Pu’er Coffee

 If you enjoy café hopping, you’ve probably noticed this: when you order a coffee—whether it’s espresso-based or pour-over—the barista often serves it with a small card. This card usually lists details such as the coffee’s origin, processing method, varietal, roast level, and even the story behind the region. It’s almost like an “ID card” for the coffee bean, giving you a clearer picture of what you’re actually drinking. Sometimes, when I’m sitting in a café, I pay attention to whether other guests read these cards—or whether they take them with them when they leave. Unfortunately, most of the time, people barely notice them. Some glance at them briefly and then set them aside; almost no one takes them home. Maybe it’s because I’m a bit of an “origin nerd,” but I always want to learn as much as possible about the coffee in my cup. Occasionally, some cafés—especially when it comes to espresso—don’t disclose much information. In those cases, I’ll taste the coffee first, form my own ...

 Apart from the Red and Green Labels from Finca Esmeralda, there’s another well-known pair of labeled Geishas on my coffee menu: the Gold Label and Red Label from Ethiopia’s Geisha Village. I’ve previously shared Finca Esmeralda’s grading system and even done a side-by-side comparison of Geishas from two farms. But there hasn’t been much discussion about the Gold Label and Red Label from Geisha Village, which often leaves people lingering in front of my coffee board, wondering about the differences. Today, I’ll clarify exactly how these two of Geisha Village’s most popular offerings differ. Before diving in, it’s important to note that aside from Gold and Red Labels, Geisha Village also produces Auction, Green, and Chaka grades. Much like many assume, the grading system shares similarities with Finca Esmeralda’s. As I’ve explained before, these “labels” aren’t the original product names. Because the original names are often hard to pronounce, we’ve adopted a more conversational ...

  Coffee is originally from Ethiopia, with its use documented only in the 15th century. It is said that Sufi monks in Yemen were the first to drink coffee, which helped them stay awake during their night prayers.   In the early 15th century, coffee spread to Mecca and subsequently throughout the Middle East. Travelers later brought coffee to Europe. In the early 17th century, some Catholics suspected coffee was the devil's drink and urged Pope Clement VIII to ban it. However, the Pope tasted the drink himself and, to their surprise, gave it his blessing. Coffee then gradually became popular in Europe.   In his book, *The Travels of Four Englishmen and a Preacher into Africa, Asia, Troy, Bythinia, Thracia, and to the Blacke Sea* (1612), William Biddulph described his first impression of tasting coffee in Turkey: "The most common drink is one called Coffa, a black drink made from a paste called Coaua, which resembles peas. The preparation involves grinding the beans and boi...