Boresha’s organic coffee beans are 100% Arabica. Arabica coffee is the earliest cultivated species of coffee tree, being grown for well over 1,000 years. It produces approximately 70% of the world's coffee, and is dramatically superior in cup quality to the other principal commercial coffee species. All fine, specialty, and premium coffees come from Arabica coffee trees.

Arabica coffee grows only in particular environments with adequate rainfall, temperate climates, good soil (often volcanic), sufficient altitude, and roughly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Under the ideal conditions, it can take as many as seven years for the Arabica coffee plant to grow to its full size. After a few years, the plants begin to produce fruit, the seeds of which are the coffee beans.

Our beans are cultivated in the rich soils of small farms located in the fertile, high mountain regions and moist lake areas of Africa. The coffees from this region are complex and have intense berry or floral aromas and have undertones of berries, citrus fruits and chocolate.

Boresha coffee is naturally grown without the use of any artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemical products.

Crafted to satisfy the most diversified and discriminating of palates, our carefully selected exotic beans are roasted in a temperature-controlled environment within a state-of-the-art roasting facility in California.

Ethiopia

Ethiopian coffees are among the world's most varied and unique.

Yirgacheffe (YUR ga Shef ay) is the heart of the Ethiopian coffee region and the birthplace of coffee. It is situated in the lush, deep-soiled Sidamo region of high rolling hills in southwestern Ethiopia.

One of the most admired washed, or wet-processed, and high-grown coffees of Ethiopia, the explosively fragrant Yirgacheffe is high-toned and alive with shimmering citrus and flower undertones; it may just be the world's most distinctive coffee.

Uganda

Uganda is situated in the Great Lakes region of eastern Africa at the headwaters of the Nile. In the eastern reaches of the country lies Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano straddling the Uganda-Kenya border.

Looking at its enormous base, many think that Mt. Elgon was the tallest mountain in Africa at one time. Coffee shambas (farms) are located up and down the cliff sides, where they make use of natural water gullies and forest cover to draw out moisture from the soil.

At the eastern slopes of Mt. Elgon on the Kenya border, the venerable Bugisu Arabica tree is cultivated. These ancient African Bugisu trees were planted nearly a century ago, after being transported from nearby Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. They yield a fruit-toned coffee and are cultivated by third and fourth generation coffee farmers at an elevation of 6,600 feet above sea level.

The naturally grown Bugisu Arabica has more body than most other East African coffees and is considered Uganda’s best coffee.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Ethiopian coffees are among the world's most varied and unique. Boresha’s explosively fragrant Yirgacheffe (YUR ga Shef ay), harvested from the heart of the Sidamo region of Ethiopia, ranks among the very finest.

Our single-origin Yirgacheffe features a floral aroma with a full body and a rich, chocolaty flavor. Its exquisitely delicate aroma is fused with extravagant floral notes and a distinct hint of cocoa. The chocolate strengthens in the cup, balanced by a delightful jasmine finish.

Carefully handpicked, our certified organic Yirgacheffe coffee is 100% free from chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Uganda Bugisu

Cultivated in the fertile slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda at an elevation of 6,600 feet above sea level, Boresha’s naturally grown Bugisu has more body than most other East African coffees and is considered Uganda’s best coffee.

This exceptional coffee bean displays rustic fruit tones, deep huskiness, and a mild earthiness. Our single-origin, 100% Arabica, certified organic Bugisu coffee is smooth, full-bodied and perfectly balanced. With earthy undertones and mild rustic notes this delightfully heavy, full-bodied coffee has a surprising, slightly sweet blackberry finish.

Our premium quality, ORGANIC and FAIR TRADE certified coffees support environmentally sustainable farming and production practices, provide economic stability, and a higher standard of living for the African coffee farmers.

We are proud to offer coffees that meet the strict standards of TransFair USA, USDA Organic, and OCIA, and are tracked from the crop to the cup.

Fair Trade Certified

Monitored by TransFair USA and the FLO (Fairtrade Labeling Organizations), the Fair Trade Certified label guarantees that the coffee was grown responsibly and that the farmers who grew the beans got a fair price for them. This means that the coffee was purchased outside of the commodities market at a prearranged price that was better than what the farmer could have hoped for through normal distribution channels.
 

Fair Trade Certified Coffee:

• Pays farmers a premium price for their products, ensuring that they are taking home more money for their harvest to help support a better life.
• Creates direct trade links to farmers and their cooperatives, bypassing exploitative middlemen.
• Provides access to affordable credit, helping farmers stay out of debt to local loan sharks between harvests.
• Creates a positive impact on farmers and their communities by promoting social and business development programs.

Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA)

OCIA International is one of the world's oldest, largest and most trusted leaders in the organic certification industry. OCIA is dedicated to providing the highest quality organic certification services and access to global organic markets. The Organic Coffee label by the Organic Crop Improvement Association guarantees that the coffee was grown without using any fertilizers, pesticides or other chemical products.

Organic farming protects farmers and the environment from unsafe applications of fertilizers and pesticides while promoting a sustainable agriculture for future generations.

Organic certification requires that every step from planting, farming, harvesting and transporting by rail, sea and road be inspected and certified to be free of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and other chemical residue.

