 |
| Single origin coffee preparation by Hannah Ababa at an Ethiopian ceremony |
*This is the second part of my three-part treatise on
coffee.
Preamble
Attributes
Cafés are places where people enjoy
coffee among other benefits but are not necessarily the same and the
selection of coffee offered are not the same. Most places offer a blend of
coffee beans to minimize transaction cost associated with sourcing, make low
quality saleable, gain economies of scale and maximize profits. This situation
creates a condition where consumers can source coffee from three main outlets;
a mainstream café or store, a specialty café with blended coffee beans, and a
café with single origin coffee. My direct observation of these outlets for
patronage indicates that mainstream cafés have an average
of 30 people/hr (morning), 17 people/hr (afternoon), and 12 people/hr (evening)
excluding drive through. The specialty cafés with blend coffee have on average
26 people/hr (afternoon), and 25 people/hr (evening: most are closed by 6pm
after COVID-19). The cafés with single origin coffee have an average of 24
people/hr (morning) and 15 people/hr in the afternoon. Public holidays, summer
periods, and weekends all affect the number of customers.
The payment method in the cafés
also differ among different generations. GenZ
people usually pay with smartphone; millennials
use smartphones or card more often; GenX
tend to use cards, and the baby boomers
and silent generation
usually use cash or cards. Exceptions exist; for example, I have preferences
for the use of cash though I am a GenX, because it allows me to monitor my
expenditure and it’s an austerity measure. There is a possibility that the
payment method is a function of the prevailing technology when each group
started handling financial transaction. The payment behaviour of consumers was
observed with our extensive coverage of cafés in Ontario. Moreover, the use of
smartphones was more pronounced in mainstream
cafés as compared to specialty cafés. The drive through culture was also
non-existent in specialty cafés and fourth wave plus (4thW+). Specialty cafés are
ahead of mainstream cafés with respect to innovative
subscription models. They also seem to be a safe space for women.
The population of women in specialty cafés is higher than males as observed in
my ten years exploration of specialty cafés.
The general impression is that
there are three types of coffee roasts, light, medium, and dark. Most of the
exceptional single origin coffee are light roast to bring out the flavour and
notes of the coffee. Apart from the known types of coffee roast, there is a
type of roast that is not popular because some coffee drinkers don’t see it as
coffee. This is referred to as white coffee. ‘White coffee’[8]
is not well documented. It is referred to as biji kopi putih in
Indonesia but the one I consumed was roasted at Cavan with coffee beans from
Las Nubes Farm, Oaxaca[9],
Mexico. A white coffee is produced when coffee beans spend half of the
time they are supposed to spend in a roaster at half of the temperature.
Roasting stops before sugar caramelizes. As indicated by a chief roaster during
my field work, the caffeine content is not necessarily more than light, medium,
or dark roast. Specie, variety, and production technique are the most important
factors in terms of caffeine content. It
has a savoury, mild, and nutty taste[10]. It
can be consumed with or without milk but it’s better with oat milk (non-dairy)[11].
The addition of oat milk is complimentary and adds to the smoothness of the
drink including health and sustainability reasons. There are no sediments
whatsoever, the glass cup was clean after consumption.
 |
| White coffee with oat milk |
Health Implications
Doepker and her colleagues in
2022 posit
that policy that directs consumers to avoid drinking coffee may be detrimental
because an increase in consumption of coffee may promote public health. Recent
studies also indicate that drinking your coffee
black increases longevity. Coffee consumption is even more desirable
if the coffee beans are grown ethically and organically. Conventionally raised
coffee may inadvertently lead to the consumption of chemical residues. Consumption
of coffee is also associated with lower
risk of depression and anxiety.
The health benefits of coffee because
of its antioxidants notwithstanding, caffeine consumption make some people
nervous and unable to sleep. The panacea is to consume coffee early in the day
or consume decaffeinated products. Alternatively, such consumers can consume
non-caffeinated beverages like red cappuccino from
rooibos, a plant with geographical indications that can only be grown in the
Cederberg region of South Africa.
