The life cycle of a cup of coffee - A.J. Jacobs

譯者: Alexis Young 審譯者: Zoe Walmsley

How many people does it take to make a cup of coffee?

煮一杯咖啡需要動用多少人？

For many of us, all it takes is a short walk and a quick pour.

對許多人來說，只要走幾步， 將咖啡倒進杯裡即可。

But this simple staple is the result of a globe-spanning process

但這看似簡單的大眾飲料 卻須經過跨越全球的歷程，

whose cost and complexity are far greater than you might imagine.

其成本和複雜性遠超過你的想像。

It begins in a place like the remote Colombian town of Pitalito.

從位於哥倫比亞的偏遠小鎮 皮塔利托鎮開始，

Here, family farms have clear cut local forests to make room

家庭農場砍伐森林，騰出空間，

for neat rows of Coffea trees.

用來栽下一排一排整齊的咖啡樹。

These shrub-like plants were first domesticated in Ethiopia

這個野生灌木轉型成農作物 發生於衣索比亞，

and are now cultivated throughout equatorial regions.

現在遍布整個赤道地區。

Each shrub is filled with small berries called "coffee cherries."

每株灌木長滿了稱為 「咖啡櫻桃」的小漿果，。

Since fruits on the same branch can ripen at different times,

即使同一根枝條上的漿果 成熟的時間也不盡相同，

they’re best picked by hand,

所以最好以人工採收，

but each farm has its own method for processing the fruit.

但每個農場都有自己的加工法。

In Pitalito, harvesters toil from dawn to dusk at high altitudes,

皮塔利托的採收工人 穿梭於高海拔地區，

often picking over 25 kilograms per shift for very low wages.

平均一班採收 25 公斤， 工資卻極為微薄。

The workers deliver their picked cherries to the wet mill.

工人將採收的成果 送到濕處理場。

This machine separates the seeds from the fruit,

利用機器將種子與果肉分離，

and then sorts them by density.

然後再以密度分類。

The heaviest, most flavorful seeds sink to the bottom of the mill,

最重、最有味道的種子 會沉到水槽底部，

where they’re collected and taken to ferment

收集之後再送去進行發酵，

in a tub of water for one or two days.

浸泡在水中一兩天。

Then, workers wash off the remaining fruit and put the seeds out to dry.

之後，工人將殘留的果肉去除， 再放在外頭曬乾。

Some farms use machines for this process,

這個過程有些農場使用機器代勞，

but in Pitalito, seeds are spread onto large mesh racks.

在皮塔利托，種子則是 攤開平鋪於大網架上。

Over the next three weeks, workers rake the seeds regularly

在接下來的三週裡， 工人定期翻耙，

to ensure they dry evenly.

以確保均勻乾燥。

Once the coffee beans are dry,

咖啡豆進行乾燥後，

a truck takes them to a nearby mill with several specialized machines.

再送到另一個 配有特殊機器的工廠。

An air blower re-sorts the seeds by density,

有種風箱能將豆子 以密度比重重新分類，

an assortment of sieves filter them by size,

也有不同大小的網篩以體積分類，

and an optical scanner sorts by color.

還有光學掃描儀能按顏色分類。

At this point, professionals called Q-graders select samples

到這個階段，專業杯測師上場，

他們抽選樣品豆，進行烘焙和萃取。

of beans to roast and brew.

In a process called "cupping," they evaluate the coffee’s taste, aroma,

利用 “杯測” 的過程， 評估咖啡的味道、香氣和口感，

and mouthfeel to determine its quality.

確認咖啡的品質。

These experts give the beans a grade, and get them ready to ship.

之後再將咖啡豆分級，做發貨準備。

Workers load burlap sacks containing up to 70 kilograms

工人將曬乾、分級後的咖啡豆 裝成 70 公斤重的麻袋裝，

of dried and sorted coffee beans onto steel shipping containers,

這些麻袋再被裝進鋼製貨櫃中，

each able to carry up to 21 metric tons of coffee.

每個貨櫃可裝載 21 公噸咖啡。

From tropical ports, cargo ships crewed by over 25 people

每艘貨輪至少有 25 名船員，

transport coffee around the world

將咖啡從熱帶港口運輸到世界各地。

But no country imports more coffee than the United States,

世界上進口咖啡最多的莫過於美國，

with New York City alone consuming millions of cups every day.

僅紐約市每天就消耗數百萬杯咖啡。

After the long journey from Colombia to New Jersey,

咖啡豆在經過哥倫比亞到 新澤西的漫長旅途，

our coffee beans pass through customs.

又在通過海關後，

Once dockworkers unload the container,

被碼頭工人從貨櫃卸下，

a fleet of eighteen-wheelers transport the coffee to a nearby warehouse,

裝上由大型貨卡組成的車隊 送到附近的倉庫，

and then to a roastery.

接著運到烘焙廠。

Here the beans go into a roasting machine, stirred by a metallic arm

咖啡豆被倒入裝有金屬手臂的機器，

用燃燒瓦斯的火源加熱烘焙。

and heated by a gas-powered fire.

Nearby sensors monitor the coffee’s moisture level, chemical stability,

機器旁的感測器監控著咖啡豆的 濕度、化學變化和溫度，

and temperature, while trained coffee engineers manually adjust these levels

同時還有經過培訓的咖啡工程師

throughout the twelve-minute roasting cycle.

在 12 分鐘的烘焙過程手動調整。

This process releases oil within the seed,

這個過程釋放出種子內的油份，

transforming the seeds into grindable, brewable beans

將之轉化為可研磨、可萃取的咖啡豆，

with a dark brown color and rich aroma.

色呈深棕，香氣濃郁。

After roasting, workers pack the beans into five-pound bags,

烘焙完成後，工人再把豆子 分裝入五磅的袋子，

which a fleet of vans deliver to cafes and stores across the city.

再由貨車隊送至全市的咖啡館和商店。

The coffee is now so close you can smell it,

到這一步，咖啡已經離你很近， 幾乎可以聞得到它的香味了，

but it needs more help for the final stretch.

但還得最過一關才能到你手上。

Each coffee company has a head buyer

每個咖啡公司都有一位採購主管，

who carefully selects beans from all over the world.

精心挑選來自世界各地的咖啡豆。

Logistics teams manage bean delivery routes,

物流團隊負責豆子的運送路線，

and brave baristas across the city serve this caffeinated elixir

遍及全市的咖啡師負責 為大批來去匆匆的顧客

to scores of hurried customers.

調配出美味的咖啡。

All in all, it takes hundreds of people to get coffee to its intended destination—

總之，要將咖啡送到目的地 需要數百人的通力合作，

and that’s not counting everyone maintaining the infrastructure

這還不包括維護基礎設施的人。

that makes the journey possible.

Many of these individuals work for low pay in dangerous conditions—

其中許多在惡劣的環境工作， 僅為了賺取微薄工資，

and some aren’t paid at all.

還有些人根本沒有報酬。

So while we might marvel at the global network behind this commodity,

因此，在我們驚歎咖啡 這商品的全球網路之餘，

let’s make sure we don’t value the final product

千萬不要只看到眼前的咖啡，

more than the people who make it.

而忽視了促成這商品的人們。