--------------------------------------------------------------- The Hill and Valley Gourmet Coffee Newsletter --------------------------------------------------------------- Issue 6, September/October 2000 This month -:hvcoffee.com :New Arrivals / Soon to Depart :Christmas Preview :From the Experts :Tip of the Month :Espresso street news --------------------------------------------------------------- hvcoffee.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Having narrowly failed to win the prize for the longest url on the web, and wanting to distance ourselves ever so slightly from those Amish cheesemakers in Wisconsin at www.hillandvalley.com, we have now made access easier to the site via http://www.hvcoffee.com All anyone will now have to remember to hit our site or refer it to friends will be the two letters "h" and "v". We're presuming that .....coffee.com should be fairly easy, given the product we're involved with. Of course the old site name still exists and there is no need to change bookmarks. No change to company name either! --------------------------------------------------------------- New Arrivals / Soon to Depart --------------------------------------------------------------- The coffees promised in last month's newsletter are all now in stock. Subjective taste comments are available in the shop section on the site, but here is a reminder of the updates: Colombia Medellin Excelso. The new arrival from Hamburg is greener and fresher than previous stock. Nice clean flavour and a great all day drinker. - Guatemala Tres Marias Huehuetenango. Fresh and fruity, but still getting that chocolatey taste in our darker roast. - Sumatra Lintong. I'm really pleased with this one, as it is smoother than our last lot of Mandheling. Good rich body without the earthiness. - Organic Mexican Alturas. Really pretty bag, with lots of billboard style writing including the phrase: "Socially Responsible Mountain Grown Coffee" - wow! Seriously, though, the coffee is really pleasant in a Colombia type of way, without being particularly "in yer face" thrilling. Compared to most Mexican coffee, it's a revelation, and if the rigours of getting organic certification from Naturland have helped produce this jump in quality, then I'm a believer. - Celebes Toraja. I double the quantity with each order from this consignment and it remains a truly wonderful coffee, adding new emphasis to that stock phrase "Strong but not bitter". We are running low on some coffees that will soon move out of stock, probably to be replaced by something the same... or similar...or even different: - Costa Rica Tres Nubes - now tasting a bit bland so bye, bye. Catering blends here I come. - Costa Rica Riserva Presidente - very popular coffee, but still on the mild side for most of you out there and I'll probably go for a really nice Tarrazu next time and crank up the heat! - Guatemala "Palencia's Peak" - 3 of our blends have received the benefit from this fine coffee since we got it in stock in April. More in next month's letter on whether I replace with the same or different. Odds are it'll be more of the same if available. - Kenya AA - on my last bag (just). This coffee seems to get more rave reviews than others in straight comparative tests. It's also the coffee in the range that I personally drink the most of in the roastery. I will probably buy some more to last the winter, but don't say you weren't warned, Kenya lovers. The recent East African drought may have an effect on the crop this year coming, but I'm not trying to induce panic buying, honest. BUY WHILE STOCKS LAST. --------------------------------------------------------------- Christmas Preview --------------------------------------------------------------- I know it's still September, but..... Expect to see a major addition to the website in the next month or so as we add the seasonal pages to our site. As the Christmas period also brings our first anniversary on December 23rd, this part of the site will not just be a way of trying to sell you more, but will also preview some of the things that we would like to do over the next year or so.. However purely from a products point of view, expect to find some or all of the following: - A new Christmas Anniversary Blend, to go with your plum pud, your cognac or your hangover. - A selection of gift packs including exclusive handmade chocolates from Rumseys of Aylesbury. "Fresh Made" with "Fresh Roasted"! Like ourselves Rumseys have passed the rigorous test of getting their products sold under the Rothchilds Five Arrows label in the Gift Shop at nearby Waddesdon Manor. Nigel Rumsey makes everything by hand from finest Belgian and Swiss chocolate base. Chocoholics you are in for a treat. - All coffee offered in gift packs will be freshly roasted and have the option of pre-ground or beans, allowing our "grind it at home" customers to give gifts to friends and relations who do not (yet) possess a grinder. - A definitive, but limited selection of high quality coffee machines for that particular person will be stocked and offered, but we will probably not be adding a large range of accessories until the new year. --------------------------------------------------------------- From the Experts --------------------------------------------------------------- Origin Glossary part 1 - Indonesia A-M Indonesia is the world's third largest coffee producer after Brazil and Colombia and before their economic crisis hit in 1997-98, they were well on the way to be a significant consumer also. Here is the first part of a personal