grading must be arbi-
trary or dependent upon individual ca
! price. The true grading and price OF the
commodity result from the treatment the
coffee berries receive after they have been
! CLEANED, which varies according to the
| locality OF growth. In Brazil and the
West Indies as fast as the fruit ripens 1t
is gathered, placed on mats or floors
adapted TO the purpose, exposed to the
sun and frequently stirred to expedite
the drying process. When dry enough
the berries are passed through heavy roll
ers, which remove the tough outside
membrane and pulp that inclosed the
beans. The latter are then carefully
| wInnOwed, sorted, put into bags and are
! ready for market. The varieties of cof-
fee chiefly distinguished in commerce are
the Mocha, from Arabia, esteemed the
best on account of its being richest in
caffeine, the alkaloid to which coffee
owes its popularity. The Mocha grains
are easily recognized by their compare
tive smallness, gray, inclining to greenish
color. The Java, or East India coffee,
has large yellow beans. Jamaica coffee
beans are of a greenish cast, smaller than
the Java, but larger than the Mocha.
Surinam has the largest size bean of all,
whilst the bourbon has medium size pale
yellowish, inclined to wbltish, beans.
Liberia, Laguayra. and other kinds have
no particular distinguishing features to
entitle them to special notice here.
The fruit of the coffee tree IS a red berry
resembling cherry, having a pale, in
sipid glutinous pulp inclosing two hard,
oval sGeds, which we term 'grains."
Each OF these Is about the size of an Or
binary bean, and covered with tough
cartilaginOus membrane called the
parchment"
Orientals do not prepare coffee for
drinking purposes as we do. Arabs
make it from the uuroasted beans. The
Sultan OF Turkey, formerly II not
now, has beverage made out OF the dried
pulp and pericarp for his own use, while
some OF his subjects prepare decoction
from the dried leaves of the coffee tree.
For this purpose the leaves are prepared
by process similar to that for tea leaves,
and great many suppose that the leaves
so treated contain larger proportion OF
caffeine than the beans.
The average composition of unroasted
coffee beans in 100 parts is stated to he al
follows: Caffeine. O.8; legumin. 1870;
gum and sugar, 100; caffeo-tanuic and
catfeic, acids. 90; fat and volatile oils,
1870; woody fibre, $40; ash, 81; water,
1910.
Roasted to a reddish-brown color coffee
! loses ID per cent. by weight and gains in
bulk 80 per cent. If the process of roast
ing is continued until the coffee assumes
chestnut brown, 20 per cent. by weight
is lost and 90 per cent. IN bulk gained.
| Roasted to a dark brown it loses % per
cent. by weight and increases 80 per cent.
In bulk. The roasting of coffee in some
manner develops a volatile oil in the
grain to the extent Of about one part in
fifty that is not present in the raw state.
to which it owes its delightful aroma. If
| the roasting Is protracted beyond light
| brown color this delicious Odor is jeopar
| died, if not entirely destroyed. Coffee
keeps best in the green state; the older
and drier the grain unroasted the better,
1t Is said, is the coffee when roasted.
Fortunately fer mankind. coffee is q
wholesome and harmless beverage and
rarely leaves any unpleasant effect be-
hind, even when indulged in to excess. It
is eminently the cup that cheers but does
not inebriate.
Therapeuticallv, coffee is a great con-
servatOr OF the tissues, it prevents waste
of the body, allays thirst. hunger, and, as
above intimaTed, cheers the mind, but
does not intOxicate the brain, while the
aromatic oil it contains has a gentle
aperient effect upon the bowels. For this
latter purpose it is best taken soon after
rising in the morning. about the strength
of two tabespoonfuls OF finely ground
coffee to pint of boiling water, drank
five minutes after mixing.
Regarding the toxic properties so
called OF coffee little need be said. Only
lower animals have exhibited any great
sensitiveness in this respect, and then not
until after very large doses of the aka
loid, caffeine, had been administered to
them, which, when given to man in the
same quantities. caused but little tenn
porary nervous disturbance. It's effects,
like medicines generally, depend very
much upon the constitution, tempera-
ment, and idiosvncrasy OF the individual
using it.
The methods of preparing coffee for do
mestic use, some OF which have been al
ready alluded to. vary In different
places. To get the full aromatic flavor of
the decoction it should he drank imme-
diately after it Ia made. When too long
boiled the aroma is driven off. leaving the
astringent property only of the grain il
solution, that, interfering with the func-
ton of the liver, causes the sallow CON-
peXion of some free coffee drinkers. In
the East many esteem the grounds for
their nutritive principle, they being rich
legumin. a vegetable albumen. In Gem
trail Africa the grounds left from an infu-
sion, sometimes the freshly ground coffee
itself, is mixed with butter and used as an
article Of food | am just here reminded
that the crew OF the Kane Arctic eXpedi-
tiOn was kept from having scurvy by the
free use of coffee grounds as portion of
diet.
To extract all the good qualities OF cOf-
fee, SAYS Prof. D0novan in the Dublin
Physiological Journal, 1926, the fresh,
background coffee requires two separate
and somewhat opposite methods of treat
ment. On the one hand the flavor is lost
by boiling. while on the other IL Is neces-
sary to subject it TO that degree of heat ia
order to extract its medical quality.
These difficulties are overcome by divid-
ing the water to be used in the making
INTO two equal parts. With one OF these
the coffee must be mixed cold and placed
on the fire until on the eve OF boiling.
when 1t IS taken OFF the fire and allowed
to settle. The liquid Is then poured OF
and the other portion Of water-which
ought now TO be boiling hOt--is added TO
the grounds and strongly boiled for i've
minutes, after which the two portions of