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Making Coffee with Lucia Solis
#26: Do Coffee Trees Talk? How Underground Fungi Affect Coffee Quality
Oct 20, 2020
Join Peter Wohlleben, renowned author of "The Hidden Life of Trees," as he shares fascinating insights into the complex relationships between trees and their ecosystems. Discover how coffee trees communicate through underground networks and the impact of non-native yeasts on flavor. Peter discusses the art of wine barrel crafting and its connection to oak trees, drawing parallels to coffee cultivation. Learn about the silent struggles of trees in agriculture and how human intervention can disrupt natural ecological balance.
01:02:23
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Quick takeaways
- The introduction of non-native yeast strains in coffee fermentation challenges the belief that flavor arises solely from terroir.
- Underground fungal networks, known as the 'Wood Wide Web', allow plants to share resources and communicate distress signals effectively.
Deep dives
Human Influence on Coffee Microbes
The research on yeast genetics shows that human activity significantly impacts the microbes that interact with coffee trees. It is revealed that the yeasts used in coffee fermentation are not native to the plants themselves but were introduced by human migration and agricultural practices. This challenges the traditional belief held by some in the specialty coffee industry that coffee's flavor primarily comes from its natural terroir, which includes soil and climate. Rather, the scientific evidence indicates that humans have been shaping not only the coffee plants but also the associated microbial community for centuries.
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