A to Z of coffee in that richly diverse country. A Aceh - Sumatra's northernmost province and subject to substantial ethnic and religious violence these days. The only province in Indonesia where Islamic law holds sway. Arabica is grown in the mountains around Lake Takengon, with small holders sun-drying the coffee on the roadside. This coffee is referred to as "Aceh Green" or alternatively "Gayo mountain" after the local tribe. It is similar to Mandheling or Lintong apart from a slightly more acidic cup and of course it's rich green colour. The 10 hour drive from Medan allows you to taste every conceivable type of freshly picked tropical fruit from roadside vendors - an unforgettable gastronomic experience. AEKI - The Indonesian Association of coffee exporters. Before the years under the ICO quota system in the late 1980's Indonesia had over 900 active coffee exporters. Although less dominant today AEKI was an active internal campaigner for raising overall standards of coffee quality, principally by imparting knowledge gained internationally. AP1 - The name given to Indonesia's "washed and cleaned" natural robusta. Pioneered for the Japanese market to reduce some of the coffee's pungency and earthiness, this process is now carried out by most of the large exporters in Sumatra. Asalan - No not C.S. Lewis's Lion King out of the closet, but the local name given to semi processed, partially sun-dried coffee. Internal trade in coffee is usually in this form, before the exporter applies the finishing touches for export. As Asalan coffee can contain up to 23 percent humidity, mouldy, earthy coffees can result from prolonged storage in the wrong conditions. However only coffee in this semi-dried state can be used to produce the unique "old Brown" coffees like the Kalosi in our current range. B Bali - Indonesia's favourite destination produces coffee of course, but the natural arabica is underwhelming. It is often woody and lacking any subtlety of flavour, although it can find it's way onto some so-called speciality coffee lists due presumably to the exotic nature of the production area or the spin off effects of global tourism. Belawan - Port of export of most of the coffee from the Aceh /North Sumatra region, including Mandheling, Lintong and Aceh Green. Blawan - Not to be confused with Belawan, Blawan is the name of one of the Java estates run by the government (PTP) where Indonesia's finest washed arabica is produced. Borobodur - Nothing to do with coffee, but the eighth wonder of the world also gives it's name to Jakarta's finest hotel, it's 10 acre gardens being a haven from the noise and hustle of Jakarta's traffic. Ah - those were the days! C Celebes - Old name for the large island north of Java and east of Borneo (Kalimantan), producing a sweet robusta and our favourite Kalosi arabica, grown by the Toraja people. Also Indonesia's major cocoa producing island. D DP - literally "double picked". Defected and discoloured beans are removed from the highest grades of Indonesian coffee by a combination of electronic colour and gravity sensitive sorting equipment and by large gangs of "hand pickers". This picking by hand is usually done by women, often accompanied by their children in return for piece work wages and three meals a day. In the poor urban areas of Surabaya, Palembang and Medan in particular, coffee exporters can afford to pay such gangs to improve the quality of the exported product. Such cheap labour is not available in the areas of production where farmers in the non-regulated market enjoy relatively affluent lifestyles. Double Picking means that the coffee thus produced is sorted twice (or sometimes three times), generally denoting a premium product. E EK - 1. Before the Indonesian authorities imposed a uniform grading system in the early 1980's, Indonesia Robusta coffee was traded as EK-1, with a qualifying percentage given to the amount of defected beans in each grade. However the traditionalist coffee trade worldwide still normally refer to the coffee as EK - 1 rather than the government's preferred term, RDP, robusta dry processed. F Flores - A small island sandwiched between Java and Bali, traditionally producing a very high grade of robusta, with a soft taste sought after in the German Market. The coffee is famous among traders for the quantity of small stones found in the bags - a nice Indonesian solution to making up the weight if the crop is "short". G Gayo Coffee - Brand name given to coffee grown in the volcanic mountains of central Aceh. The name comes from the Gayo people who inhabit the valleys around Lake Takengon, upon whose slopes the Aceh Green arabica is grown. H Hitam - Black (unroasted) coffee beans. Believe it or not Indonesians like to drink coffee made from the defected black bean that results from picking a totally unripe green coffee cherry, and Hitam beans, removed by hand-picking can make a premium over all other forms of defected bean! Sometimes roasted with maize and always served with large quantities of sugar and usually condensed milk, the beverage has more nutrition than the cup that you or I may enjoy, but as for the flavour - well start by imagining a football sock left in the bottom of a dirty kitbag for a week........... Humidity - in theory all Indonesian coffee is exported from the port at maximum 12 percent humidity. In practise it never is due to the climate. The drying of coffee in Indonesia is usually done under the sun and can never alone take the beans below a humidity level of around 14-15 percent. Coffee that is mechanically