Coffee 101

 What makes a good cup of coffee?

This was the question that Coffee 101 attempted to answer in a two-day seminar that the Department of Trade and Industry – La Carlota conducted for coffee growers, coffee shop operators, and coffee enthusiasts (such as I) bon July 21 and 22 at the Function Room of the La Carlota City Hall.

According to resource speaker Christian Marc Romay, “A good coffee is the one you love to drink. But there is more to coffee than just “lasaw” or “isog”. A good coffee should be sustainable, farmer-oriented, and fairly traded
from crop to cup”.

With the growing coffee culture in the local and national scenes, the coffee industry is seen to regain its lost glory from a not-so-distant past which will only materialize should the farmers and consumers work together by having a common understanding of what good coffee is.

Day one was full of eureka moments. We were oriented with the status of the coffee industry in the Philippines. We have always regarded Negros as a sugar hub. But historically, the Island also used to export an average of 1500MT coffee beans annually from coffee farms that extend from Pontevedra, La Carlota, La Castellana to Canlaon. Its growth is hampered by mislabeling, lack of farming and post-harvest technologies, plant stocks,  growing conditions, harvesting techniques, and post-harvest treatments and how these variables factor in on the taste, sugar, and caffeine content of the bean. 

Day two was dedicated to the art and science of brewing coffee which is the highlight of the seminar for the enthusiasts. We get to experience and differentiate Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica coffee varieties prepared using the pour-over technique. I made thousands of cups of coffee at home yet while demonstrating, my hands shook while pouring hot water over the grounds. Hahaha!

Nevertheless, this is one seminar which I enjoyed a lot

Truth be told, a good coffee for me is the one I love to drink: strong but not bitter and milky.