Coffee was historically first known as an edible bean since the farmer in Ethiopia found their goats consumed it and gain more energy afterwards. Since then, humans try their best to consume coffees to improve its taste to fulfill their satisfaction level from time to time. There are three wave of coffee evolution since the beginning of time up to now.
First Wave of Coffee
It was started in 1800-ish, whenever people start to consume coffee which spread from Africa, Middle East, up to the United States of America (USA). At first, people in the USA did not know or not noticed that coffee was originated from a plant. They think that coffee was produced from factory through various industrial processes.
During the first wave of coffee, only bitter coffee is available which was characterized by their dark color. Another strong evidence that distinguish this wave (era) than others were the tastes and aroma which gained a negative response from their customers.
However, during the first wave of coffee, there were several inventions in the coffee trading. First, marketing staff worked very hard to market coffee as the new trend as the beverage. Second, there was a special aisle in the supermarket that sells coffee.
Another invention was the serving method of coffee. It was instant coffee that invented by Satori Kato with his special method to dehydrate the water content of the coffee. Following the invention, there was Nescafe brand of instant coffee from Nestle established.
The effort from the coffee marketing staff yields some good results. In order to preserve the coffee beans, a vacuum packaging method for coffee was applied. By the end of this first wave, people’s habit of drinking coffee was increasing.
Second Wave of Coffee
Continuing the glory of the first wave of coffee, the world moves to the second wave of coffee. The most striking sign of this era in 1900-ish was establishment of the famous coffee shops like Starbucks and Caribou. They try to improve the coffee taste and aroma along with the customer experience by mixing coffee with various sugar (e.g.: from sugarcane) and others sweetened formula.
By the time of coffee shops established means that the barista (coffee shop staff that brewing and serving coffee to the customer) became a new occupation trends. Each barista always worked hard to find the new formula of coffee tastes. Usually, they started it from espresso (a coffee brewed by bursting a high pressure of hot water).
With the intention of giving their customers a new and better coffee experience, many coffee shops started to publish the origin source of their coffee beans. However, they were still not selling their coffee beans directly to the customers but limited only the experience. Even the barista, took an amazing passion of the cafe but still not much for the coffee beans.
A physical sign that differs the coffee of the second wave to the first wave was the color. Coffee during the second wave were just fairly dark. Despite the colors were different, the coffee tastes still bitter. In the supermarket, the special aisle that sells coffee still exist and their sale were increased.
Frappuccino and cappuccino, were the 2 terms that define how the coffee were served, also introduced from this second wave and still used up to now. A flavored coffee, tend to be the focus of the barista and the coffee shops management. That moment was the end of the second wave of coffee.
Third Wave of Coffee
It was in 1980-ish, whenever the third wave of coffee started. During this wave of coffee, people start to focus on the coffee bean more than before. Aware of the trend of coffee that will be a huge business in the present and future, the Specialty Coffee Association of America was established in 1982.
In the third wave, the awareness of coffee flavors, became the focus that is not limited to the barista and the coffee shop only but also their customers. People who likes to drink coffee start to order a special flavor like using honey as the sweetened, oranges as the source of acidity taste, up to rose essence to boost the aroma of the coffee.
Loyal coffee customers in this period also gaining a new method of coffee serving: the latte art. Barista able to draw a beautiful pattern using the steamed fresh milk on the espresso coffee. They able to draw from a leaves pattern, love sign, up to the smiley and even to write the customers initial name.
Another important sign that differs the third wave to the first and second was the lighter roast profile of the coffee. Coffee now also differentiated to the single origin like their single farm or estate that the beans produced. Customers are now able to discover the coffee origin transparency with a high confidence. They also will find the exact date of the each roasted coffee.
Coffee customers now are able to brew coffee using a home scale of manual brewing methods. A French press or Vietnam drip are the utensils that makes people able to brew coffee by themselves. Both French press and Vietnam drip are available and easy to purchase in many online and offline market.
This third wave of coffee marks the era that offering customers the combination of taste and aroma that they never had before. Coffee origin from Indonesia like Aceh Gayo and Sumatra’s Mandheling are two of the best taste and unique aroma that you should try. To get the best quality of those coffee origin from Indonesia, please inquiry to CV. Buah Berdikari to get the best deal on offer.