Where Do Coffee Beans Come From? - HomeGrounds

WHERE DO COFFEE BEANS COME FROM?

Where do coffee beans come from? The more I get into coffee, the more I want to know the story behind my brew.

And saying, “coffee comes from coffee beans” is like saying a car comes from a car dealership – hardly informative. So, for this post, I decided to tackle some key questions head-on. What is a coffee bean? Where do they come from? And how are they produced?

My answers provide a fascinating deep dive into the coffee industry, from geography and geology to agriculture and flavor profiles. I hope you have as much fun reading as I did researching!

Where Do Coffee Beans Originate From?

Coffee originated in Western Africa. The first Arabica coffee plant was discovered in Ethiopia when, according to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats behaving energetically after consuming its seeds. The origin of Robusta beans is murkier, but we know they were first cultivated in the Congo (1).

What is the coffee bean belt?

Today, the world’s coffee production is over 20 billion pounds of coffee annually, and coffee beans are grown in many regions of the world. Commercial coffee farms all fall within the coffee bean belt. Ranging from latitudes of 25 degrees North to 30 degrees South, the coffee belt is a band of countries around the Earth’s equator with the best conditions for growing coffee.

The world’s largest coffee producer is Brazil, followed by Vietnam and Colombia (2). The best coffee growing regions include Central and South America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Is Coffee A Tree Or A Bush?

Coffee beans come from the Coffea plant genus. There are many species of Coffea plants, ranging from small shrubs to towering trees (3). However, the most common commercial varieties of coffee plants are small bushes that can be planted more densely and thus profitably.

A coffee plant looks like a berry bush or grapevine. Most have rich, dark green and waxy leaves, although sometimes the color can wander into more of a purple or yellow hue.

What Are The Common Coffee Plants?

There are over 100 species in the Coffea genus, but only two types of coffee beans are widely grown commercially. They are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora (more commonly known as Robusta).

Arabica Plants

Arabica is the more prolific of the two types of coffee plants, accounting for about 60% of coffee grown worldwide (4). It yields higher-quality, more expensive coffee, and the beans are known for complex flavor profiles with compelling sweetness and acidity.

Arabica plants thrive in fertile volcanic soil at high elevations between 2000 and 7000 feet above sea level. They prefer moderate year-round temperatures and a defined rainy season.Many varieties of Arabica coffee are grown all over the world, but all are traceable back to Ethiopia. In fact, a 2020 research study found that they can all be traced to a single ancestor (5)!

“A single plant, a super-individual, has given birth to the whole C. Arabica species and to the millions of trees that are cultivated today all over the world in the intertropical belt.”

The original two Arabica varieties are Bourbon and Typica, but dozens of hybrids now exist, produced either naturally or through dedicated coffee breeding programs. Some combine Arabica and Robusta genetics but are still considered Arabica coffee beans. They were bred to pair Arabica’s prized flavors with the hardiness and disease resistance of Robusta.

Robusta Plants

Robusta coffee plants make up the remaining 40% of the world’s commercial coffee supply. Robusta coffee beans can’t match Arabica in flavor, but they are easier to grow and provide more stability for farmers.

You’ll find Robusta in instant coffee, cheaper coffee brands, and some traditional Italian espresso blends. It is known for its earthier and more bitter flavors and a higher caffeine content.

The bulk of Robusta beans are grown in Africa and Indonesia, although Vietnam is the winner for the largest single producer (6).

FUN FACT: Using the caffeine-intense Robusta beans rather than the more delicate Arabica beans is one thing that makes Vietnamese coffee so unique! It’s a rarity in the specialty coffee drink world.

How Long Does It Take For A Coffee Plant To Grow?

Starting a coffee farm is not fast. It takes about one year for a new coffee plant to begin flowering. From there, it’s another three to five years before the coffee trees produce fruit (7).

Once mature, a normal coffee plant in the shade can live for decades, even up to a century (ref)! However, it’s generally most productive in the first 20 years after initial fruiting.

The longevity of a coffee plant’s productivity is strongly dependent on growing conditions. Modern trends like mono-crops and coffee beans grown in the sun can halve a coffee plant’s bean-growing lifetime (8). Many coffee farmers have realized the harmful effects of these mass production methods and are moving back towards more traditional shade-grown beans.

Anatomy Of A Coffee Cherry

Coffee beans are harvested from the fruit of the coffee plant, called the coffee cherry. It consists of an outer skin or husk covering an inner layer of pulp. In the center of the pulp are two coffee beans; they are, in fact, the plant’s seeds. Each bean is covered in a layer known as the parchment and a final thin membrane.

The video below provides an excellent visual:

Most coffee seeds grow in pairs, but some cherries contain only a single bean, known as a peaberry. This natural mutation occurs in about 5% of coffee plants, and many connoisseurs believe the peaberry yields a more flavorful brew.

Coffee cherries grow in bunches along the branches of the coffee plant. They start out green and turn bright red once they’re ready to harvest.

How Do Coffee Beans Become Coffee?

The final stages of how coffee is made are processing and roasting. Coffee processing takes us from coffee cherry to dry green coffee bean. The coffee roaster takes the pale green bean to the familiar aromatic dark brown coffee.

Coffee Processing Methods

The coffee processing method significantly contributes to a coffee’s final flavor and mouthfeel. Historically, coffee was either wet or dry processed. Now, modern coffee growers are increasingly experimenting with new processing techniques to unlock unique flavor profiles (9).

