原文：Robusta's Rehab

　　地址：Robusta's Rehab，http://www.coffeegeek.com/opinions/cafestage/02-01-2006。

　　部分內容：

　　It was hard to miss the "100% Arabica" sign at theMolinari Caffè booth during the Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) conference in Seattle in 2005. But when asked about his all - arabica blend, Fabrizio Mengoli, Molinari's export manager, shrugged his shoulders. "We have more than 100 years in coffee," he said, "and we started to offer 100 percent arabica just this year because of the pressure. Our experience and philosophy is to mix between arabica and robusta. But we are in the market, and people asked to have 100 percent arabica, so we decided to play the game."

　　(譯文：2005年美國西雅圖的美國特種咖啡協會年會期間，意大利百年企業Caffe Molinari的展臺前擺放着醒目的標誌，100% Arabica，純阿拉比卡拼配。但是在問到那個標誌的時候，該公司的出口部經理，法布里茨奧蒙高利先生聳了聳肩膀說，“我們從事咖啡行業有一百多年曆史了，但只是從今年開始，我們受到客戶的壓力纔開始提供純阿拉比卡拼配的咖啡。我們有關咖啡的經驗和哲學告訴我們，意式拼配咖啡裏就是要用一部分的羅豆。但是爲了滿足市場要求，我們不得不加入這個100%阿拉比卡拼配的遊戲。)

　　Robusta has traditionally been used in Italian espresso blends, though that is changing, especially because of Ernesto Illy's strong stance against its use. But many European roasters show little of the anti-robusta passion expressed by their American counterparts. No one will ever accuse coffee people of lacking opinions, but there are few subjects that will turn up an American roaster's pressurestat more quickly than the mention of robusta.

　　(譯文：在意大利咖啡傳統上，羅豆一直被用來拼配意式咖啡。然而由於Ernesto Illy對羅豆的強烈反對態度，這一情況在改變。但是歐洲的很多咖啡烘焙商並不像他們的美國同行那樣抗拒羅豆。沒有人會指責那些缺乏觀點的人，但是與羅豆相比，有些其它問題更能激發美國烘焙商的壓力。)

　　Its detractors will tell you that the only possible reason anyone would use a robusta in an espresso blend is to save money, and that this is the only basis for the Italians' interest in the stuff. They will dismiss it as a strategy used by roasters who are trying to produce coffee that can sit on the shelf for weeks, if not months. And they will say that any robusta, no matter how carefully selected, inevitably will add a woody/ rubbery/ tarmac/ cat pee-pee/ moldy basement floor/ liquefied brown paper bag taste to the coffee.

　　(譯文：反對使用羅豆的人會說，在拼配意式咖啡時使用羅豆的唯一原因就是降低成本，而且這是意大利烘焙商對此感興趣的唯一原因。他們認爲這樣做的目的就是爲了生產出可以存放數週、甚至數月的咖啡。他們還會說，不管羅豆是經過如何精細地挑選過的，都無疑會給咖啡帶來木頭味、橡膠味、瀝青味、貓尿味、黴腐味、紙漿味等不好的味道。)

　　There is general, though by no means universal, agreement that robusta will produce a more substantial, long-lasting crema when added to an espresso blend, and that the aromatic compounds captured in the bubbles will cause the taste and aroma to linger in the mouth for a long period of time. But detractors will quickly add that this is merely prolonging the torture of the taste they find so offensive.

　　(譯文：雖然算不上一直同意，但是一般人都認爲，羅豆可以讓意式拼配咖啡帶有穩定的、持續時間較長的克里瑪，而細微泡沫裏的香味成分可以在口腔中保留一段較長的時間。但是那些反對者馬上就會說，這隻會延長那些不好的口味存在的時間。)

　　The Allure of Robusta

　　羅布斯塔豆的誘惑

　　Many of robusta's American defenders point to espresso's Italian roots, arguing that their coffees are true to that tradition. They contend that a stable, long-lasting crema is the defining characteristic of espresso - the delivery device that allows the aroma to last in a way that is not possible with an espresso that lacks a sturdy crema. And they will argue that a discrete amount of a carefully selected robusta, in concert with the right arabicas, will deliver body and crema without being detectable on the palate, while blending the flavors and lowering the acidity in the cup.