dried (a sort of pre-roasting), just seems to gain weight on the way to the port. The Indonesian exporter has a typically pragmatic approach to the problem - 1 to 1.5 kgs of additional coffee being put into each 60 kg bag. Weight and quality certificates accompanying the goods are "improved" to anticipate developments on the voyage. The exporter knows from experience that the extra weight will evaporate on the sea journey north and the receiver will be happy. The only problem arises when the sea container is not adequately ventilated and the evaporated water re-condenses on the steel walls of the container, damaging coffee and creating earthy mouldy flavour. I Irian Jaya - although sharing the same island with Papua New Guinea, a relatively important coffee producer, no coffee is grown in Indonesia's Easternmost province. J Jakarta - capital city and the seat of most of Indonesia's coffee exporters. Jampit - Government estate in Java, producing washed arabica as a named estate. Java - Indonesia's most populous island, with the finest coffee being grown on the Eastern Half of the island, and exported from Surabaya. Arabicas are mainly from the main PTP (government) estates where quality control is rigorous. Private exporters also offer estate coffee from the same region, but cannot convince the speciality green coffee buyer that their coffees are of the same uniform high quality. K Kalosi - the true name for the sun-dried arabica coffee grown in central southern Sulawesi (Celebes). Long considered by many to be Indonesia's finest arabica coffee, the coffee at it's best has a unique smooth deep body, with a hint of sweetness, all backed by a caffeine kick that has caused surprise and the occasional sleepless night. Very popular in Japan, but equally undiscovered in the UK, this coffee will be a permanent member of the Hill & Valley range. Kopi - simply Bahasa Indonesia for coffee! L Lampung - large hilly province of east southern Sumatra which is the "robusta belt" of the entire Indonesian Archipelago. No arabica is grown here and it is no coincidence that Nestle decided on Panjang (the port of Lampung) as the site for it's Indonesian instant coffee factory. Draw your own conclusions! Lintong - considered by some to be the poorer relation of Mandheling among Sumatra's sun-dried mountain grown coffees, Lintong portrays many of the same characteristics of exceptional body, snoothness and low acidity "coffee" flavour. We tend to feel that a good lot of Lintong is very close to a good lot of Mandheling, and, as is always the case in Indonesia, much depends on who you bought from, what was the weather like when the coffee was picked and how high are the prices. Luwak - if you don't know the story, it is not April fool's day! There lives in the forests of Northern Sumatra a type of wild cat like creature (Civet to be precise). Now the Luwak loves to eat berries and other forest delicacies and has a digestive system adapted to this. It is particularly fond of the bright red ripe cherries of the "jungle arabica" that is the semi-wild coffee plant in the region. Having an efficient digestive system, the Luwak absorbs the goodness from the fruit and the cherry pip passes right through it's system, to be left in it's droppings around the forest. Well that undigested pip is our coffee bean, fully processed, apart from drying. Well I think you can now guess what "Kopi Luwak" is.......... Collected by hand, it used by tradition to be the tribute given to the dutch colonial governors in Sumatra. In recent times it has become a legendary snob value speciality coffee and knowing the pragmatic Indonesians I wonder what steps are taken to increase production of such a crop to satisfy demand?! Suffice to say on a trip to Indonesia in 1990, I was presented with a kilo as gift and I can attest to it's unique physical characteristics in the roast and even more unique, but surprising flavour. Fortunately at $100 per pound in Green (brown!) we will not be adding it to the range! If you feel you have to try it, our buddy Michael at Ravensbrew in Ketchikan, Alaska can help you out - it's almost worth it for the tee shirt!! http://www.ravensbrew.com/NewFiles/coffees2.html M Manado - principle port of export and capital of Sulawesi (Celebes). Mandheling - to most people Sumatra Arabica means Mandheling, with Mandheling Grade 1 DP (double picked) being the main grade sought out in the speciality coffee sector. Attempts are being made to sub-brand the coffee from paricular isolated regions, (eg. Banda Blue). However the lack of large plantations in the growing region leads us to think the coffee should always be bought form a reputable supplier, rather than under a brand. Premiums are often unjustified and not all of the coffee displays that depth and smoothness without pungency that is sought. Medan- Largest city in Sumatra, capital of North Sumatra province and a very difficult place to live AND do business. Medan is the first city to experience civil unrest, has an awful climate and an almost Bangkok like traffic problem. However all the major exporters of Sumatra's finest arabica are based in Medan, where the coffee is processed for export from Belawan port. Negotiations in Medan are always conducted with a smile over a really good meal, often in frighteningly ordinary surroundings. Later, much nail biting often precedes the advice of the coffee's shipment and the opening of the container on arrival. The airport is really a lot of fun, as local business people often commute between Jakarta and Medan, usually