How does the production of coffee in the Dominican Republic

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC • COFFEE

For many of us is unthinkable without the morning cup of coffee. This refreshing drink has become an integral part of life for city dwellers. But what we know about coffee production? Which path passes the coffee bean from the plantation to the cup?

Dominican coffee is appreciated all over the world due to its flavor and strength, is rightly considered one of the national symbols and objects of pride.

Bigpikcha went to a distant Dominican Republic to tell your readers about how in the mountainous provinces of the island of Haiti is grown and processed coffee fruit. Propose to follow the process of coffee production on the example of a small family factory for processing coffee.

 1) In Central America, coffee was brought back in the 18th century. Since then, the tradition of cultivating the invigorating fruit accustomed and multiplied in different countries of the Caribbean. Today coffee - one of the most important crops of the Dominican Republic.

 2) The best Dominican coffee is grown near the small town of Jarabacoa in the mountainous region of the island of Haiti. Coffee berries are harvested on plantations, mining, and collecting them - is not easy, because the technique on the steep slopes of the clay can not be used.

3) Only arabica is grown here - cultivated species of coffee trees. Seedlings in nurseries podraschёnnye quickly take root in the fertile lands of the local mountain plantations. Three years later, trees begin to bear fruit.

 4) Coffee berries ripen not simultaneously, but only need to collect those already red. Therefore, on the same slope collectors held several times a month.

5) It is believed that coffee fruit ripening in the mountains at an altitude of 700 to 1500 meters, have special properties. Highland coffee is considered the best of the plain, and all because in the mountains coffee trees develop slowly, so that the grains are produced with a more refined taste.

 6) Now go to the coffee factory Ramirez brothers, family-owned company that operates in Jarabacoa in 1943. Today, he manages the second generation of owners who revere and multiply the tradition of the high-quality coffee.

 7) around the factory teamed cooperative of four hundred local farmers who bring in the morning from the nearby plantations assembled on the eve of coffee. Here they are reloaded, weighed and sent for recycling.

 8) In the process of preparing coffee at the factory are many different stages. It all starts with the fact that the ripe coffee berries, which in the industry known as "cherry", purified from the pulp. Each cherry usually contains two regular grain or one-piece, fused grain Fiber.

 9) Harvest ripe berries are dry or wet processing. When dry processing after harvest ripe cherries are dried in the sun, then machine-cleaned fragile pericarp. In the wet method of processing fresh berries are passed through a washing machine where the flow of water washed away the flesh. Dried coffee beans in the sun for 1-2 months or fire kilns at temperatures 50-60 ° C.

 10) Coffee factory Ramirez brothers not dried by heating in industrial units, namely the natural method - here used drying in the sun, so that the coffee beans become deep fruity taste.

 11) the highest quality grains considered it slowly dried in the open air. After sun-dried coffee beans are best retain all their nutrients, color and flavor. Grain per day under the sun heat, and gradually cool down at night. This is the method of drying is the most optimal. Coffee under special canopies dried for ten days, during which the grain is stirred constantly using huge wooden rake. To drying was uniform, the first day of each grain should be turned over 20 times, and every day - even 8 times.

 12) Even dried coffee was purified by thin parchment husk using special machines. This process is called scaling and held immediately before frying. Previously used for these purposes here are uncomplicated manual adjustment.

13) After this, the coffee is sized and quality. Sorting by size is carried out with the help of several grids with cells of different sizes. The largest grain marked AA brand. At the same time the most expensive coffees are obtained from the heaviest grains.

 14) so that nothing will ruin the taste of coffee, you need to remove any impurities, spoiled coffee beans and other debris. This is done both by machine or manually at different stages of processing coffee. Recent impurities are removed during roasting a flying debris, husk
.

15) Packed in branded bags of coffee from the factory brothers Ramirez ship worldwide. The local coffee with a rich taste with slight acidity, which is appreciated in the international market. In the year of the factory brothers Ramirez produce up to 60 tons of coffee, not so much. But factory owners do not bet on the quantity but the quality.

16) mainly abroad grains from the Dominican Republic deliver unroasted. Roasting is happening already in place, so that the consumer got coffee, "driven to the condition" no more than 10-12 days ago maximally preserve its taste and aroma.

 

17) But a certain amount of coffee intended for the domestic market, the factory roasted here in these gas furnaces. When roasting moisture evaporates, so the grains become bigger in size and lighter at the same time acquiring a new flavor and aroma. Also, when the roasting beans special coffee oil formed.

 18) That the coffee that we see on the shelves of the supermarket, the coffee industry is known as "commercial". This category is packed ground coffee sold branded. In this case, it is usually not very high quality - all the best to buy grain in the form of green coffee brokers. Commercial coffee - a very familiar product for the average consumer, who for many years drinking "old" coffee, that is, one that has been browned more than two months ago.

19) Since the coffee bean passes his way from the tree ...

20) ... up to a cup of coffee. While in the Dominican Republic is not quite cup of coffee here to drink tiny cups of 20 milliliters. Drink here is very strong, so such a small "dose of cheerfulness" is sufficient to quickly park.

21) And earlier in the local villages used here are plain "coffee machine" from a cup and toe icon smile How does the production of coffee in the Dominican Republic

Thank you for organizing the visits of representatives of the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, as well as company Ricoh Imaging including equipment provided by Pentax.