　　(譯文：很多美國的羅豆衛士們追尋意式咖啡{espresso}的意大利根源，他們強調說明他們的咖啡是真正的意大利傳統咖啡。他們認爲穩定的、可以持續較長時間的克里瑪是意式咖啡，espresso的關鍵特徵。沒有這層克里瑪是不可能有意式咖啡口味的。他們還爭論說，適量的羅豆和合適的阿拉比卡豆會給咖啡帶來足夠的口感和克里瑪，沒有可察覺的不好的口味，而適當的拼配可以加強咖啡的口味，降低咖啡的酸味。)

　　Let's be clear that (almost) no one suggests that robustas have a place in brewed coffee, and let's agree that there are Italian and American roasters who use it because it is cheaper than arabicas, produces huge crema and has a longshelf life. But there are a number of American roasters who specialize inespresso and use it because they believe it can deliver a desirable quality they just aren't able to get from arabicas. Among these rebels are David Schomer of Espresso Vivace, Dr. Joseph John of Josuma Coffee, Mauro Cipolla of Caffé D'arte, John di Ruocco of Mr. Espresso and Tony Konecny of Victrola Coffee Roasters, a relative newcomer on the Seattle scene.

　　(譯文：首先我們要說明，幾乎所有人都承認，羅豆完全不適合製作滴濾咖啡;同時，無論是在意大利還是在美國，確實有一些烘焙商使用羅豆是爲了降低成本，和製作出更充分的crema，以及延長咖啡豆的保存時間。但是仍然有很多專注於意式咖啡的美國烘焙商使用羅豆，因爲他們相信羅豆可以貢獻阿拉比卡種咖啡無法提供的口味。這些人裏包括Vivace咖啡的大衛舒默，Josuma咖啡的約翰約瑟夫，D'arte咖啡的毛利奇波拉，Mr. Espresso公司的約翰洛克，Victrola咖啡公司，西雅圖的一支咖啡新秀的託尼科內尼。)

　　Another defender of the practice is writer and Coffee Review editor KennethDavids, who says he often uses high-end, wet-processed Indian robustas in his espresso blends and prefers espressos with a 10 percent to 20 percent presence of such coffees. It's important to begin any discussion of this subject by pointing out that the coffees that have given robusta a bad name are extremely poorly processed naturals, Davids observes, and that the robustas he finds attractive are high - end washed robustas from India, Uganda and, recently,Mexico. Davids also is intrigued by the idea of well - processed naturals, but he hasn't yet found one he can recommend.

　　(譯文：應用羅豆的捍衛者還包括作家和咖啡評論的主編，肯尼斯戴維斯。戴維斯說，他經常在拼配意式咖啡豆時使用高等級的印度水洗羅豆，他一般的使用比例是10-20%。戴維斯注意到，如果要討論任何有關羅豆使用的問題，首先要說明最早給羅豆帶來壞名聲的是那些處理的很不好的自然處理的羅豆;而吸引戴維斯的是那些處理的很好的、高等級的羅豆，例如印度的、烏干達的、和最近墨西哥的羅豆。戴維斯對處理得很好的乾燥羅豆還產生了極大的興趣，只是還沒有能找到一個他認爲值得推薦的品種。)

　　"Robustas are like a black hole of taste in drip coffee," he observes. "They suck energy out of the blend. But in espresso they just function in a different way. In espresso they seem to knit things together, and smooth, and create a kind of resonance. A really good one can contribute positive flavor notes, too. They have a kind of nutty, spicy taste." He says that when asked to develop an espresso blend for a client, he will present four or five choices, and that almost without fail the client will select a blend that includes robusta.

