Define "Specialty"
The term "Specialty" is used everday in our industry to describe many different things.
What does it really mean?
What does it mean to you?
What does it really mean?
What does it mean to you?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on
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hey,
I've just had to write a paper on this for university, so the following is possibly far too academic. I've attached my own notes on the topic though, if you're interested
Speciality coffees to my knowledge arose out of the coffee crisis, when the market crashed in the early 1990s. You had to persuade consumers that coffee was worth paying for again. "Luxury" coffees, and "speciality" coffees are simply coffees or traceable origin - predominantly, single estate ones. By giving the coffee a 'story' - ie: it comes from highland Peru, is entirely organic, tended and hand-picked by native farmers who's traditions and techniques go back centuries etc etc etc then it becomes "special" and people will pay more for it.
Also there is the idea of 'terroir' - like wine. If it comes from a certain region, it will taste a certain way, and this is also used as a signal of quality. Like Champagne, it's almost as if the place were trademarked. You can only call it champagne if it comes from a particular area of France. Likewise, you can only call it Jamaican Blue Mountain if it comes from that mountain in Jamaica. On this basis, if that product can only come from one area, then the amount of it produced is limited, and therefore, scarce. And anything with scarcity value commands a higher price. Jamaican Blue Mountain is good coffee, granted, but it is not exceptional, and it is not necessarily far better than anything else, but because only so much can be produced a year, it becomes a 'speciality' coffee and is extremely expensive.
This may sound cynical, but that is my understanding of the term - it is purely economic. - Attachments:
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speciality coffee notes.doc, 113 KB
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Permalink Reply by gwilym on
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i know what it used to mean but, in the UK at least, it has since been co-opted. we even get 'speciality' coffee served from dispensers in petrol (gas) stations. needless to say it tastes terrible.
we tend to just use the term 'coffee'. talk about the farms and then rely on the taste to explain that its good stuff
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Permalink Reply by Jason Dominy on
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I tend to define specialty coffee as any coffee of a gournet quality, as in a coffee that's geared towards a discerning customer. It must also be served fresh, and ground to brew. (Also known as "not your mother's coffee.")
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gourmet is another term that needs a forum discussion - the term, as applied by certain multinationals is certainly not the stuff i am so passionate about.
the idea of gearing a coffee to a discerning customer sounds like exclusion to me. great coffee should be accessible to all. it is our job to show people what coffee can taste like and not put up barriers
may be time to stop worrying about terminology and just get on with using/making jolly good coffee
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Gruska on
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As I understood it, the term "specialty coffee" refers to the top 10% of arabica beans grown throughout the world, where top quality is determined from growing conditions (elevation, sunlight exposure) and bean density, increased by a longer growth cycle. Of specialty coffees, gran crus describes the top 2% of such coffees. Most specialty coffees come from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Indonesia and Ethiopia.
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Permalink Reply by Spencer on
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Is Specialty coffee related to the grade (screen size, defect count, appearance)?
Is Specialty coffee related to the cup (taste, aroma, sweetness, body, and aftertaste)?
Is Specialty coffee espresso based drinks with steamed milk?
Is Specialty coffee any whole bean coffee over $8.00 USD/ lb?
What happens to Specialty coffee when the customers do not like it? Is it still specialty?
What happens to Specialty coffee when the roaster bakes the coffee or over roasts it? is it still Specialty?
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I like Daniel's more traditional definition in regards to explaining to the masses what it is. Spencer does bring up some great questions, though. If a roaster overroasts that La Esmeralda, is it still specialty coffee? That's a good question. But then again, this seems like it goes down the path of "which came first, the chicken or the egg." Good discussion, though. (And my earlier definition about gourmet was kinda goofy, I couldn't convey what I was thinking, and didn't use the right word, and still can't think of the wording I was looking for.)
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Permalink Reply by Kerry Laird on
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I also wonder what does everyone call "regular" coffee (vs decaf) when it really isn't regular? The general public understands the term regular, yet specialty coffee isn't regular at all...
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Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on
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The term "Specialty Coffee", I believe, was originally intended to be used as a particular grade of green coffee based on number of defects (and no primary defects).
The term has been thrown around so often, but in such context as to refer to something other than "grade".
It seems the current cultural definition of "specialty coffee" is coffee with a focus on quality... while opinions will vary on what constitutes as "good quality", the point remains the same. It's better quality than the C-grade offerings.
For better or for worse, that's what I see.
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I can't wrap my head around the concept of "regular" coffee. Is there such a thing?
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but not Kenya, Brasil, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Mexico, Panama or Columbia?
hmmm...
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That's something I can agree with 100% :o)
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