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Bean Facts

From Arabica to Zambia, discover the most important coffee terms

5 mins read
At NESCAFÉ®, we drink, live and breathe coffee. So much so, we even love the words associated with it! From its exotic origins to the delicate process of making the perfect brew, we find the language of coffee to be wonderfully uplifting. Here are a few key coffee terms recognized worldwide we think you should know.
coffee terms

Arabica

There are two types of coffee bean typically used for creating the delicious NESCAFÉ® coffee you know and love – Arabica and Robusta.
coffee words

Barista

A coffee term you should know! A barista is a person who artfully crafts your favourite coffee, usually at a coffee shop. It takes a lot of skill to be able to make great coffee and baristas have to master a host of beverage varieties from an espresso shot to the precise layers of the cappuccino.
coffee words

Yield is a coffee term that refers to the weight of the espresso in the cup, put simply, the more yield, the more espresso!


Coffee fact quote

Cappuccino

What else could we have for C in our coffee dictionary other than cappuccino? It’s one of the most popular coffee types in the world after all! Originating in Italy, this delicious beverage contains equal parts espresso, steamed milk and milk froth and is usually served with a dusting of chocolate powder on top.
coffee words

Decaf

Decaf coffee has had almost all of the caffeine content removed before the roasting process. Interestingly, it’s actually impossible to remove all of the caffeine from coffee beans!
coffee words

Espresso

Espresso is one of our favourite coffee words because it forms the basis for so many of our favourite beverages – alternatively, it can also be served in small, strong shots too! 
coffee words

Flat White

The Flat White has been taking the coffee world by storm in recent years and has fast become one of the most popular coffees on the menu. However, there’s been much debate about where it originated from with some saying Australia, others New Zealand.
coffee words

Green Beans

This coffee term may surprise you, but did you know that when coffee beans are fresh off the plant, they’re actually green and have a grassy scent? It’s the roasting process which turns them that rich brown hue and gives them that incredible smell!
coffee words

High Grown

Refers to the process of growing coffee plants at high altitudes. This practice produces more rich and flavourful beans as the beans develop slower, resulting in a more complex and robust flavour profile.
coffee words

Irish Coffee

A coffee with a kick. Crafted with hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar and topped with cream, this warming beverage is favoured in the colder months.
coffee words

Java

You’ll likely be familiar with this coffee terminology as a slang word for ‘coffee’. But did you know that ‘Java’ was originally used to refer to coffee grown on the island of Java? When the coffee trade grew, the word was adopted by many all over the world and now it’s become a generalised word for ‘coffee’. 
Java

Kaldi

Kaldi was a goat herder who allegedly first discovered the effects of coffee, so of course we had to mention him in our coffee dictionary!
Kaldi

Café Latte

Could L be for anything else but latte? This coffee type is a super popular choice for many and consists of 1/3 espresso, 2/3 steamed milk, with a layer of frothed milk on top. Café Latte’s often come with a variety of delicious flavour choices too, ranging from vanilla to hazelnut.
Café Latte

Macchiato

The macchiato is an espresso with milk added. In fact, the beverage was developed in Italy in the 80’s as a way for baristas to identify a plain espresso and one with milk added. The name comes from the Italian word for ‘stained’. 
Macchiato

Noisette

Noisette is a French coffee type which gets its name from the lovely hazelnut colour you get when mixing espresso and hot milk. It may sound similar to the macchiato, and it is because it just happens to be the French version!
Noisette

Over Extracted

This coffee term is one you’ll want to avoid at all costs as it’s what happens when espresso is exposed to brew water for too long. The result is a drink that possesses a bitter or burnt taste – not ideal for making those smooth and delicious lattes or cappuccinos!
Overextracted

Portafilter

Most valued by baristas, it’s perhaps the most essential item in their toolkit. It’s what’s responsible for holding the ground espresso beans in the coffee machine for the whole brewing process.
Portafilter

Quaker

A Quaker is a coffee term which refers to un-ripened coffee beans. They usually have a wrinkled surface and remain pale even when roasted. 
Quaker

Roasting

Roasting is what gives coffee beans that delicious smell and darkened colour, plus it also has a huge impact on the overall taste profile.Coffee can be roasted light, medium or dark and each roast type has a different level of acidity and unique flavouring.
Roasting

Single Origin

Single origin coffee is when the beans are sourced from a single location. Due to this, it’s generally of a much higher quality with a stronger flavour profile as it’s not a blend of beans from varying locations and growing conditions.
Single Origin

Turkish Coffee

Did you know that Turkey is one of the coffee hotspots of the world? They have a very unique way of making coffee which is said to be more akin to cooking than brewing and the result is a thick and frothy drink with a very strong aroma. 
Turkish coffee

Uganda

Uganda is in the top 10 coffee producing countries. Its landscape with rich, volcanic soil provides the ideal conditions for growing coffee plants.
Uganda

Vietnamese Coffee

A type of coffee that’s unlike any other, rich and flavourful with an added tang of sweetness thanks to the layer of condensed milk in the bottom of the glass. What’s more, you can also enjoy this beverage iced, so it’s perfect all year round!
Vietnamese coffee

Wet Processed

A coffee term that refers to how the layers (skin and pulp) around the coffee bean are removed. This is the most common way for coffee beans to be processed.
Wet processing

X-Factor

To have X-factor a coffee today needs to be many things. It needs to come from the finest beans to ensure that it is great tasting. But more than this, it must also be produced in a sustainable manner and brought to you in the most efficicent way possible.
Zambia

Yield

Yield is a coffee term that refers to the weight of the espresso in the cup, put simply, the more yield, the more espresso!
Yield

Zambia

One of the key coffees growing countries in the world. Grown in the Muchinga Mountains, beans grown here are said to be balanced and wonderfully full bodied.
Zambia

We hope our coffee language ‘A to Z’ makes your next coffee experience that much more enriching!

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