Whether you are an old lover of strong black coffee who knows the coffee world inside out, or you are just starting the magical journey of getting acquainted with the aromatic drink – you are hereby presented with information about strong black coffee.

Coffee and friendship
Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world and inviting someone for coffee is often much more than just drinking a cup of coffee. Sometimes it is a ceremony of courtship, of dialogue, of friendship, of having a good time together. It has already been said that friendship should be like good coffee: hot, strong and sweet.

The discovery of coffee
The history of coffee as a popular beverage in the West is relatively short, only 300-400 years. The story about the discovery of coffee is mysterious and has generated many legends around it. The most well-known legend about coffee tells about shepherds in the mountain of Yemen, who realized that their goats' vigilance has increased after tasting the red fruit of the coffee bushes. The shepherds told about it to the men of religion in the area, who wanted to examine the fruits. Receiving the red coffee cherries, the religious people feared they were indigenous to Satan and threw them into the fire. The excellent aroma which wafted from the roasted fruit changed their minds. They took the fruits out of the fire, crushed them with mortar & pestle, cooked the powder in boiling water – and the outcome was a black beverage with a strong and pleasant aroma. That same increased vigilance, which the shepherds discovered in the goats, was also felt by the men of religion who tasted the drink. This vigilance was like a God's gift to them since it drove away the weariness they felt at night and caused a wonderful lucidity in their thoughts. Another ancient legend introduced Muhammad himself as the coffee precursor. Once, when the prophet was sick, God had mercy on him and sent angel Gabriel to give him a black drink like the Ka'ba in Mecca. The quhwa (the Arabic word for coffee) cured Muhammad and his power was restored.

Coffee plant
The coffee tree grows wild only in its homeland Ethiopia, where it can reach the height of 12 meters, and after yielding good crops live even 50 years. In the coffee plantations all over the world it is grown in a controlled manner, the trees are trimmed so they will remain low and picking the fruit will be easy. When the tree is young its leaves are reddish-brown which turn later on to dark green. The coffee fruit resembles white cherry and grows in clusters on the branches. The fruit turns redder as it ripens. Since not all the fruits ripen at once, only the ripe fruit is harvested. In each fruit there are two beans similar to cherry pips. Each one of the coffee beans is covered with two coverings: a loose upper covering called Fergament and underneath it an inner covering, closely-fitted to the sperm, called Silver skin. After the harvest the coffee beans undergo a processing for removing the external skin by one of two methods: dry or wet processing.

Coffee processing
Dry processing – this is the original and simple process. The cleaned up coffee cherries are scattered on large drying surfaces, and they are turned over several times. Thus they are exposed to air and sun for two-three weeks. The brown crisp fruits are then transferred into a peeling machine in which the external skin is removed.
Wet processing – this is a more complex and expensive process, yet provides more qualitative coffee beans. The harvested coffee beans are transferred to large water containers. The good and ripe coffee cherries sink while the unripe fruit and other dirt float to the surface and are removed. The good fruits are transferred to a system of turning cylinders and water jets, which gently separate the coffee beans from the skin and the pulp. In order to remove the pulp remnant which remained, the coffee beans are transferred into large wooden barrels where they undergo a process of fermentation for two days. The fermentation separates the last remainders. The beans undergo a process of drying in the sun or in drying machines and then the last coverings are removed in the peeling machines. From here the beans undergo sorting, classification and packaging.

Species and brands of coffee
Arabica coffee – indigenous to Ethiopia and is the most widespread species in the world. The coffee tree of the Arabica species grows in areas located over 1,000 m above sea level on high mountain slopes in well drained volcanic soil. It needs much rain and only little sun light. The coffee beans of this species are harder and also their taste and aroma are richer. Among the sub-species are: Borbon, Marigogifa and Mocha.
Robusta Coffee – this is the second most common species in the world. It was discovered in Belgian Congo. It excels in strong and wide flora, loaded with crammed fruit. The small beans are round, generally of yellowish to yellow-brown color. It grows in tropical areas in Java, Indo-China, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Kenya. A tree of this species is more resistant to diseases and pests. It needs less rain and is easier to care for. As a result its price is lower.