Secret marks on coffee packages

    What does it mean if the coffee is marked "AA"? And if it says "SHG"?

    Today we will talk in detail about the "secret" marks on the packaging, which are usually understood only by the barista.

1. Grain class

If the taste of coffee is a subjective thing, then the quality of the grain is the opposite. There is a clear gradation of grains depending on whether they have defects, what standard was used to select them, and so on. The gradation follows the letters:

• AA - the highest quality
• AB is good
• BA - average
• BB - low

    Still sometimes use marks A, B, C. (High-grade grain, average on quality, worse).

2. Growing height

    It is believed that coffee grown higher in the mountains has a brighter and richer taste. The fact is that the plant grows in cooler conditions, the berries ripen longer and absorb more variety of substances.

    Arabica usually grows best at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level and above. If the coffee grew below 1000 meters, the taste is likely to be indistinct.

    This parameter is most often denoted as follows:

1900 MASL (meters above the sea level), which means 1900 meters above sea level.

    There are also notes in letters:

• SHG - Strictly high grown. Coffee from 1500 - 2000 meters.
• HG - High Grown. Coffee from 1000 - 1500 meters.
• CS or MD - coffee from the plains.

3. Processing process

    Marked on the packaging as Process. It's about how the coffee berries were processed after harvest. Here are the main varieties:

• Wet - ie "wet" treatment. The berries are soaked in water to separate the flesh from the grain. This treatment cleans the coffee, but it also takes away some shades of aroma. There will be no extraneous flavors in the coffee, except for the taste of the grain itself.
• Dry - berries are dried in the sun without separating the grains from the pulp. There will be a rich bouquet of aromas. The grain is saturated with natural sugars, acquires a fruity hue.
• Honey is a relatively new method of "honey" processing. The soft part is removed from the grains, but not washed. This coffee will have more nuances than the "duty", but will not be as "fruity" as dried coffee.

4.Certificates

Some types of coffee have certificates certifying their ethical attitude to the nature and working conditions of farmers or the high quality of the product itself. The main ones are:

• Cup of excellence is a competition of farmers for the title of the highest quality coffee in the specialty segment, ie a high-quality product. Distinction of excellent coffee.
• Utz Certified - a certificate that certifies high standards of work, both in terms of ecology and in terms of attitude to employees.
• Rainforest Alliance - a logo with a green frog indicates that coffee was grown with respect for water resources, forests and soils. And also that farmers received fair payment for their product.
• Fair trade - as the name implies ("fair trade"), this certificate certifies that coffee producers have received a decent payment for the product. Farmers, in turn, must adhere to a number of standards in production, which also controls the quality of coffee.
• Organic - the certification that causes the most controversy among consumers. In essence, the Organic certificate certifies that the coffee was grown without the use of harsh pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. However, this certificate does not guarantee good coffee taste. It's just about the conditions of growing berries.

Now you are armed with knowledge and will never get lost choosing coffee in a store or online.