The Opelousas courier., 1891-11-14
GOOD AND BAD COFFEE
WHERE THE WORLDS BEST Der.
RIES ARE GROWN.
Our Supply Comes Principally From
Observation-Disclosures of Coffee
How Arabians Brew the Beverage.

How Arabians Brew n Beverage.
By far the larger part of the coffee
used in the United States comes from the
districts of Rio Janeiro and Santos.
Brazilian coffee is cheaper than any other
of equal quality, and, therefore, it is
used almost exclusively by all, save the
well-to-do. The coffees of Venezuela,
British, Dutch and French Guiana, Cen
trail America, Mexico and the West
Indies are mostly milder and finer in
flavor than those of Brazil. They are
| called mild coffees. A peculiarly fine
| coffee comes from the Blue Mountains of
Jamaica, in small invoices. 1t is prompt
ly snapped up by one or two reRaurants
and a few fastidious persons. 1t Alls far
above the ordinary market price. Small
quantities of unusually fine coffee are
sent from Cuba, but such coffee does not
appear in the market. 1t is imported
chiefly by New Workers owning Cuban
plantations, and is occasionally given to
favored friends. Coffee comes to this
market IN gunny sacks, holding about
$50 pounds each. In some districts it
is screened and culIed before export.
Many housewives still insist upon hav-
ing "mixed Java and Mocha" though
little OF no true Mocha coffee reaches the
United States. Mocha coffee is grown
in the Arabian district of Yeomen. Two
thirds of the coffee grown in Yeomen is
consumed in Arabia and Egypt, anu most
of the remaining third in Turkey and
Armenia. Only a small quantity of it
comes further east than Constantinople.
Only the poorer grades of Mocha are sent
out of Arabia, and the best of it is con-
sumed near the region in which it is pro-
duced.
Perhaps the finest coffee coming to the
United States in considerable quantities
is what is called Plantation Ceylon.
Some so-called Mocha coffee comes from
British India, and costly coffee of fine
flavor comes from Java. Coffee import
ers say it is difficult to obtain better
coffee than that grown IN parts of Vene-
zuela, Central America and Mexico. The
Mexican coffee has steadily grown in
popularity for years past, and the imports
of that coffee to the United States yearly
increase. However, the so-called Mocha
sells somewhat higher than any of the
Western coffees.
Nearly all coffee sold upon the ex-
change is hulled and green. Occasion
ally a small cargo of unhulled coffee
comes in, but it is difficult to guess how
it will turn out when hulled, and on this
account careful brokers do not care to
deal in unhulled coffee, Some of the
coffee coasters in Brooklyn keep machin-
cry for hulling coffee, but there is COM
paratively little demand for hulling.
Coffee as sold upon the exchange is an
honest article, but there is probably more
adulteration in coffee now than ever be- |
fore, save perhaps during the Civil Wal
in this country.
The poorer grades of coffee are sold to
be ground before they reach the retailer.
This gives an opportunity for aduliera-
ton. The adulteration of unground cot
fee has now become successful, but the
Drowned dough, pressed into the shape
of the coffee berry, may be detected by
reason of its very perfection. Cheap
coffee, if pure, is not so we'll formed in
the individual berry as the dough coun-
%terfeit.
A firm of coffee aduiterators in Bos-
ton finds it impossible to keep up with
orders, and it is said by importers that
much of the so-called ground coffee is
absolutely all counterfeit.
The sale of adulteIated coffee is easy
because most person cannot distinguish
good coffee from poor when it comes up
on the table. Little or no good coffee
is served in the houses of the poor. In
fact, most New Workers buy coffee that
in the nature of things, cannot produce
a wholesome and palatable decoction.
On the other hand, however, experts say
that given really unauthorized fresh
the manner of making rather
than the region from which the berry
comes must determine the quality of the
decoction.
1t has been scientifically determined
that from an ounce to an ounce and a
half of ground coffee should go to make
a pint of fluid coffee. Most persons put
in less, with the result of producing a
weak article. What is commonly known
the French coffee pot fails to get from
the coffee its finest qualities. They re-
fuse to yield themselves up when merely
for an instant in boiling water.
In fact, the best possible coffee is made
by the old fashioned method of boiling,
providing the maker is really skilled in
the art. The Arabians make, perhaps,
the best coffee in the world, and their
contains valuable hints for
American housewives.
The Arabian coffee maker, having pre-
pared his fire of charcoal and placed
near it a huge pot containing water,
a few handfuls of green coffee ber-
res and foreign substances, and then
places the best of the berries in an iron
adle held over the fire. Tale berries are
permitted to roast until tpey begin to
and are then, willie still un-
,harred, placed in a small mortar and
carefully brayed with a pestle closely fit
ing the cup of the mortar.
The berries are not, however, reduced
o a dust. While this process has been
,oing on a small pot has been half filled
With tepid water from the large pot, and
placed over the fire. When the water in
he small pot has begun to boil the
coffee berries are tArown in and
he boiling is permitted to go on for a
hort time, the decoction being stirred
With a spoon when it,shows signs of boil
ne over. The coffee is then served in
mall cups without cream or sugar