USDA’s National Organic Program

The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), passed by Congress in 1990, required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop national standards for organically produced agricultural products to assure consumers that agricultural products marketed as organic meet consistent, uniform standards. The OFPA and the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations require that agricultural products labeled as "organic" originate from farms or handling operations certified by a state or private entity that has been accredited by the USDA.

Cultivation

The coffee plant requires warm, humid weather typically located in regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn (near the equator).

Boresha’s carefully selected beans are cultivated by dedicated farmers in the rich soils of small farms located in the fertile, high mountain regions and moist lake areas of Africa, where altitude, soil and climatic conditions perfectly combine to produce the aromas, flavors, and complex characteristics of our coffees.

Boresha coffee is naturally grown without the use of any artificial fertilizer, pesticide, or other chemical product.

Harvesting

Coffee cherries, the fruits which contain the coffee beans themselves, ripen four different times on a single tree each year. The coffee cherries are carefully handpicked by farmers so that only the mature red cherries that are ready to be harvested are chosen, and the green cherries yet to ripen are left on the coffee trees.

The careful harvesting of coffee cherries only when they are ripe is very important in order to ensure higher levels of overall cherry quality.

Extraction

Once the coffee cherries have been picked, the sticky fruit pulp has to be removed from the coffee bean.

This can happen by either one of two processing methods: the Wet or Dry method.

The Wet-Processing Method: Washed Coffee

The first wet-processing mills were established in Ethiopia in 1972.

The coffee is prepared by removing the skin and pulp from the bean while the coffee fruit is still moist. The coffee skins are removed (pulping), the skinned beans are allowed to sit in tanks where enzymes loosen the sticky fruit pulp or mucilage (fermentation), after which the loosened fruit is washed off the beans (washing). The beans are then laid on patios or run through an electric dryer, removed from their final skin called parchment, and sorted.

The immediate removal of fruit involved in wet-processing softens the fruity, wine-like profile of dried coffee and turns it into a gentle, round, delicately complex bean, and is fragrant with floral notes.

The Dry-Processing Method: Natural Coffee

In this method, ripe cherries are handpicked, the red skin is removed, and the sugar-rich pulp is allowed to dry on the beans on elevated drying racks. Once the coffee cherries have been dried under the sun, the fruit pulp is removed.

The result in a sun-dried coffee with a naturally sweet and pleasantly fermented flavor that is complex and fruity.

Roasting

Boresha’s beans are carefully roasted to bring out their unique flavor. The roasting process is truly an art through which the beans are meticulously crafted to create a bold flavor experience.

Achieving a bean’s desired roasting profile is a delicate balance of science, skill, and art. Using all their senses, the roaster monitors the temperature, time, aroma, and color of the beans.

To release the flavor and aroma locked in their 200-plus chemical compounds, the beans are roasted at temperatures over 400°F. Heat produces over 400 naturally occurring compounds that create the flavor of roasted coffee. When the beans roast at high heat, their sugars develop and they begin to take on their unique color, aroma, and taste.

As the bean’s moisture turns to steam inside the bean, a pop or cracking sound is heard, much like that of popcorn popping. During the roasting process, the beans expand to nearly twice their size. While the natural color of the beans is green, as they roast and lose moisture, they begin to turn into a warm yellow and continue to a light brown. The high heat caramelizes the bean’s sugars and transforms their color into a shiny, rich dark-brown hue.

Aroma/Sense of Smell: Aroma is used to describe a coffee’s scent. Our sense of smell allows us to discern the aromatic character of the bean, which is released with the high heats of the roasting process and awakened when brewed. Aromatic notes can be delicate or intense and range from floral to earthy, fruity to citrus and more.

Body/Sense of Touch: Body refers to the fullness and weight (the thinness to thickness), of the coffee in the mouth. It ranges from light to full and is determined both by the bean’s origin and the method by which it is brewed. The feel of the coffee in the mouth enables one to discern the coffee’s body and smoothness.

Acidity/Sense of Taste: Acidity refers to the pleasant tartness of a fine coffee and is the taste of sharp, high notes found in the coffee. In coffee language, acidity does not signify the PH or acid level of the coffee, but instead conveys a brightness and aliveness. The taste buds that perceive acidity are located along the sides of the tongue.

Color & Luster/Sense of Sight: The roasting process is what ultimately determines a bean’s unique color and glossy coating, as the high heats cause the beans to become caramelized with their own sugars and glossy with their own oils. Our ability to appreciate the rich, intense color of dark roasted beans comes from our sense of sight.

Flavor/Sense of Smell, Touch, Taste and Sight: Flavor is the overall sensation that the palate experiences and combines the coffee’s unique aroma, acidity, and body.

Coffee Granita
Bon Appétit, August 2000
 

Introduction

In Italy, Coffee Granita is served in tall glasses filled halfway with granita and topped with whipped cream. We’ve added some white chocolate and anise-flavored liqueur.

SERVING SIZE
Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

• 4 cups freshly brewed strong coffee (made from 6 cups water and 2 ½ cups ground French roast coffee)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sambuca or other anise-flavored liqueur

Preparation

Stir first 4 ingredients in bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour into 13×9×2-inch metal pan. Chill 2 hours; mix in Sambuca.