The implication on health is
enhanced by the consumption of single origin coffee because they are supposed
to be organic and traceability is easy, and beans are usually of high quality
unlike a blend which at times can be a way of selling low quality or damaged
beans.
Single Origin
A single origin coffee is from a
coffee bean which is grown and harvested from a specific location. The location
can be a farm, group of farms, cooperative, or country. Under the fourth wave
plus (4thW+),
single origin should be a single producer (With the name of the farmer on the
label) or a group of farms in the same neighbourhood who belong to a
cooperative. There is also what is referred to as a field blend, where
different cultivars/varieties are grown on the same land. Dating is very
important in the production of single origin coffee and the 4thW+ regime. Date
of planting, harvest, processing, and roasting are well documented and
published on the label. Single origin coffee is for a niche market and is the
highest end of specialty coffee. Coming exclusively from a region ensures that the
flavours, unique taste, and quality are guaranteed. Coffee is picked by hand, and
it makes the growing and production labour intensive.
Large producers such as Brazil
practice mostly mechanized farming. The challenge with mechanized production is
that it mixes ripe and unripe berries together and coffee beans out of this
process are mostly used for instant low-quality coffee. Unlike, Panama where
coffee farms are small and mostly interested in producing high Arabica coffee.
Cooperatives are important for processing to gain economics of scale – reduce
per unit cost. Moreover, high attitude coffee produces fruity and floral favour,
and this is the reason why roasters indicate the altitude of the farm where the
coffee was grown on the label.
The stages of coffee processing
start with red berries, then wet parchment, dry parchment
after drying. The green coffee is the next stage after the dry parchment,
and the final stage is the roasted coffee. Single origin coffees are
usually light roast unlike commodity coffee that are dark roast a technique
usually used to cover defects and make the product bitter – the expectation of
most people of what coffee should taste like. Single origin coffees are
supposed to taste differently, and this is the reason why Sidamo, Yirgacheffe,
and Harrar coffees all taste and smell differently even though they are from
the same country.
One of the challenges with the sustainability
of single origin and coffee in general is the rising temperature and erratic rainfall
because of climate change. This challenge will require the growing of Arabica,
the most preferred coffee, under regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. There
are also coffee species, apart from Coffea arabica (Arabica) and Coffea
canephora (Robusta), indigenous to Sierra
Leone and DRC that are able to thrive with the challenges of climate change. Examples of lost species in Sierra Leone are Coffea
stenophylla which when brewed seems to be tastier than Arabica and Coffea
affinis. The specie indigenous to DRC is Coffea dewevrei – Excelsa.
 |
| Bugisu Arabica coffee from carefully selected gardens at an altitude above 2000 metres above sea level on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Eastern Uganda |
Single Origin and Geographical
Indications: The Nexus
A geographical
indication (GI) is a label
on a product that indicates that product is from a specific location and
exhibit the attributes associated with the location. A
single origin coffee is a type of geographical indications without a recognized
certification as intellectual property. Some single origin coffees already have
certification as GI. For example, the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO) has assigned appellation of origin to single origin coffees such as
AO840: Café Veracruz (Mexico); AO852: Café Chiapas (Mexico); AO893: Café Villa
Rica (Peru); AO902: Café Machu Picchu (Peru); AO1151 TARRAZU (Costa Rica).
Furthermore, the European Union (EU) also accepted GIs for El Salvador’s Café
Alotepec, Balsamo Quezaltepec, Cacahuatique, Chichontepec, and Tecapa Chinameca
in June 2022.
Preference for Single Origin: An Explanation
Imagine Mr. A has the option to
consume coffee in three places. The first place is a mainstream café (CM),
the second place is a specialty café where they offer blend coffee (CB), and the last place is specialty café
with single origin coffee (CS). The
utility derived from the consumption of mainstream coffee is U(CM), while that of blend and single origin
coffee are U(CB) and U(CS) respectively.
Suppose Mr. A has spent 10 years
visiting mainstream cafés, eight years consuming coffee at café with blended
coffee, and six years exploring single origin cafés. The experience of Mr. A is
presented below:
Mainstream café: coffee is
bitter and there is need to add sweetener and milk to douse the acidity of the
beverage. Baristas are interested in the volume of sales and not necessarily
quality of service. Ambience is good but not extraordinary, and traceability is
not published.
