Course ID: | FDST 4150/6150. 2 hours. |
Course Title: | Coffee (El Grano de Oro): From Bean to Cup |
Course Description: | A study abroad program at UGA Costa Rica offering an
introduction to the historical and cultural significance of
coffee production, the allure, impact, growing conditions,
quality characteristics, sensory properties, chemistry of
bioactives, health aspects, and technology of the second-most
widely traded commodity in the world. |
Oasis Title: | Coffee Bean to Cup |
Nontraditional Format: | The course will be taught at the University of Georgia's campus in San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica. Traditional lectures will be supplemented with presentations during tours to local coffee farms/beneficios and industrial coffee processing facilities. Required readings and other assignments will further supplement classroom instruction. The class will meet at least 4 x 1 hour sessions before traveling to Costa Rica. The total contact hours for the course will be ~35 (based on the formula of 1 credit hour per 50 min lecture and 1 credit hour per 2-hour field trip). |
Undergraduate Prerequisite: | (BIOL 1103 and BIOL 1103L) or (BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1107L) or (BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) |
Semester Course Offered: | Not offered on a regular basis. |
Grading System: | A-F (Traditional) |
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Course Objectives: | Via tours to different Costa Rican coffee operations during the
harvest season and through the delivery of formal lectures,
upon successful completion of this program, students should
have the ability to …
(1) list the basic operations/steps involved in farming coffee
in Costa Rica;
(2) describe the horticultural practices for growing coffee in
Costa Rica;
(3) identify the challenges and limitations faced by coffee
farmers in raising their crop;
(4) describe the impact of roasting as it relates to the
generation of color and flavor in coffee;
(5) recognize the desirable sensory attributes of quality
coffee;
(6) explain the staling of brewed coffee flavor as a
consequence of storage;
(7) demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of the
production, processing, and distribution pattern of coffee from
the Costa Rican processing plant to the consumer;
(8) debate the positive and negative health consequences of
coffee consumption based on recent scientific reports; and
(9) appraise the sustainability of small privately-owned coffee
operations in Costa Rica in the coming years. |
Topical Outline: | Brief history of coffees of the world
Coffee horticultural practices
Organic coffee production
Coffee processing from cherry to green bean
Coffee sustainability in Costa Rica
Coffee roasting practices
Desirable and undesirable flavor characteristics of coffee
Sensory perception and cupping of coffee
Health benefits and risks of coffee consumption
Economics of coffee production and marketing |