So, you've probably heard about robusta
sometime in your life.
The dark, bitter, low quality coffee,
or is it really?
Hi, my name is Rodrigo Torii.
I'm a roaster, photographer,
and video producer based in Brazil.
I've been roasting here in Manaus for a couple of years now,
and since the beginning,
I was looking for a good quality,
locally-produced coffee.
You see, generally speaking,
robustas aren't praised by its quality.
You often find it pre-ground and overly roasted.
In the cup, you taste leathery and ashy notes.
By treating it as a commodity, this stigma is created.
However, with proper care and handling,
the results can be incredibly good.
When a friend showed me this Amazonian robusta,
I knew that something was different.
(soft music)
The espresso is balanced with nice sweetness
and a touch of acidity, much different than I was used to.
But at the same time,
James has just posted his guest creator takeover,
so I thought, "Yeah, this is it."
So I pitched the idea to investigate further
and oh my god, he approved!
(upbeat music)
After a quick trip to Cacoal in the state of Rondônia,
I've managed to talk to a couple of local producers
and also with a researcher from Embrapa in Porto Velho.
Here's what I've discovered.
Number one: you cannot expect a good quality coffee
if you don't treat it right.
Ever since I've heard about quality coffee,
canephoras were treated as commodity, as inferior.
So investment and research
throughout the whole chain is essential.
Number two: now that you have a good foundation,
one way to enhance the experience
is through different post-processing methods.
Here's where the magic happens.
Remember that coffee that I've talked about
in the beginning of the video?
It went through a semi-carbonic maceration,
which is much simpler than the name suggests.
After picking and washing the fully ripe cherries,
you put them whole in a clean, sealable plastic drum
with a one-way valve on the top.
The key here is not to let any more air enter the system,
only exit.
So, in the beginning there is still plenty of oxygen
inside the reservoir.
But as the fermentation occurs,
the CO2 produced expels the oxygen,
creating an anaerobic environment.
At the bottom of the tank,
cherries get squeezed by the weight of the cherries above.
In the top layer of the tank, cherries get only fermented.
This mixture of processes creates complex flavors,
bringing more acidity, herbal, and fruity notes.
However, it is important to don't overdo it.
Controlling the temperature
and the time of fermentation is crucial here.
Also, opening the lid in the middle of the process
is a no-go.
Over-fermented coffees are very unpleasant
and that's why it's super important to follow the protocols.
So, by implementing a simple process with simple tools,
producers in the middle of the Amazon forest
and anywhere in the world,
now have another way of presenting their coffee
with high added value.
By investing in quality and post-processing,
we'll ensure the preservation of the Amazon
because there is no need to deforest.
Robustas have a high productivity,
so farmers only need a small piece of land
to make a good living.
I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts, though.
Is there a place for a good quality,
nicely-produced robusta in the world?
Or is it just nonsense?
The future should be 100% arabica?
Is fermenting bad?
Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.
- In my opinion,
I think very well-controlled fermentation processes
should definitely be widespread throughout the country,
especially because there's still so much for us to discover
in terms of potential for Brazilian coffees.
- What is happening right now,
especially with producers in Espirito Santo
producing canilon and in Rondônia producing robustas,
is that they woke up for quality
and they are making some experiments
and the results,
I am just in awe with beautiful coffees
that I am trying so far.
- Do I love canephoras?
No, I don't.
Do I love the fact
that we can push quality harder with them?
Yes, I do.
And that's actually why we have one of them here
at the Coffee Lab.
We roast a very good lot of conilon,
which is the varietal here in Brazil.
It's washed, it's fruity, it's weird, compared to arabicas.
And I like the fact that this canephora
doesn't try to be arabica.
I've tried so many, since 2000 I guess,
so many canephoras around the world
and some of them try to be arabicas
and I don't think that's the way.
So, that's it.
I like having the possibility to show quality either
way, arabicas or canephoras.
- If this is just the beginning,
I'm thrilled with what the future holds.
If more and more consumers and producers seek quality,
not only we are going to taste
and experience awesome coffees,
but also we will ensure the preservation of these ecosystems
and have a huge impact in the lives of these people.
Finally, I would like to say thank you very much
to James Hoffmann for giving me this opportunity,
and thank you for watching.
I hope you have a great day.
(soft music)
Hi, my name is Rodrigo Torii.
(paper crumpling) (Rodrigo laughing)