Blend coffee café: attention to
details better than mainstream, different roasts are available, and baristas have
an idea of the origin of the coffee. Products are organic, and artisanal.
Ambience is a worthwhile experience, and the attitude of baristas is
commendable. They get to know the regulars and offer them bespoke (customized,
off the menu drinks) occasionally.
Single origin café is based upon:
single origin served, chemistry enhance flavour, meticulous attention paid to
the process from growing of the coffee plants to brewing the coffee at the
café. Baristas are familiar with regulars and initiate a conversation with
explorers’ and newcomers to educate them about the coffee they are
drinking. Furthermore, different coffees are available based on origin,
processing, roasting (light, medium or dark roast) coupled with the fact that
they change their menu weekly or biweekly.
Consumers do not need to add sweeteners because the original sweetness of the
Arabica coffees[14]
comes out with the appropriate roasting, grinding and brewing.
The scenarios presented above creates
an incentive for Mr. A to visit the single origin café more. In other words, U(CS) > U(CB)
> U(CM), the utility derived from
the single origin specialty café U(CS) is more than the blend coffee
café U(CB) and the least preferred is the mainstream café U(CM).
The desirability of single
origin café is logical based on the premises presented above. But what about
the price? Premium single origin coffee can cost between $9 and $12 CAD per
serving. A package of roasted beans can cost between $25 - $50 CAD /250g. These
coffees are pricey because beans are organic, artisanal, ethically sourced, and
farmers are well compensated. The information about free on board (FOB) and
farm gate prices, and other important attributes of the coffee are published on
the label - an important attribute of 4thW+. It should be noted that a cheap
coffee might have created precarious work conditions along the value and supply
chains. Quality is also compromised when food is mass produced. Finally, single
origin coffee will trump blended coffee an expensive price notwithstanding.
 |
| Labelling of single origin coffee under 4thW+ |
Exploring Single Origin
During my exploration of the single
origin coffee landscape, I consumed more than 50 products from different parts
of the world. One of the major lessons I learned is that coffee does not
necessarily need to be bitter, the taste of coffee is a function of the
variety, where it’s grown, climatic condition, post harvest handling and
processing (natural, washed, fermentation approach, etc.), and the roasting
technique (light, medium, and dark). Examples of single origin coffees are
presented in the table below.
Examples of Single Origin
Coffees
|
Name/Roaster
|
Country
of Origin
|
Variety/Process
|
Notes
|
|
Bekele Kachara/Cavan
|
Ethiopia
|
Jimma Agricultural
Research Centre (JARC)/Natural
|
Blueberry,
hazelnut, lemon, and ginger cream.
|
|
Benjamin Lopez/Subtext
|
Guatemala
|
Caturra &Yellow
Bourbon/Washed
|
Chocolate,
cherry, dried fruit and round
|
|
El Vergel/Cavan
|
Colombia (Tolima)
|
Caturra/Anaerobic,
fermented E.A decaffeination
|
Subtle
hibiscus, cinnamon, and jasmine.
|
|
Enrique Lopez/Subtext
|
Mexico
|
Geisha/Black honey
|
Root
beer, earl grey, clementine, complex, vibrant acidity, and sophisticated.
|
|
Frank Torres/Subtext
|
Colombia
|
Geisha/Washed Carbonic
Maceration
|
Lychee,
mango, floral juicy, and complex.
|
|
Peanut
Brittle/September
|
Brazil
|
Caturra/Natural
|
Peanut
butter, salted caramel, chocolate, after effect is great.
|
|
Pepe Jijon/Phil & Sebastian
|
Ecuador (Intag Valley)
|
Sidra/Washed
|
Butter,
flora, white tea, sage, sophisticated and easy to drink.
|
|
Rumba/DAK
|
Ethiopia
|
Landraces/Semi
anaerobic, Natural
|
Umami,
stewed strawberry, and excellent taste.
|
|
Tony Medina/Subtext
|
Guatemala
|
Caturra/Washed
|
Hazelnut,
dried dates, toffee, and mild bitterness.
|
|
Yirgacheffe/Planet Bean
|
Ethiopia
|
Ethiopian
heirloom/Washed
|
Bold,
juicy, black tea, moderately acidic, and magnificent aroma.
|
Source: Cavan Coffee, Kanoo Coffee, Planet Bean, Personal
observation and consumption (2023 - 2025).
