By Valerie Tort

Amid the Starbucks phenomena, how many of us know that that the Philippines grows the best verieties of coffee in the world? And the kapeng barako is just one of them.

More and more people are becoming coffee drinkers. Coffee has become a part of the everyday Filipino diet. Remember the choice of tapa (smoked meat) or longanisa (Filipino sausage) served with sinangag (fried rice) and fried egg paired with coffee for a Filipino breakfast? How about the merienda of cuchinta and coffee?

Coffee created a harmonious relationship with different kinds of food. It also created a sort-of agreement with the coffee drinkers, too. Some prefer their coffee to be brewed, others favor instant coffee, and selected individuals love flavored coffee concoctions.

Coffee is a versatile drink perfect to be served hot or cold. It is also one of the most popular social drinks in town. In fact, coffee shops sprouted like mushrooms in every block. Coffee’s popularity brought several foreign brewers in the metro. Other coffee blends are also introduced to the market to cater every preference of the public.

It is the drink in which business meetings and company deals are made. Coffee breaks are enjoyed by the youth together with their discussions of life, love, and leisure. Coffee bridges the gap of people and brings warmth in every cup. Camaraderie gets stronger as the aroma of coffee blends into the air.

In the Philippines, coffee was introduced during the 300-year Spanish colonization. The friars were the one who sipped coffee most of the time. It is in Lipa, Batangas wherein coffee beans were cultivated and propagated.

The kapeng barako is most popular Philippine coffee variety

As of the present era, “the Philippines is one of the few countries which produces the four varieties of coffee beans— Robusta, Excelsa, Arabica and Liberica,” said Guillermo Luz of the Makati Business Club in a major broadsheet.

How do these four variants differ from each other?

• Robusta is well-known for its high caffeine content than any other coffee varieties. It has less flavor compared to Arabica coffee variant.

• Arabica is distinct to other coffee beans because of its rich and full-bodied taste that is just right—not too bitter that the flavor of the coffee itself cannot be distinguished. This variety is mostly grown in the Mountain Provice and Benguet.

• Liberica is also known as the strong “kapeng barako” popular and grown in Batangas province.

• Excelsa is a variety of coffee that has a pungent overpowering bitter taste.

Drinking only one variety of coffee in a mug will be unsatisfactory. These four varieties of coffee are mixed to get a more pleasant and perfect coffee experience.

Pacita Juan, the Chief Executive Officer of Figaro shared some of the tips in perfecting your own cup of coffee:

• Use a percolator, the most popular, inexpensive and handy method of brewing coffee.
• Only buy coffee in small batches, enough to be consumed in a week so the aroma and the flavor would be kept intact. Storing coffee for more than a week deteriorates the quality of the coffee.
• Lastly, do not forget filtering the water to be used in your cup of coffee to ensure safety and cleanliness.

However, scientific studies say that too much caffeine (mostly found in coffee) can cause palpitations, high blood pressure, and the loss of calcium deposits in the bones.

For athletes, coffee is to their advantage. It increases their stamina and energy needed for their long training sessions. Everything in moderation is the key in enjoying coffee while reaping the antioxidant benefits of the most popular drink in town.

These are some of the basic facts of coffee in the Philippines. Enjoy your perk-me-up drink!

Tags: Philippine Coffee, Barako Coffee, Philippine Coffee Variety