About Roasting

Coffee is the seed of a cherry from the shrubs Rubiacaecae coffea arabica and R. coffea canephora, which originated in Africa.
Roasting coffee is an art in itself. Each variety of bean is roasted exactly long enough, at the right temperature, to develop its unique qualities.Under-roasted coffees taste flat and monochrome. as the beans' potential has not bee unleashed. Roasted too long, even the best coffee is robbed of subtle flavors that make up its character.
To make the most of a good coffee, roasting is carefully watched. The raw, or green, coffee beans tumble inside a heated drum, expanding like popcorn and hissing as steam escapes. Flavors begin to develop as the beans take on their characteristic teak and ebony colors. If the roast is especially dark, the beans crackle, releasing essential oils which expand to rime the surface with a deep luster.

At precisely the right moment, the roaster is opened and the beans pour into a circular grid. Cool air is drawn through the grid, quenching the beans quickly to prevent over-roasting.

The terms used to describe the different degrees of roasts are not standardized, but the following guidelines describe Fonseca's roasts.

Cinnamon Roast Not recommended for fine coffees. Mottled very pale appearance with under-roasted almost "green" taste. Common in industrial roasting.
Full City Roast Beans are mellow brown with slight mottling-no oils should appear. Coffees retain a lot of their inherent acidity, lending them a sharper and brighter flavor than darker roasts, but with good body and depth.
Dark American Roast Takes the bean just to the edge of dark roast classification. Deep, even brown with minimal oil breaking the surface. Flavor is rich and even; less acidity.
Viennese Roast This lightest of dark roasts brings large spots of oil to the dark reddish-brown surface. The Viennese Roast begins the second "pop" and the expanded beans are somewhat larger than in lighter roasts. A hint of the bittersweet tang of heavier roasts is present, combined with deep-bodied, rich flavor with little acidity remaining.
French Roast Develops an unbroken oil coating on the beans, which are large and almost black with an amber tint. This roast is a unique realm for coffee; little of the varietal characteristics remain in the heavy, deep-toned brew. Acidity is very low but there is a distinct bittersweet tang.

Go Back