The most expensive among the coffees on the tables was
Frank Torres, it cost $12 CAD/serving. In terms of aroma, Yirgacheffe is the most
outstanding.
A Field Survey
Consultation with people in
different parts of the world indicates that most people are not familiar with
single origin (more than 90%).
For further empirical details we administered a survey to 291 undergraduate
students in a private university in Nigeria
in October 2024. Their age was between 15 and 27, the average age was 18 years;
80% drink tea while 50% drink coffee. There was an indication that there is
preference for tea as compared to coffee among the undergraduate students. The
breakdown of the consumption of coffee indicates that the highest number of the
consumers drink latte (30%) followed by cappuccino (26%), and then espresso
(20%). Their knowledge of single origin coffee
was insignificant – only seven respondents, out of 291, have heard of single
origin coffee before the survey. Moreover, an analysis of interviews
of selected people, mostly millennials, in Nairobi (Kenya), between July and August
2025 indicated that they drink both tea and coffee though frequency of
consumption differs. They spent between 800 and 1500 KES (Kenyan Shillings)
for a 500g package. Most of them have consumed single origin but they are not
sure of the coffee’s actual attributes. They also struggle with the definition
of single origin coffee.
 |
| A survey of undergraduate students in Nigeria indicate that they are unaware of single origin coffee |
Pour Over Coffee
The rise of ‘pour over’ is one
of the attributes of 4thW+. It should be stated that drip coffee is not pour
over. Drip coffee process is automated while pour over is manually controlled
and customized – it is bespoke, artisanal, and well filtered. Time for
preparation, lack of knowledge, and price are the deterrent to the consumption
of pour over. It is cheaper if consumers buy a pack of roasted beans and brew it
at home.
The
process of pour over starts by boiling water to a specific temperature. The
coffee beans are weighed and ground. A cone filter is then moistened with hot
water after which a well measured grind of coffee is poured in the filter, hot
water is then poured over the grinds for two minutes. The coffee is then
allowed to steep for more than two minutes, after which the brewed coffee is
released into the carafe below the filter. Baristas have a leeway
to do trial and error until they perfect their pour over brew. Pour over brings out the distinct flavours of
single origin coffee and it is one of the reasons why the consumption of single
origin coffee as pour over is highly recommended. An attribute of the 4thW+ is
the chemistry involved in the extraction of brews. During the pour over process
when hot water first contacts the coffee grounds in the filter, it results in a
"Bloom". This
Bloom is caused by the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the
coffee grounds.
An example of a cultural pour
over is the Vietnamese coffee (cà phê sữa nóng).
This is not fully a pour over based on the 4thW+ attributes, but the coffee is
also filtered using a Vietnamese Phin filter. The one we tried is from the Dak
Nong province of Vietnam and it cost between $5 and $6. The Vietnamese coffee is a partly pour over,
the beans are mostly robusta (quality is not at the level of Arabica),
condensed milk is part of the ingredients, and the filtration process pays
attention to the “bloom” but extraction can not be compared with using a filter
paper. The milk has doused the acidity of the coffee because robusta beans are
more acidic. The water for the coffee preparation should be 200°F and the
condensed milk should be 30g.
Whether traditional or
mainstream, the use of pour over gives a cleaner brew of coffee. The
consumption of pour over especially when it’s allowed to cool gives distinct
notes of coffee and is easy for consumers to identify their favourite coffee
based on the aroma and taste.
Brewing of Vietnamese coffee
Exploring Single Origin: A
Mathematical Thesis
Production:
Based on my observations and
participant observations over the years, below is a model that explains the
production of single origin coffee.
SO = ALPαLβOγAδ
Where SO = Production of single
origin.
AL = Autonomous production.
