My search for the perfect cuppa - and why it's bean so long

Jose Kawashima is tanned a deep brown, a legacy of the time he's spent in far-flung regions, tending to the little bean that so many of us take for granted. He looks as if he'd be more comfortable in a Panama hat than his business suit.

After 23 years in the coffee business - he even had to be talked into suspending his studies at the National Coffee Institute in El Salvador when war civil broke out there in the 1970s - he could be forgiven for putting his feet up with a steaming mug at his elbow. But coffee lovers will be glad he resisted the temptation.

Kawashima, executive operating officer and director of agricultural research for UCC Ueshima Coffee, is giving the world a whole new coffee experience after resurrecting a near-extinct bean with a unique aroma and flavour. 'Until now, it's been an experimental project and production has been small, but we're moving into the second stage and are looking at how to commercialise the Bourbon Pointu crop on Reunion Island,' says Kawashima.

'We've had lots of inquiries from clients, but this spring's crop is only going to yield about 200kg that meets Pointu quality, so it won't be commercially available.'

It may take another five years for Bourbon Pointu to appear in shops, and even then it's likely to be in limited supply, but he's certain it will be worth the wait.

'It has a unique taste,' he says. 'Our experts commented on its naturally sweet aroma and taste, and we believe that alone will be enough to make it popular, but it's also naturally low in caffeine.'