Our daily lives now wouldn’t be the same without coffee. Many people would concur that their day doesn’t begin until they sip their first delightful cup of the rich, dark liquid around which the world appears to revolve. The vast majority, though, hasn’t stopped to think about the origin of coffee beans.
You’ve come to the right place if you’re curious about the beans in your coffee. Continue reading to quench your thirst for coffee knowledge because we’ve put together this guide to teach you everything there is to know about coffee beans.
Where Do Coffee Beans Come From?
Five of the top coffee bean producers in the world today produce the majority of the world’s coffee: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. A third of the world’s coffee beans are produced by Brazil alone.
All 5 of those countries are part of what’s known as the “bean belt.” Between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn is a region known as the “Bean Belt” that offers the best growing conditions for coffee.
From there, nations in the coffee-growing regions of Central America, South America, and Africa produce their own distinct coffee varieties. Success is frequently associated with a nation’s connections to coffee shops, roasters, and specialty coffee brands abroad.
There are distinctive flavor profiles found in every country, region, and continent. Higher levels of acidity are typical of African coffee from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Latin American nations like Guatemala and Honduras are well known for their roasted, smoky coffee.
Aside from that, Turkish coffee is not produced in Turkey. It describes how that particular cup of coffee was made: unfiltered, extremely caffeinated, and sweetened. The addition of the spice cardamom gives Arabic coffee its distinctive flavor, which is similar to that of other coffees.
Where Did Coffee Originally Come From?
The origins of coffee are a subject of some controversy. Some legends claim that a Sufi monk who observed some highly caffeinated birds led to discover caffeine’s benefits.
Others mention an Ethiopian goat herder by the name of Kaldi who observed that his goats would become agitated after consuming coffee cherries. The majority of academics concur that the Ethiopian Highlands in northeast Africa is where coffee first evolved.
People from the Arabian Peninsula and the region where the today’s Republic of Yemen is located were probably the first to roast and brew coffee beans in a manner similar to what we do now. They use techniques that were developed in the 15th century, including their version of white coffee.
The Middle East was dominated by the steaming elixir by the 16th century. Coffee drinkers now swear their own allegiance to their preferred coffee beans all over the world, with Europe following suit.
Depending on how you feel, coffee may be the best choice for you.
Different Coffee Beans
Arabica Coffee Beans
One of the most popular varieties of coffee beans, Arabica, is thought to be one of the earliest species of coffee ever grown, with roots that go back to 1,000 BC. The beans typically have an oval shape, a distinct center crease, and are larger than Robusta beans.
Although their acidity is higher, these beans are renowned for their vibrant and complex flavors and are adored by coffee connoisseurs for their tendency to have a sweeter, softer taste with notes of fruits, florals, chocolate, and nuts.
In general, it costs more than Robusta. This is so that it can grow because it is much more delicate and requires more particular cultivation conditions, like climate and altitude. Arabica coffee beans are typically produced with little to no caffeine and are raised at elevations between 500 and 2500 meters. Currently, the largest producer of Arabica coffee in Latin America, specifically Brazil.
Robusta Coffee Beans
Robusta coffee, which is typically grown in Africa, Vietnam, and Indonesia, has lower levels of acidity than Arabica coffee, which means it typically tastes much less sweet. Robusta can produce tones of wood or burnt rubber because of its simpler acidity and deeper and stronger flavor compounds. Because of the thick layer of crema and rich flavor it imparts, it is a common choice for espressos.
Robusta coffee is grown up to 1000 meters above sea level. They yield more fruit per tree and produce fruit much more quickly than Arabicas, which take several years to reach maturity. The main reason they are typically less expensive than Arabicas is that they are less susceptible to pests and environmental factors. In addition, Robusta coffee beans contain more caffeine than other types of coffee.
Compared to Arabica beans, Robusta coffee beans are typically smaller, rounder, paler, and have a less prominent center crease.
How Long Does It Take For A Coffee Plant To Grow?
