Despite the existence of several large national specialty coffee associations around the world, and even a recently established global one, universal global standards in this area are still lacking. The consensus is that specialty coffee is 'simply' perfect coffee; beyond that definition, however, a plethora of interpretations still exists.

Nevertheless, some generally accepted minimum criteria that coffee beans must meet to be classified as specialty can be outlined:

1. Among the two main coffee varieties—Arabica and Robusta—only Arabica is used for specialty coffee, as it has better organoleptic properties (aroma and flavour) than Robusta.

2. Coffee trees must be grown in the so-called 'coffee belt' of the Earth—in the mountains, at an altitude of at least 1,000 metres above sea level.

3. Coffee trees must be grown organically, without the use of herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides.

4. The harvest must be handpicked, without the use of mechanical harvesters. This is the only way to ensure that only quality beans are collected, as any automation in this process dramatically increases the percentage of unripe, mouldy, or spoiled beans in the harvest.

5. Only ripe coffee beans are used, and they undergo additional manual sorting after harvesting.

6. The beans must be freed from pulp and dried in a way that prevents mould from forming.

7. The coffee must score at least 80 points out of 100 during cupping (a quality assessment conducted by specialty coffee associations in each producing country with the involvement of international experts).

Cupping is the 'exam' that concludes the entire production process before roasting. It is not so much a taste test as a quality assessment, and the purpose of cupping is to determine the category of coffee. If all the above criteria have been met, the weather conditions in the given year were within the climatic norm, and the agronomist's actions in shading the trees and providing soil nutrients were adequate, then the green coffee beans fall into the specialty category.

It’s important to emphasise that we are talking about green beans; their true 'coffee life' only begins after cupping. Transportation, storage, roasting, grinding, brewing, and serving—all of these processes have their own set of technological criteria that must be followed to preserve and pass on the exceptional quality that turns coffee beans into the 'divine' beverage so cherished by specialty coffee enthusiasts.

Perhaps this is why the Japanese Specialty Coffee Association (SCAJ) defines the beverage not from the producer's perspective but from the consumer's—and not with nouns, but adjectives. According to SCAJ, the term 'specialty,' when applied to coffee, refers to 'a coffee beverage in a cup, in the hands of a consumer, who judges its taste as excellent, delightful, and fully satisfying their needs.'

In simpler terms, a discerning consumer will recognize specialty coffee by its taste immediately. This taste may vary, but it must invariably elicit a 'delightful' or 'divine' evaluation from the connoisseur. If something goes wrong at any stage of the beverage's creation (a process known in the specialty world as 'from bean to cup'), such a consumer will immediately know by the taste that they were not served specialty coffee. In this context, meticulously detailed technological standards are not only unnecessary but, in some sense, even harmful, as they limit the creative space for the master.

Of course, readers might argue that this definition is highly subjective, but it’s worth remembering that specialty products can only be fully appreciated by someone with a well-developed palate and high taste standards. This is exactly what SCAJ had in mind when providing this definition: specialty coffee is especially well-prepared coffee made from freshly roasted beans of the above-described specialty category, receiving high praise from a 'coffee gourmet.'

There are still relatively few such connoisseurs in the world, which is why specialty coffee currently accounts for only about a tenth of the global coffee output. However, for a complex craft product that has become part of gastronomic culture relatively recently, this is more than a worthy result. And thanks to specialty coffee, the number of coffee gourmets is steadily growing each year. We dare to predict that in the near future, understanding the philosophy and culture of specialty (applied to coffee and beyond) will become an essential attribute of a modern, educated person. We, as always, will continue to contribute to this process in any way we can.