194 ROASTING AND GLAZING. 



prove to be a harsh or astringent flavor, thereby ren- 

 dering it smoother and more palatable. Such a claim 

 is simply preposterous, as the said beans are entirely 

 devoid of any of the properties distinguishing coffee, 

 possessing neither caffeine or caffeone, the two prin- 

 cipal constituents of coffee, and an infusion prepared 

 exclusively of " quakers " will be found to resemble 

 more closely, in flavor and aroma, a decoction made from 

 roasted peanuts than anything else it may be likened to. 

 Raw coffees are distinguished in commerce by the 

 names of the countries, districts, localities, plantations 

 in which they are grown or from the ports of export, 

 and it is found that the produce of each particular 

 country and respective district maintains a fairly constant 

 and distinctive flavor and character of its own. While 

 in the roasted state this distinctive character disappears, 

 the process of roasting largely destroying these distin- 

 guishing features of raw or green coffee, making it very 

 difficult for any but experts to determine from its appear- 

 ance when once roasted its kind or origin. After coffee 

 has been once roasted it should be kept in air-tight bins 

 and sold or used as fresh-roasted as possible, as after the 

 process the aroma constantly escapes, thereby losing its 

 strength and fragrance rapidly on exposure to the oxydiz- 

 ing influences of the atmosphere. Neither should it be 

 exposed in damp or humid weather, as it constantly 

 absorbs moisture which makes it tough and difficult to 

 grind, or placed in the vicinity of any foul or foreign 

 odors, the porous and sensitive nature of the roasted 

 bean making it liable to absorb such flavors, for which 

 reason wooden and freshly-painted bins should never be 

 used to hold roasted coffee, as it readily absorbs the wood 

 and paint flavors, which become very pronounced in the 

 infusion. 