Here is a quick guide to the most common processing methods used today:

• Dry processing: This is the original method, also known as natural processing. It’s common in regions with ample sunlight and limited access to fresh water. The cherries dry in the sun while workers sort them regularly to avoid rotten fruit. Once dry, the fruity pulp is removed. Naturally processed coffees often have a syrupy body and bold, fruity sweetness.
• Wet processing: Also known as washed processing, this method removes the pulp from the beans before fermentation and drying. It’s popular in areas with less reliable sunshine. Though resource-intensive, wet processing eliminates the risk of rotten fruit, making it more consistent. Washed coffees are usually described as crisp, clean, complex, and with a bright acidity.
• Honey process: Honey process is a newer method that is mostly seen in Central America. It splits the middle between washed and natural, leaving some pulp on during the drying process. The result is a coffee that is sweet and bright, syrupy and clean – a best-of-both-worlds situation.
• Wet-hulling: Wet-hulling is used in coffee-growing regions with high humidity, where drying coffee is difficult. It is especially common in Indonesia, where it is known as giling basah. Wet-hulling produces a distinct style of coffee with low acidity, a full body, and often earthy flavors. Monsooning is another high-humidity method that yields a similar result.
• Novel processing methods: New experimental processing methods are emerging regularly as farmers get creative to stand out from the crowd. These include anaerobic fermentation and carbonic maceration, which can produce wild and complex flavors.

Roasting

The dry green coffee beans are roasted carefully to between 385 F and 450 F, depending on whether they want a light, medium, or dark roast. The result is the brown roasted coffee beans we know and love. Time to make coffee!

Final Thoughts

Next time you’re asked where coffee comes from, you can break your answer into a few parts.

• Coffee is made from coffee beans.
• Coffee beans are the seeds of the Coffea plant.
• The beans are found in the center of coffee cherries, the fruit of the coffee plant.
• A recognizable coffee bean emerges from the fruit through processing and roasting.
• Coffee plants grow worldwide within the bean belt, located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Did any part of coffee’s journey surprise you? Do you have a newfound appreciation for the years of effort behind your morning cup of joe? Let me know in the comments below!

FAQs

Can you eat the fruit of a coffee tree?

Yes, you can eat the fruit of a coffee tree, but it isn’t particularly good. Unlike most fruits in the supermarket, the coffee cherry hasn’t been bred for eating. So while the flesh is quite delicious – delicately sweet – there isn’t much of it; the cherries are mostly skin and seeds.

What is the best origin for coffee beans?

The best origin for coffee beans depends on the flavor profile you enjoy. Ethiopia is a wonderful option for coffee drinkers who enjoy mild coffees with sweet fruit and floral flavors. Colombia and Costa Rica shine when it comes to crowd-pleasing nut and chocolate tasting notes. Quality coffee from Sumatra is renowned for its full body and bold flavors, perfect for espresso lovers.

What plant family is coffee in?

Coffee beans are from the Coffea genus of the Rubiaceae family. Rubiaceae is one of the largest plant families, with over 13,000 species (10). It includes many different types of coffee, some dye plants, decorative plants, and even the source of anti-malaria medication.

What is Liberica coffee?

Liberia coffee is another species in the Coffea genus, native to Liberia. It is not widely grown commercially, accounting for about 1.5% of crops worldwide. The absolute best Liberica coffee is known for its sweet fruit and floral flavors, unusual woody aftertaste, and low caffeine levels.

References

1. World Coffee Research. (n.d.). History of Robusta. Retrieved from https://varieties.worldcoffeeresearch.org/robusta-2/history-of-robusta
2. Walton, J. (2021, August 18). The 5 Countries That Produce the Most Coffee. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/091415/5-countries-produce-most-coffee.asp
3. Science Direct. (n.d.). Coffea. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/coffea
4. Nespresso. (n.d.). Arabica vs Robusta Coffee – What’s The Difference? Retrieved from https://www.nespresso.com/au/en/news/arabica-vs-robusta-coffee-whats-the-difference
5. Scalabrin, S., Toniutti, L., Di Gaspero, G. et al. A single polyploidization event at the origin of the tetraploid genome of Coffea arabica is responsible for the extremely low genetic variation in wild and cultivated germplasm. Sci Rep 10, 4642 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61216-7
6. Nguyen Coffee Supply. (2022, January 21). Where Is Robusta Coffee Grown? Retrieved from https://nguyencoffeesupply.com/blogs/news/where-is-robusta-coffee-grown
7. National Coffee Association. (n.d.). 10 Steps from Seed to Cup. Retrieved from https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/10-Steps-from-Seed-to-Cup
8. Craves, J. (2006, February 5). The problems with sun coffee. Retrieved from https://www.coffeehabitat.com/2006/02/the_problems_wi/
9. Kornman, C. (2019, June 3). A Guide to Carbonic Maceration and Anaerobic Fermentation in Coffee. Retrieved from https://dailycoffeenews.com/2019/06/03/a-guide-to-carbonic-maceration-and-anaerobic-fermentation-in-coffee/
10. Bremer, B and Eriksson, T. Time Tree of Rubiaceae: Phylogeny and Dating the Family, Subfamilies, and Tribes. International Journal of Plant Sciences 2009 170:6, 766-793. Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/599077