What is specialty coffee?
Although it still only represents 2% of the French market, specialty coffee is booming.
But before going any further with the explanations, let's take a little step back...
In the 1970s, in a world dominated by industrial coffees, Erna Knutsen (secretary of a coffee and spice importing company in the San Francisco area) tasted coffee other than that produced by industrial companies for the first time.
It was a revelation for her, and she began to take an interest in small American roasters as well as coffees grown in microclimates.
It was in 1978 that she presented her vision and used the term "specialty coffee" for the first time.
She then created the SCA (Speciality Coffee Association), whose goal is to "raise standards and improve the quality of coffee worldwide".
But what do we mean by specialty coffee? What is it really about?
Today, there are different criteria used to define what specialty coffee is, such as:
- A score of 80/100
Coffees that want to enter the "specialty coffee" category must undergo an evaluation carried out by coffee industry professionals known as Q graders (the most recognized certification in the world).
This evaluation follows a tasting protocol defined by the SCA (Speciality Coffee Association) and is based on 10 criteria (flavors, acidity, body, balance, lack of defects,...).
At the end of this tasting, only coffees that have received a score of at least 80/100 will be retained.
- A limited number of green coffee defects
The SCA (Speciality Coffee Association) has defined a pre-roasting scoring grid.
For a coffee to be considered "specialty", the green beans must not have any major malformations and a maximum of 5 minor malformations in a 350 g sample.
- High-quality and environmentally friendly farming methods
Beyond a manual harvest of ripe cherries, the best specialty coffees grow in wooded environments benefiting from shade and the biodiversity necessary for the proper development of the bushes.
- Roasting that respects the coffee's intrinsic qualities
The roasting of specialty coffees is the result of artisanal work where every step is important and controlled (temperature, duration, colorimetry...).
- The roasting date
Knowing the roasting date gives an indication of the coffee's freshness (the closer this date is to the time the coffee will be drunk, the better it will be).
But other elements are also a guarantee of an exceptional coffee: traceability (origin, region, production farm...), a precise description of the aromas...
At Shoukâ
We chose to make specialty coffee because it is important to us that producers are paid their fair value on the one hand, and on the other hand, that our customers can have access to premium quality coffee at a fair price.
When you come to Shoukâ, you will find the traceability of our coffees as well as a showcase of the work of all the actors in the specialty coffee industry to bring out all the diversity that makes it beautiful.
We prioritize quality over quantity.
Did you know?
Knowing who roasted your coffee gives you even more indications about its aromatic profile.
Indeed, as every roaster has their own roasting style, it is easy to recognize them through the typical notes which can be either vegetal, tart, fruity, chocolatey, nutty, or even woody.