carrying back a huge supply of locally grown fruit to their billet in the capital. "Smuggling" of the revolting smelling Durian in the season is not uncommon and is a reason to eject passengers from the flight at the last minute after searches that resemble those for hidden weapons. Now what was that Monty Python sketch about self defence against an assailant with fresh fruit. I wonder if Eric Idle had ever been through embarkation in Medan? --------------------------------------------------------------- Tip of the Month --------------------------------------------------------------- My tip is - "if you ever work with a chef, make sure he leaves you some recipes". Our Australian colleague, Steve Baker, has headed off down under, the call of the climate, the lifestyle and his roots finally dragging him back to the bush, to speak for ever more of those heady days steaming cappuccinos with the Hill & Valley crew. Steve left us with two concrete items - 8 kilos of Tongkonan burned to carbon and his life's store of recipes on excel files. So here's the first of an occasional series of "BARISTA BRUCE" recipes which are coffee related. This one is fantastic served with good coffee at any time and especially good for dunking into a latte or cappuccino. ------------------------------- Barista Bruce's Bonzer Biscotti ------------------------------- Plain Flour - 500 grm Baking Powder - 1 Tablspn Castor Sugar - 500 grm Eggs - 5 Sultana - 100 grm Dried Apricot (chopped) - 100 grm Dried Dates (chopped) - 100 grm Pistachio Nuts - 100 grm Almonds (whole blanched) - 100 grm Hazelnuts (toasted & peeled) - 100 grm Lemon Zest (finely grated) - 2 Method 1. Sieve the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl 2. Add all the other ingredients and mix to form a dough 3. Divide the dough into six pieces and shape into 3 cm diameter loaves 4. Place on a lined baking sheet at least 6 cm apart and bake 5. Cook on the middle shelf of the oven at Gas 4 for 20 minutes 6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely then slice thinly 7. Return to baking sheet and cook on Gas 1 for approx 12 minutes 8. Turn the biscuits over and bake until golden brown and cool on a wire rack Note from Charlie - don't be tempted to extend cooking times at 5 and 7 because biscotti are soft. This will change after cooling. --------------------------------------------------------------- Espresso.street news --------------------------------------------------------------- Espresso.street News August was a full month and for every week-end we could have been booked at least three times for different events. We started off with another Steam Rally at the Great Bucks Steam Rally and Country Fair and when we could get to see the customers through the mist of steam (as they bought the engines up to the bar??!!) we had a worthwhile, if hot, two days. Tring Horse show was a great day - we could not mix up the iced cappuccinos fast enough as temperatures soared into the 80's. Flushed with success of qualifying for Wembley in September, many ordered "large iced cappuccinos all round" instead of the obligatory champagne, and why not. Steve's 'Barista Bruce's Biscotti' also made their debut and were spotted being dunked into various drinks throughout the day. Ponies UK was held at The East of England Showground in Peterborough and seemed to go on for ever. It was like a giant holiday camp with horses and their owners seemed to be so attached to them that we even had horses sharing their owners tables (sorry, our tables) to eat off. Well, until the owners were told, very politely of course. At the other end of the scale there was Highclere Castle, Festival of the Horse and Goring Heath Horse Trials. These were both set in spectacular surroundings and despite clashing with various other events, such as Hickstead Horse Show, resulted in a good turn out. Some of our Olympic hopes were riding at these two events and so we were morally obliged to stoke them up with espressos for the journey. The VW Rally in September was something else. We were positioned near the trade halls and on Sunday morning provided those, who, had yet to go to bed, with a constant intake of large cappuccinos, mochas and lattes. By 10.00am we had got through 32 pints of milk and were waiting for Tescos to open the doors. By far the coolest sight of that week-end was the lad charging up and down the showground on a jet-propelled scooter pretending to be Concorde and sounding just like it. October will see espresso.street at the following events Oct 1st Windsor Half Marathon Race, Windsor Great Park Oct 8th Sponsored Horse Ride, Hatfield Park Oct 22nd Wellington Hunter Horse Trials --------------------------------------------------------------- Issue 6 September 2000. Copyright (c) 2000 Hill and Valley Coffee Ltd. Information freely distributable, but must include this copyright messages. Formatted and delivered by m.e.thornton internet "Let us show you how your business can succeed on-line" http://www.methornton.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------- T h e G o u r m e t C o f f e e N e w s l e t t e r From Hill and Valley Coffee Ltd. --------------------------------------------------------------- Web: http://www.hillandvalley.co.uk E-mail: roaster@hillandvalleycoffee.co.uk Fax: +44 1296 339425 Tel: +44 1296 482708 Mobile: +44 468 028021 Address: Hill and Valley Coffee Limited 7 Bessemer Crescent, Rabans Lane Industrial Area, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP19 3TF. Privacy: http://www.hillandvalleycoffee.co.uk/privacy.html