If you’re wondering how long a coffee plant takes to grow, it typically starts flowering after about a year. Prior to the tree starting to bear fruit, it may take another two or three years. Watch it in action in this time-lapse video of a coffee plant sprouting!
Coffee plants can grow to maturity and live for thirty or even forty years if they are grown in the right shade. Even higher estimates have been made by some!
However, the plant is most valuable to farmers during the first couple of decades (following the first stretch of growth in which the plant is reaching the point at which it can grow beans on a commercial scale).
Unfortunately, there has been a significant shift in favor of coffee that is grown in the sun recently, which has severely hampered the productivity of coffee plants over time. This monocrop strategy forced farmers to use hybrids that could adapt to the intense periods under the hot sun in the typically equatorial regions where beans are grown. This moved coffee beans out of their naturally shady habitat.
The productivity of a coffee plant’s bean-growing life cycle was reduced by half as a result of all of these factors.
A properly grown and cared-for coffee plant begins to bear fruit in three to five years and can continue to do so for an average of 50 to 60 years.
Thank goodness, in recent years many farmers have realized the harmful effects of this “mass production” method, and have started moving back towards more traditional shade-grown beans.
How Are Coffee Beans Removed From The Cherries?
The husk, also known as the cherry’s skin, the pulp, and then the seed’s thin protective membrane (known as the parchment) must all be removed in order to process coffee cherries. Wet and dry processing are the two main types.
Processing
The skin and pulp are taken off right after harvest during wet processing. The beans are then spread out in the sun to dry with the parchment still attached.
You guessed it: drying is the first step in dry processing. With the husk and pulp still attached, freshly picked coffee cherries are spread out in the sun to dry. The seed and parchment are exposed when the husk and pulp have dried, allowing them to be seen.
Hulling
The parchment layer is taken off during the final stage of processing, known as hulling. A product resembling what we think of as coffee beans emerges from the final processing stage, but they are green, dense, hard, and have a grassy flavor instead of the typical coffee bean roast.
Sorting
These green seeds are then separated according to the grower’s or purchaser’s preferences for weight, density, size, or another metric, packaged in moisture-resistant bags inside burlap sacks, and transported to their new locations where they will be processed into the familiar coffee we know and love.
What Is The Roasting Process Like?
These green coffee beans, also known as unroasted coffee beans, are then shipped to coffee roasters, either as a result of a direct sale or after going through a middleman or wholesaler. Direct sales that don’t include middlemen and are at or above a price set by non-profits like Fair Trade USA are referred to as “fair trade” coffee.
The real fun starts when roasters get their hands on green coffee beans. To roast their green coffee beans, roasters use substantial equipment known as coffee roasters. Green coffee beans are subjected to the roasting process by being stirred in a sizable, heated cylinder for a period of time determined by the desired roast profile and managed by the roaster’s expertise.
The beans change color from green to yellow for 8 to 14 minutes before turning from golden brown to dark brown for darker roasts. To stop the roasting, the beans are removed from the churning cylinder and quickly cooled. Coffee beans are transformed into their familiar brown, fragrant, and delicious state by roasting.
How Do You Get Coffee Beans?
Before being sent to us as customers, coffee beans are subjected to a mulling process.
This includes hulling, a process that removes the parchment layer from coffee that has undergone a wet processing method. To remove any extra skin, it may then go through a polishing procedure.
Following that, the beans are sorted and graded based on their size and weight.
The bags of coffee beans are then exported to the countries where they will be purchased after any flawed beans have been removed.
When they arrive, coffee tasters—often referred to as cuppers—test the beans repeatedly to make sure they have a good flavor.
A skilled cupper can taste hundreds of coffee samples in one day and still detect the minute variations between them.
Conclusion
Here it is the entire coffee-making process, from seed to cup! It’s interesting to learn how coffee is made because it plays such a significant role in our daily lives. The coffee beans you buy in a store are most likely made from coffee trees that were planted decades ago. They begin as seeds from a cherry of the coffee tree, are extracted from the fruit, processed, sorted, and perfectly roasted. We bet you now appreciate your morning cup of coffee even more.