Where Do Coffee Beans Come From

Introduction:

Figure 1: Coffee (Pexels)

While sitting in the corner of a coffee shop, rushing to the office holding Mocha, or sipping black coffee before a workout do you ever wonder what makes the coffee so special and where it is originated? Who cultivated the tiny beans first and who were those people who fashion these bitter, unsweetened, and earthy flavor beans into a delicious mind-opening drink?

We’ve come a long way from the cans of Folgers that filled our grandparents’ cupboards, with our oat milk lattes, cold brews, and Frappuccinos.

With a Starbucks on seemingly every street corner, McDonald's rebrand of many locations to McCafe, and Dunkin Donuts as an integral part of many morning commutes, it is hard to believe that anyone is deprived of the taste of coffee.

Coffee consumption is beyond the Spatial location and the affinities of language, it is consumed almost everywhere. The tradition of serving coffee as welcoming guests is very common in Europe.  Coffee is typically consumed all day, every day, and coffee breaks are required by most workers' unions. Special occasions and post-church luncheons are celebrated with a coffee table: a buffet of cold sandwiches, slices of bread, cookies, and cakes. Kaffe is typically served black at breakfast, and with dessert after dinner.

Coffee, that we drink travels a long way to come into this shape. The coffee that everyone enjoys does not appear on the shelves of a grocery store or a coffee shop. Then where does it come from?

Two Origin Stories

There is a very interesting fact about coffee. Coffee, which has the highest consumption in Europe does not originate from Europe at all. Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.

The Ethiopian Kaldi and his goat

The story goes that that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night. Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.

As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, it began a journey that would bring these beans across the globe.

Coffee cultivation in the Arabian Peninsula

Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula.  By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia and by the 16th century, it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.

Coffee was not only enjoyed in homes but also in the many public coffee houses called qahveh khaneh, which began to appear in cities across the Near East.

With thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca each year from all over the world, knowledge of this “wine of Araby” began to spread.

Where Does Coffee Come From The Bean Belt:

Similar to the equator, the coffee bean belt is an imaginary strip that runs through the middle of the planet. From north to south, the coffee belt is approximately 3200 miles (5100km).

The coffee belt crosses through five continents, which are South America, North America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Now the question arises why such a highly consumed drink came richly from a belt. The answer lies in the ecosystem

There are common biological necessities universal to all plants. The essentials for plant growth are sun, water, soil, and air. These four combine to provide plants with the energy and nutrients that they need.

The coffee plant needs a very specific set of conditions if it is to survive and thrive, and this is where the coffee belt comes in. The geographical location of the coffee belt is special because:\

• There is sufficient rain with distinct dry seasons.
• The climate has moderately sunny days with cool and stable temperatures.
• There are high enough altitudes for the coffee plants to thrive.\
• The soil is fertile for coffee plants.

The coffee belt lies between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, 23.5 degrees north and south of the equator. The coffee belt passes through some 70 countries, which have tropical climates that provide rich environments that are perfect for growing coffee.

How is coffee produced from coffee plants?

Those who love coffee, once in a lifetime stopped to wonder where does coffee come from? Many people imagine coffee beans growing on a plant but what they do not know is that coffee does not start in the form of a bean at all. A coffee bean is a seed that comes from a specific type of berries. Therefore, we can say that coffee beans come from fruit.

Harvesting and Processing:

The berries are typically harvested by a machine or picked by hand. To get the beans out, the fruit of the berry needs to be removed and after that, the beans need to be processed. There are only two known ways of processing beans - dry processing, which is an older technique, and wet processing, which is a more modern technique.

Dry processing: It is the oldest method of coffee processing. As its name suggests, the dry-processed beans are placed in the sun and left to dry for around two weeks while being turned from time to time so they can dry evenly.

Wet processing: It is a modern method of processing beans and it takes place soon after the harvest. This coffee harvesting process consists of washing and fermentation. During this process, the pulp that is left on the beans will become softer and the pulp is rinsed off. Today, this method of processing is used more frequently since it prevents damage to the beans.

