Where Coffee Comes From

There are two main types of coffee plants. Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica beans are responsible for most gourmet coffees and are grown high in the mountians. They require very specific conditions to survive. Preferably temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees, even rainfall of 6" a month, high humidity, diffused light and moderate wind.

Robusta beans are much heartier and can thrive in varied conditions. They have a higher yeild per tree and thus are much cheaper to grow and buy. The beans however, have a poorer flavor but are still commonly used in grocery store blends.

Coffee trees take five or six years to produce thier first beans from the time they are planted. After flowering, cherries form in the blossoms and are picked once they turn cherry red. Inside each coffee cherry is two beans. If there is only one bean inside it is called a peaberry and it is reserved for special blends because it holds more flavor than a usual bean. The average coffee tree produces only one pound of coffee a year.

After the cherries are picked they under go what is called wet processing. The beans are soaked in water to remove the cherry flesh from the bean, then allowed to sit in the water and ferment for 24 to 48 hours. During this time, the acidic flavor of the coffee is developed. After fermentation, the rest of the pulp is washed away and the beans are spread out to dry either in the sun or a wood or gas powered dryer.

Coffee is shipped around the world to roasters in it's green form. When coffee is roasted locally, the flavor is fresher. During the roasting process, the beans are tumbled with hot air much like a popcorn popper. The roasting begins when the temperature inside the bean reaches 392 degrees farenheit. Roasting causes caramelization as the heat breaks down the startches of the bean into simple sugars that change the bean color to brown. New oils develope in the bean such as caffeol which is responsible for the smell and flavor of coffee.