　　(譯文：戴維斯注意到，羅豆在滴濾咖啡的品味裏就像是黑洞，從拼配中吸收能量。但是在意式拼配咖啡裏羅豆的表現完全不同，它就像是把各種口味攏在一起，產生滑順的口感，併產生一種共鳴。一個好的羅豆也可以帶來好的口味;例如‘堅果’和‘辛辣’的口味。戴維斯說，當客戶請他開發一款意式拼配咖啡的時候，他總是向客戶提供四到五種選擇，而客戶最終選擇的幾乎都是帶有羅豆的拼配。)

　　Davids emphasizes that he is not knocking all-arabica espressos and points in particular to George Howell's Daterra Farm espresso, which he dubs "exquisite." But he adds that for "a good sturdy blend that will stand up to almost anything a consumer does to it, I find it hard to achieve that without some robustas. They are another arrow in your quiver when you're blending for espresso, and a really useful one."

　　(譯文：戴維斯強調說，他並不是抨擊純阿拉比卡種拼配意式咖啡，他還特別指明瞭喬治哈維爾的達特拉農莊的意式拼配咖啡，他認爲那是一款非常精緻的意式咖啡。但是他也指出，如果要想爲客戶提供一款能夠全面滿足顧客要求的好的意式拼配咖啡，沒有一定的羅豆是很難做到的。如果你要拼配一款意式咖啡，它是你的“箭袋”裏的另外一支“箭”，一隻確實非常有用的“箭”。)

　　Schomer describes a discussion he had with an Italian roaster during a 1993 trip to Italy. When he asked about the Italian interest in robustas as an ingredient in espresso blends, the roaster explained that Italian gourmet roasters were obsessed with searching out fine robustas that would produce the body and crema associated with them without detracting from the flavor of the arabicas, and that the source of an Italian roaster's robusta was his most closely guarded secret.

　　(譯文：舒莫描述了他在1993年去意大利旅行期間與一個意大利咖啡烘焙商的討論。當他問那個意大利咖啡烘焙商有關意大利人對意式拼配咖啡中爲何使用羅豆的時候，那個意大利烘焙商解釋說：意大利的精品咖啡烘焙商總是刻意尋找既可以增加咖啡的口感和咖啡表面的克里瑪，而又不會破壞阿拉比卡種咖啡帶來的口味的羅豆。而這些羅豆的來源則是各個意大利咖啡烘焙公司最需要保護的機密。)

　　"Thus began my search for a mild, inoffensive robusta," says Schomer, "and my discovery of an 'estate robusta,' hand-cultivated, washed and graded with all the care of a fine arabica." He now considers high-quality robustas an indispensable element in his espresso blends. "Robusta,"he offers, "increases the viscosity and life span of the crema, which cradles your arabical flavors in a protective foam to allow them to be enjoyed by your customer. Selection is very critical to avoid woody, astringent or oily flavors. I am looking for monster crema from a robusta with a mild, neutral flavor."

　　(譯文：舒莫說，“從那一刻我就開始尋找一個柔和的，不會破壞咖啡口味的羅豆。我找到的羅豆是與任何優質阿拉比卡種咖啡豆相同的人工採摘、水洗、並經過嚴格分級處理的。在舒莫的意式拼配咖啡豆裏，高等級的羅豆已經是不可缺少的了。舒莫還說，這些羅豆增加了他的意式拼配咖啡豆製作的意式咖啡的粘稠度和克里瑪的保留時間，而這層克里瑪保護了咖啡的香味，以便讓顧客享受到咖啡的香味。羅豆的適當選擇對於避免在咖啡中出現木頭的味道、澀的味道、和臭油的味道是非常關鍵的。我找的是能夠帶有大量的克里瑪，但是口味柔和，而且是中性口味的羅豆。”)

　　Cipolla sees himself as the guardian of an espresso tradition that he believes is being lost even in Italy. A true espresso, he argues, is a dark roast using "the right type of robusta, roasted at different temperature/time curves than arabicas and blended at proper percentages with proper nonconflicting arabica beans." An all-arabica espresso blend, he observes, may produce crema, but without the density and viscosity that can be achieved with robusta. The experience in the cup, he says, is not only about the amount of crema, but the characteristics associated with it. Robusta, he argues, is much harder to work with than arabica, "but if one knows what to do, robustas can add to arabicas, and vice versa."