When the processing is done, the beans are sorted. All of the bad beans are thrown out and the good ones are put in bags and shipped. At this point, they are called “green coffee beans”. However, there is one final step, roasting the beans.

Roasting:

Roasting is the work of a tapestry maker. One needs to be very careful as a surgeon during this process because it will later define the bitterness or sweetness of labor. The roasting process is essential and the final step in coffee production. It requires the perfect timing and setting of temperature to provide the perfect product. While the beans roast, they will split and their coating will be released.

How strong the coffee’s flavor is depended greatly on the bean roasting formula. For example, the longer the beans roast the more intense the flavor will be.

Ironically, it is assumed the stronger the flavor, the more caffeine. However, it is the opposite which is true. The longer the coffee beans roast, the more the chemical, caffeine, is removed. You can buy your beans already roasted, but for the freshest experience, many people prefer to roast their own.

Keep in mind the name of a line of coffee beans, such as Breakfast Blend, can differ from one company to another. This is due because many use different roasting temperatures and times to prepare a particular batch. Roasting beans even for a few minutes longer or shorter can alter the flavor of the entire batch.

The final stage is shipping, where it is shipped to the retailer from where it is directly sold to customers.

Different Types of Coffee beans:

Walking through the coffee aisle of your local grocer, you have probably noticed at some point that nearly, if not all, of the bags, say “Arabica Coffee” or “Arabica Beans” on them. Ever wonder why? There are several different types of coffee beans, with Arabica being the most common. It accounts for 60 - 70% of the coffee produced globally.

More often than not, when we think of how coffee is categorized and marketed, we are usually thinking of things like roasting profiles or source of origin. This information is certainly helpful in identifying what to expect with a given coffee, but it does not tell the whole story. Let us take a closer look at what types of coffees are out there and what makes each of them unique.

Sr#	Coffee type	Description	Countries produced
1	Arabica	It has a sweeter, more delicate flavor and the coffee itself tends to be less acidic. The upper-quality Arabica should have a sweet flavor with a bit of a chocolate-like, caramel, and fruity aroma.	Arabica coffee is grown in coffee-suitable regions around the world, typically in tropical regions and at high elevations, from Africa to Latin America to Indonesia to Brazil
2	Robusta	When it comes to global production, Robusta coffee beans are second on the list and the most popular in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Its name does this bean justice, as it is known for its strong and often harsh flavor profile. Robusta coffees have extremely high levels of caffeine, which makes the plant far more resilient than the Arabica species.	Vietnam produced most of Robusta coffee. Brazil, Indonesia, and Uganda followed it in production.
3	Liberica	Liberica coffee beans are a rare treat. They’re grown in very specific climates with production being far too scarce for farmers to scale their operations to truly satisfy a global marketplace. Even still, the beans are considered a pleasant surprise. Many who’ve tried the coffee liken the aroma to fruit and flowers and describe the flavor as having a somewhat “woody” taste.	The Philippines were the first to harvest and sell the Liberica plant at a noteworthy volume.
4	Excelsa	Excelsa is technically a member of the Liberica family, but its species is incredibly distinct. Excelsa does boast a tart, fruitier flavor and is known for showing attributes of both light and dark roast coffees to create a unique profile that is frequently sought out by coffee enthusiasts.	Excelsa is grown primarily in Southeast Asia

Where do Restaurants Get Their Coffee:

Where do restaurant get their coffee (Pexels)

• Starbucks obtains arabica coffee from three primary growing regions: Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, according to a Starbucks spokeswoman, however, their unique coffee blends are mostly from Asia-Pacific.
• McCafé gets most of its beans from Colombia and Brazil, with the remainder coming largely from other Latin American nations.
• Dunkin Donuts also claims to use "100% Arabica beans from Central and South America" in their coffee.

Conclusion:

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Thanks to its high levels of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients, it also seems to be quite healthy. Studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of several serious diseases.

It not only increases Energy level and Reaction time, but it also assists in burning fat. A good quantity of coffee in your diet can help you in many ways and above all, it is heavenly in taste.