P
= Consumption of ‘Pour Over’
L
= Expertise of coffee farmers
O
= Level of organicness of coffee
A
= Awareness about the desirability of single origin
α, β, γ, δ are positive integers measuring the relationship
between variables and production of single origin.
As seen: SO = ALPαLβOγAδ,
is a non-linear relationship as life itself is not linear.
To transform the model to a linear
equation the natural logarithm (ln) of both sides was applied.
ln SO = lnAL + αlnP +
βlnL + γlnO + δlnA + µ (error term). The error term
accounts for the variables that are not in the model but may affect the
production of SO.
The Level of organicness of
coffee (O) = ƒ (organic coffee beans, climatic condition, organic cultivation,
artisanal, collaboration through cooperatives) = ƒ (regenerative agriculture).
Consumption:
My interaction with baristas and
my several visits to specialty cafés where single origin coffees are served led
to the development of the relationship below:
Cs
= ƒ (P, I, HS, Oc, L, Ca, µ)
Where Cs
= Consumption of single origin coffee
P
= Price of coffee
I
= Income
HS
= Household size
Oc
=Occupation
Ca
= Proximity to Specialty café
µ
= Other variables not covered by the model
It is also important to note
that the consumption of single origin gives more information to consumers. Consumers are in control once they are
familiar with the coffee. In other words, there is reduction in asymmetric
information. Whereas, when blended coffee is offered, there is asymmetric
information and importers, roasters, and cafés are in control. Furthermore, Cs
α P {consumption of single origin is directly related to enhanced public
health}. The culture of drinking water to complement the coffee, especially
sparkling or carbonated, add flavour to douce the acidity. Personal experience
indicates that drinking water while consuming coffee adds to the flavour, because
of chemistry, of single origin espresso. It also helps with hydration and
aesthetic value.
Equilibrium:
The single origin coffee market
is an evolving market, and it may be difficult to have an equilibrium
condition. This is expected because producers will continue to work on
desirable varieties of Arabica including strengthening the processing methods
to guarantee sustainable competitive advantage. Furthermore, roasters are working
on roasting techniques to enhance the flavour and aroma of the beverage. As for
the consumers, who are interested in single origin coffee, they are already
knowledgeable about good coffee and will become more sophisticated under the 4thW+
regime. All these scenarios make equilibrium practically impossible. The best
that can occur are equilibrating
tendencies because players in the market are rivals and will forever
try to outdo each other.
Conclusion
4thW+ and single origin coffee
have transformed stakeholders in the value and supply change to scientist. Baristas
are becoming meticulous and artistic (extraordinary latte art is now part of
the service in specialty cafés) concurrently. Single origin cafés also have signature
dinks that can be customized, bespoke, for their regulars.
The Cup of Excellence, a global
prestigious coffee competition, has become a key mechanism for locating and
certifying single origin coffee. This mechanism employed more in Latin America
have created and added
premium to the single origin coffee from this region. But the most
important variables that give a specific coffee the added value are variables
related to geography such as the altitude of the farm, coffee farm size,
country of origin and soil type. Enhanced consumption of single origin coffee
may lead to uneven development. Scarcity due to seasonality and artisanal
practices also make single origin coffee to be procured at a premium.
Regenerative agriculture coupled
with community shared agriculture including subscription-based production are
all desirable characteristics of sustainable production. Mixed farming of
coffee with other crops such as rice and avocado is desirable based on empirical
evidence from Vietnam. Organic production of single origin coffee
makes the inadvertent consumption of chemicals impossible.
In the summer of 2025, the
farmers were busy growing and processing the best coffees wearing their
gumboots in Latin America, the roaster in Canada keep improving their roasting
techniques, the cafés are getting closer to 4thW+ standards, and the consumers
are enjoying the best single origin coffees as espresso, pour over, latte or
drip in their Birkenstock sandals. Single origin coffee consumed as a pour over
makes the notes discernable, additionally it is a better way to drink coffee
black since dinking coffee black seems to be more desirable.
*Part I of the treatise is
available at https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2025/06/part-i-understanding-coffee.html.
I acknowledge the support of the
Intellectnomics Research Group (IRG).
Bamidele Adekunle|IRG &
ECVOntario|SEDRD|University of Guelph