　　(譯文：Cipolla把自己看做是意式咖啡傳統的衛士，他認爲傳統的意式咖啡甚至在意大利也在逐漸丟失。他強調說，一個真正的意式咖啡應該是用“正確品種的、經過與阿拉比卡種咖啡豆不一樣的溫度/時間曲線烘焙的羅豆，經過與之相協調的阿拉比卡豆以適當比例的拼配而成的”深烘焙咖啡豆。他觀察到，一個純阿拉比卡拼配意式咖啡豆可能會有一定的克里瑪，但是沒有羅豆就達不到應有的濃度和粘稠度。他說，一杯好的意式咖啡並不是有了一定的克里瑪就足夠了，更重要的是它的口味。他堅持認爲，羅豆比阿拉比卡豆更難處理，但是如果知道該如何處理，羅豆就可以爲阿拉比卡豆增色，反之也是一樣。)

　　John says that he came to the coffee world with no biases. He was interested in producing an espresso blend in the Italian tradition with the Indian beans he was importing to the United States, and he realized that Indian robustas were remarkable for their softness. Looking at what they could bring to his blend, he saw more pluses than minuses and thought, "Why wouldn't I use it if it has no other liability other than the fact that there is a big campaign against it?"

　　(譯文：約翰說，他在咖啡界沒有偏見。他很想用他從印度進口到美國的咖啡豆加工出一款意式拼配豆。他因此認識到印度的羅豆非常有助於讓他的咖啡更加柔和，而在他的拼配中羅豆所起到的正面的作用多於負面的作用。因此他認爲，既然沒有什麼不好，爲什麼不用羅豆呢?)

　　The unique thing about an espresso machine, says John, is that it has the ability to force the water molecules into the interior of the coffee particles and drive out the oils. "And if you don't emulsify the oil," he adds,"you're not producing espresso." Like Cipolla, he argues that most North American espresso is not true espresso. In most cases, he says, only the solubles have been extracted, as with brewed coffee, and there is little or no crema. And without crema, he asks, "What is going to capture the aroma and deliver it to the consumer?"

　　(譯文：約翰說，意式咖啡機最獨特的一點就是可以用壓力強迫水分子進入咖啡粒子內部，並萃取出油脂。他還說，如果萃取不出油脂，那做出來的就根本不是意式咖啡。與Cipolla相似，他認爲北美的大多數“意式咖啡”並非是真正的意式咖啡。約翰說，大多數情況下北美的意式咖啡與滴濾咖啡一樣，只萃取出了可溶性物質;幾乎或完全沒有克里瑪。他責問到，“那些沒有克里瑪的咖啡如何能把咖啡的香味帶給顧客呢?”)

　　With the discrete use of a "mute" robusta that will deliver long-lasting crema without adversely affecting the taste, says John, you can capture the aromatic compounds (along with carbon dioxide) in tiny bubbles of oil film. You want the bubbles to last, he says, and to burst in the back of the mouth so that the aroma is released into the nose, and you want those bubbles to attach themselves to the taste buds and continue to deliver their aroma for a couple of hours. "The persistence of crema is a 
measurable quality, and that is lacking in North American espresso," argues John. "Even the arabica blends that produce crema, it doesn't last very long."