Freeze coffee mixture until icy at edge of pan, about 45 minutes. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Freeze again until icy at edge of pan and overall texture is slushy, about 45 minutes. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Then freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Using fork, scrape granita down length of pan, forming icy flakes. Freeze at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)

Serve with White Chocolate Sambuca Cream.

Presentation

Orange peel strips or chocolate-covered coffee beans

Working quickly, scoop granita into glasses, filling halfway. Fill to top with cream. Garnish with peel or coffee beans.

 
Coffee and Orange Granita Suprema
Bon Appétit, August 1992
 

Introduction

You don't need an ice cream maker to prepare this classic frozen treat. Accompany with Amaretti or other Italian cookies.

SERVING SIZE
Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 4 cups hot espresso or strong coffee made with ground espresso coffee beans
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup well-chilled whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
• Milk chocolate curls, thin orange peel strips

Preparation

Mix coffee, ½ cup sugar, grated orange peel and ground cinnamon in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature. Transfer mixture to loaf pan. Freeze until granita is consistency of shaved ice, stirring mixture with fork and breaking frozen edge pieces every 30 minutes, about 3 hours. (Granita can be made 6 hours ahead. If possible, stir every 30 minutes to 1 hour. Before serving, blend mixture in processor to break up ice.)

Beat chilled whipping cream and 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add Grand Marnier and beat until soft peaks form again. Spoon granita into bowls. Top each dessert with dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate curls and orange peel strips and serve immediately.

• 2 cups chilled whipping cream
• 4 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sambuca
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Combine 1/3 cup whipping cream and chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water). Stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from over water. Cool 15 minutes. Beat remaining

1 2/3 cups whipping cream, sambuca and vanilla in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold ¼ of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream in 2 additions. Chill topping up to 8 hours.

Coffee Creme Brulee
Bon Appétit, December 2000
 

Introduction

"On our honeymoon in Hawaii, my husband and I enjoyed dinner at Princeville Resort’s La Cascata restaurant on Kauai’s north shore," writes Jamie Smietan of Rancho Santa Margarita, California. "I tried the crème brulée which had a rich coffee flavor. A copy of the recipe would be the perfect souvenir."

Begin preparing this a day before you plan to serve it. The sugar is caramelized quickly under the broiler, but a small blowtorch (made for the kitchen) would work well, too.

SERVING SIZE
Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

• 4 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup plus 8 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground espresso coffee beans
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg

Preparation

Place eight ¾-cup custard cups in large roasting pan. Combine cream, 1 cup sugar, ground espresso beans, instant espresso powder and cinnamon stick in heavy large saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mixture; add bean. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar and espresso powder dissolve. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 30 minutes. Strain through fine sieve.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk egg yolks and egg in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. Divide among custard cups in pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups. Bake custards until center moves only slightly when cups are gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove custards from pan. Cool; refrigerate uncovered overnight.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each custard. Place custard cups on baking sheet. Broil until sugar is brown and caramelized, rotating baking sheet to broil evenly and watching closely to avoid burning, 1 to 2 minutes. Chill custards 1 hour. Serve.

 
Coffee Baked Alaska with Mocha Sauce
Bon Appétit, September 1999
 

Introduction

Invented in the 1800s, the baked Alaska was possibly named to commemorate America's purchase of that northern territory. The dessert was a big hit in the fifties because convenience was a watchword, and for all the showy effect it created at the table, baked Alaska was not difficult to make. Restaurants served ornately decorated versions under flaming cascades of liqueur, while home cooks could just bake it in the oven. Either way, the magic was there—a layer of meringue kept the ice cream inside from melting in the oven. These days, store-bought premium ice creams help baked Alaska taste even better and offer a wide range of flavor options.

SERVING SIZE
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 quart coffee ice cream, softened
• 1 10.75-ounce frozen pound cake
• 4 large egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon coffee liqueur
• 1/3 cup sugar

Sauce

• 1 ½ cups freshly brewed strong coffee
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur

Preparation

For cake: Line 9×5×2 ½-inch metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang. Spoon ice cream into prepared pan, spreading evenly and smoothing top. Cut cake horizontally in half. Arrange 1 cake piece, cut side down, atop ice cream and against 1 corner of pan. Cut remaining cake piece into strips and arrange in pan to cover ice cream completely. Cover with overhanging plastic and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Uncover cake. Invert onto metal or other ovenproof platter. Freeze while preparing meringue. Beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form. Beat in liqueur. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread meringue over cake, covering cake completely and sealing meringue to platter. Freeze overnight.

For sauce: Combine coffee and semisweet chocolate in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture is smooth. Increase heat to medium. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly. Stir in coffee liqueur. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep cake frozen. Cover sauce and refrigerate; re-warm sauce over medium-low heat before serving.)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 500°F for 20 minutes. Bake dessert until meringue is lightly browned and just set, about 3 minutes.

Cut baked Alaska into slices; arrange on plates. Spoon warm sauce around dessert and serve.