This article explores the fundamental differences between specialty coffee and traditional coffee, covering aspects such as bean origin, cultivation methods, harvesting practices, roasting, and sensory experiences.
Traditional Coffee
It is mass-produced, often blending different species and qualities of beans. It contains impurities and relies on darker roasts to mask the inferior quality of the beans, resulting in a stronger, more bitter flavor.
Specialty Coffee
It follows artisanal processes from cultivation to preparation. Specialty coffees are 100% Arabica species and receive scores above 80 points (on a scale up to 100) in the SCAA classification.
Key Differences
- Origin: Traceability vs. mixed sources
- Cultivation: Higher altitudes for specialty varieties
- Methods: Organic agriculture vs. conventional
- Harvest: Manual selection vs. mass collection
- Roast: Light and precise vs. dark
- Flavor: Diverse profiles vs. uniform and consistent
A Growing Trend
Specialty coffee consumption has been growing among Brazilian enthusiasts who seek higher quality and more intense sensory experiences, valuing the origin, process, and unique flavor of each lot.