　　(譯文：約翰說，間斷地使用不會影響咖啡口味、又可以提供可以存留很長時間克里瑪的“啞巴”羅豆，就可以{與二氧化碳一起}捕獲微小的油脂沫裏的咖啡香味。他說，你要讓克里瑪長時間保持，以便在口腔的後部破裂，並釋放出香味進入鼻腔，你還希望這些油脂沫“克里瑪”可以“掛在”味蕾上，並連續幾個小時地釋放咖啡香味。約翰辯解到，克里瑪的可持續性是意式咖啡質量的標誌，但是北美的“意式咖啡”缺少這樣的標誌。“雖然阿拉比卡拼配的咖啡也能產生克里瑪，但是持續時間不長。)

　　All Arabica

　　純阿拉比卡拼配

　　One of the most outspoken opponents of robustas over the years has been Don Schoenholt, "founding father" of the SCAA and president of Gillies Coffee in New York. Schoenholt recalls a time many years ago when Pete McLaughlin of Royal Coffee in Emeryville, Calif., asked him to taste an unusual coffee. "The coffee was heavy and smooth, no aroma to speak of and no acidity. It had a neutral aspect on the palate. It was all body - a deep, swirling, dark, heavy, lingering mouth - feel." The mystery coffee was a washed Thai robusta, roasted to second crack, and McLaughlin suggested it might be useful in an espresso. Schoenholt experimented with it but ultimately decided against using it in his espresso blends. As he puts it, he found that "there was an effect on cup quality that is undesirable, and even though I love foam on espresso, ice cream sodas and beer, I choose in my own coffees not to trade taste for the esoteric choice of little bubbles."

　　(譯文：數年來羅豆的最堅定的反對者是SCAA的創建之父，紐約的吉利咖啡的總裁，Don Schoenholt先生。Schoenholt先生回憶說，很多年前加州艾莫利維爾市的皇家咖啡，Royal Coffee，的皮特邁克勞林請他來品嚐一款獨特的咖啡。“這個咖啡的口味很重，口感滑順，沒有什麼香味，也沒有酸味兒。口味很中性，all body，deep, swirling, dark, heavy, lingering mouth-feel”。這個神祕的咖啡就是水洗的泰國羅豆咖啡，烘焙到二爆，邁克勞林先生建議把它用於意式咖啡的拼配。Schoenholt先生實驗過後，最終決定在他的意式拼配咖啡裏不使用這款咖啡豆。......)

　　One theory about strong anti-robusta feelings in the American specialty coffee world is that the founders of the SCAA were, by and large, brewed coffee people rather than espresso people. Asked about this, Schoenholt argues that they were not coffee beverage people at all, but "bean people. Starbucks did not sell cups of coffee. Gillies did not sell cups of coffee. M.E. Swing did not sell cups of coffee. Al Peet put an urn in his store later. And even then he was alone." Of course, one might counter that the beans specialty coffee pioneers were selling were intended for brewed coffee, not espresso. Indeed, Peet's did not offer an espresso blend until the introduction of Espresso Forte in 2002.

　　(譯文：)

　　But Schoenholt does seem to leave the door open, even a crack. "It is true that a sword-line in the sand was drawn (on the robusta question)," he remarks. "It is also true that things change. With the unmitigated success of specialty coffee in the land, we can afford the luxury of relaxing our grip on the sword hilt - not on standards, but on dogma."

　　(譯文：)

　　George Howell, Tim Castle and Mane Alves give little ground to robusta. "I've tried some of the famous espressos with robusta in them, and I don't care for them," says Castle. "In my opinion, it's a form-over-function approach. I think the goal of the thick, rubbery crema is to seal in the aroma. But once you add the robusta, you've defeated the purpose." Howell remembers being somewhat surprised by an Indian robusta he tasted at the SCAA conference in Boston in 2003, but quicky adds, "The dramatic un-sweetness of robusta precludes me from using it. I find that even the most neutral robusta takes away what I'm after, which is sweetness."

　　(譯文：)

　　Coffee Lab International owner Alves' opposition is particularly striking because he once conducted a series of tests for a client who asked him how much robusta could be used in a blend without the taste being detectable. Using a mild Angolan robusta, Alves found that the robusta was not detectable until he went up to 10 percent or 15 percent. Still, he argues that there is no reason to use it in an espresso blend, as the main factor in getting crema is the freshness of the roast, not the type of beans.

