Specialty Coffee = Specialty Coffee (SCA)?
When is a coffee called specialty coffee?
Specialty coffee is on the one hand a broad term and on the other hand a term that is often perceived very individually.
Specialty coffee for us!
For us it is a very important term. In our opinion, it should tell you at first glance whether it is an average coffee or a particularly high-value coffee.
For us, specialty coffee is coffee that exploits the maximum potential of the coffee bean at every stage of its development, from coffee cultivation to the cup, and is traded fairly and transparently.
Specialty coffee according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)
There are institutions such as the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) that deal with the definition of the term in detail and define the quality of a coffee by the specificity and quality of its attributes.
It divides these attributes, for example, into intrinsic (materialistic) attributes and extrinsic - symbolic attributes.
Intrinsic (materialistic) attributes
- Number of defects
- Physical appearance Raw and roasted
- Size/variety
- Aroma and flavor profile
Extrinsic - symbolic attributes
- Origin
- Certification
- Farm name
- Market
The quality of the intrinsic characteristics can be evaluated by means of a point system (low number of defects, taste characteristics, size of the beans, etc.), the extrinsic characteristics (origin, producer, processing, etc.) by means of the transparency of the entire value chain.
Definition of Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)
Specialty Coffee is described in the current White Paper (2021) of the (SCA) Specialty Coffee Association as follows:
"Specialty coffee is a coffee or coffee experience recognized for its distinctive attributes, and because of these attributes, has significant extra value in the marketplace."