Medicinal
A
detrimental coffee taste sensation characterized by a penetrating sour
sensation on the posterior sides of the tongue. Caused by alkaloids
increasing the sourness of the acids without any taste modulation of
sweetness.
Macchiato
Either
a serving of espresso "stained" or marked with a small quantity of hot
frothed milk (espresso macchiato), or a moderately tall (about eight
ounces) glass of hot frothed milk "stained" with espresso (latte
macchiato). In North America, the term macchiato is more likely to
describe the former (espresso stained with milk) than the latter (milk
stained with espresso).
Macchinetta
,
Flip-Drip, Neapolitan Macchinetta. A style of drip method brewer in
which the ground coffee is secured in a two-sided strainer at the waist
of the pot between two closed compartments. The brewing water is heated
in one compartment, then the pot is flipped over, and the hot water
drips through the coffee into the opposite compartment.
Machine Drying
Coffee
must be dried, either directly after picking (in the dry method) or
after fruit removal (in the wet method). Sun drying is often replaced or
supplemented by drying with machines, either in large, rotating drums
or in cascading silos. Machine drying can be superior or inferior to sun
drying in terms of promoting cup quality, depending on weather
conditions, drying temperature, and other factors.
Malawi
Most
Malawi (a small country west of Mozambique, Africa) coffee to reach the
United States is grown on larger estates and distinguished by a rather
soft, round profile.
MAM
Acronym
for Medellín, Armenia, and Manizales, three of the most famous and best
coffees of Colombia. To simplify large-scale coffee contracts, coffees
from these three regions are sold together as MAMs.
Mandheling
The
most famous coffee of Sumatra, Indonesia. From the Lake Toba area
toward the northern end of the island.
Maracaibo
A
class of coffees from Venezuela, including many of the most
characteristic and distinguished coffees of that country.
Maragogipe
(MAH-rah-goh-SHZEE-peh), Elephant Bean
A variety of
Coffea arabica distinguished by extremely large, porous beans. It first
appeared in Maragogipe, Brazil, and has since been planted elsewhere in
Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Central America. It is
currently falling out of favor owing to thinnish cup character and
low-bearing trees.
Matagalpa
Market
name for a respected coffee of Nicaragua.
Mature Coffee
Coffee
held in warehouses for two to three years. Mature coffee has been held
longer than old crop coffee, but not as long as aged or vintage coffee.
Mbeya, Pare
Market
names for coffee from the south of Tanzania.
Medium
roast
A medium degree of roast that is mostly used in
American coffee.
Medium Roast,
Medium-High Roast
Also known as American Roast.
Coffee roasted to traditional American taste: medium brown.
Mellow
A coffee that finishes mildly and
delicately.
Merida
Market
name for one of the most respected and most characteristic Venezuela
coffees, delicate and sweet in the cup.
Mexico
The
best Mexico coffees (Oaxaca Pluma, Coatepec, Chiapas) are distinguished
by a light body and a delicate, pleasant acidity. Highland Chiapas
coffees can be bigger and more richly acidy.
Microwave Brewers
Brewing
apparatus designed to take advantage of the unique properties of the
microwave oven. Over the years microwave brewers have incorporated a
variety of technical means, ranging from open-pot through various
approaches to filter-drip. At this writing, none have made an impression
on the market.
Middle Eastern Coffee,
Turkish Coffee
Coffee ground to a powder, sweetened
(usually), brought to a boil, and served grounds and all.
Mild
A
trade term for high-quality arabica coffees. Often contrasted with
hard, or inferior, coffees.
Milling
Mechanical
removal of the dry parchment skin from wet-processed coffee beans, or
the entire dried fruit husk from dry-processed beans.
Monsooned Coffee,
Monsooned Malabar
Dry-processed single-origin coffee
from south India deliberately exposed to monsoon winds in open
warehouses, with the aim of increasing body and reducing acidity.
Moshi
Market
name for coffee from the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Mouldy
Coffee may
acquire a mouldy taste if kept in poor conditions. Moldiness also
depends on conditions during the pulping and cleaning of green beans.
Muddy
Characterizes
a large quantity of particles in suspension in the beverage.
Musty
Coffee that has been aged properly may
take on this cellared aroma.
Mysore, India Mysore
Mysore
is a market name for certain high-quality wet-processed India coffees
grown in the south of the country. The best is low-key, with moderate
body and acidity and occasional intriguing nuance; at worst it is bland.