“French roast, café mocha, espresso, latte, house blend, cappuccino, Italian roast, Kenyan, Bohemian, medium or full-bodied?”

There was a time here in Ogden that the only variety was the plain and boring found at the local family restaurant. Who knew that there were so many delicious blends, varieties and preparation styles? About 10 years ago, a specialized "Coffee House" was something found only in Seattle--not here in little ol’ Ogden.

So, now how do we make sense of all the choices facing us? And if we dare order something a little new to us, how can we make an educated guess that we’ll like our selection?

There are a few basic terms most gourmet coffee houses include on their menus:

Acidity: This is the pleasant tartness or snap in the flavor of coffee. Different roasts have different degrees of acidity making them sweeter or richer. Compare this term to sharpness in wine tasting.

Balance: This term describes, well, the balance of the flavor. One aspect of the taste should not be overwhelming to the others. For instance, the sweetness shouldn’t overpower the sharpness.

Body: Again, compare this term to wine tasting. Body means the thickness or richness of the coffee blend. It describes the feeling the coffee has in your mouth.

Roast: This is probably the most important term to know when ordering your gourmet coffee. The longer a coffee bean has been roasted, the darker the coffee. French and Italian roasts are roasted longer than a Jazz or

house blend, making them stronger, blacker, richer coffees. Still confused? Never fear.

Pam McLaughlin, who runs Grounds for Coffee in Clearfield and on Hill Air Force Base, offers a free taste test of anything in her shop.

"It’s very trendy to order coffee," she said. "I try to educate people without being too presumptuous. I’ll ask questions, you know, if someone comes in and says, ‘All I ever do is drink regular house coffee. I have no idea what I’m doing.’ Then I’ll ask them, ‘Do you like milk? Do you like flavored?’ We always try to help them out."

And don’t forget, there’s a big difference between the gourmet coffees and the Folgers in the grocery store.

"Coffees in the coffee shops are a much higher quality than the stuff you find at restaurants," McLaughlin explained. "Those are called ‘high yield’ and that means they pick it before it even grows into a bean. They just scoop it up to get it out. It’s not even grown in the sun yet. That’s the reason they can sell it for so cheap and pour it over and over. The gourmet coffees are actual blossoms. That’s the reason you’ll pay more for a gourmet cup of coffee. The acid content is much less and you won’t get that funny feeling in your tummy."

So when ordering your gourmet cup of coffee, remember:

-A city roast is a medium roast known also as American, breakfast blend or house blend.

-An Italian or a French roast is a very dark roast with a full-bodied, smoky flavor. In these roasts, you generally taste the roast, not the bean.

-Ask for help. A good coffee house is very knowledgeable on the different blends and preparation styles. And with all the choices we have now in the Ogden area, the possibilities are as endless as the varieties of coffee.

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