　　(譯文：)

　　Alves also argues that a café owner who uses a robusta blend is acting against his or her own self-interest. When one drinks an all-arabica espresso, he says, "Your body will ask you for more in a couple of hours," while an espresso containing robusta will satisfy the customer for the rest of the day. "I'm in a business where I'd like the customer to come back and get more coffee," he says.

　　Neutral Territory

　　中立區域

　　Still, many roasters with a strong interest in espresso continue to buck the anti-robusta trend. A fairly new arrival on the espresso scene is Seattle's Victrola Coffee Roasters, which created quite a stir during April's SCAA conference, even though they did not have a booth and were not included on the official conference tours of Seattle coffeehouses. As word spread, more and more conference attendees and World Barista Championship (WBC) finalists made the trip over to Victrola's comfortable East 15th Avenue headquarters for a taste of Victrola's Streamline Espresso blend, a rich, smooth coffee in which the blueberry notes from the Harrar sang out with the purity of a Roberta Peters aria.

　　(譯文：)

　　When Jen Strogin and Chris Sharp opened Victrola five years ago, they tried different coffees and settled on Schomer's Espresso Vivace blends. But two years ago, with Schomer's support, they began to experiment with roasting their own. Roaster Konecny says that they initially included robusta because Schomer uses it in his blends, and they didn't want to make a major change.

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　　Konecny says he doesn't use robusta for crema, but because "a good robusta, roasted well, provides a middle flavor note that glues some top - note flavors to some middle-note flavors. At a small percentage, it has a space to occupy that's unique." He also finds that the robusta brings down the overall acidity of the blend and helps maintain the caramel and chocolate tones while allowing the top notes to come out without being overly bright.

　　(譯文：)

　　At the same time, Konecny isn't joining John, Schomer and Cipolla on the robusta pulpit, and he says that removing the robusta from the blend is always an option. His attitude reflects openness to considering all the options and a willingness to cross the line in the sand over robusta.

　　(譯文：)

　　WBC certified judge Andrew Barnett, owner of Ecco Caffé in Santa Rosa, Calif., is another serious espresso roaster who has kept an open mind on the robusta question. He isn't currently using robusta because, as he puts it, "the flavor profile that I am attempting to express is not served by the addition of a premium robusta." Still, he has experimented with robustas, doesn't rule out using it in the future and adds, "There are a plethora of possibilities in creating a stellar espresso blend with robusta."

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　　As Barnett mentally surveys the best espressos he has tasted in the last year, he includes Schomer's Dolce blend, Caffé D'arte's Parioli, Dr. John's Malabar Gold and Victrola's Streamline, alongside all-arabica blends like Stumptown's Hair Bender, Hines Public Market Coffee's espresso, George Howell's Daterra Farm North Italian Style Espresso and 2004 World Barista Champion Tim Wendelboe's Stockfleth's blend.

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　　The debate over the appropriateness of using robusta in espresso blends is not likely to dissipate soon, but as the serious espresso culture that started in the Pacific Northwest continues to expand around the country, with the opening of roastery/cafés run by quality - driven roasters and staffed by passionate and well - trained baristas, it seems likely that more roasters will explore the use of robustas in their drive to create distinctive espressos.

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　　About this Article

　　This article was reprinted with permission from Fresh Cup Magazine. It originally appeared in theJune 2005 Coffee Almanac edition of the magazine.

　　(譯文：關於這篇文章，這篇文章是在鮮杯雜誌，Fresh Cup Magazine的授權下重新出版的。該文章的最初版本是刊登在該雜誌的特別版，JUne 2005 Coffee Almanac。)

　　About the Author

　　Richard Reynolds is communications director of Mother Jones Magazine and has written about coffee for the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle and other publications. Comments on this article may be sent to mail@freshcup.com.

　　(譯文：關於作者，理查德雷諾爾茲是瓊斯媽媽雜誌的通訊主任，也爲紐約時報，舊金山編年史和其它刊物編寫過有關咖啡的文章。有關這篇文章的評論可以發到下面的郵件地址，mail@freshcup.com)。