Where Does Coffee Come From? Know Your Cup Of Coffee Better!

Martha Martins
Oct 13, 2023 By Martha Martins
Originally Published on Mar 08, 2022
Cup of coffee, bag and scoop on old rusty background
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 10.9 Min

Do you have any idea where your coffee comes from?

Most people don’t think about it, but coffee is a crop that is grown in different parts of the world. Coffee comes from the coffee plant.

Coffee plants are generally between 5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m) tall. A mature coffee plant can grow up to 40 ft (12.2 m). The coffee plant has dark-green waxy leaves that resemble those of tea shrubs with glossy surfaces on top, which makes them look almost metallic.

A coffee plant can become a coffee tree when it’s about five years old and reaches a height of about 6-15 ft (1.8-4.6 m). Coffee trees will start producing flowers that will turn into coffee cherries.

Coffee cherries grow in clusters. A coffee cherry will have two coffee seeds or coffee beans. There are different varieties of coffee, and each type has its own unique flavor profile.

In this blog post, we will discuss where coffee comes from and some of the different types of coffee that are available. We will also talk about how to choose the best cup of coffee for you!

History Of Coffee

Coffee has been around for centuries. It was first discovered in Ethiopia, where it grew in the wild, but farmers quickly realized they could cultivate this plant as well. Coffee cultivation began in the 15th century.

One of the origin stories of coffee traces its origin to Kaffa, from where it gets its name, where it grew natively before being introduced elsewhere by traders. The coffee from Kaffa traveled through Africa on its way to Europe and Asia Minor!

A popular legend about where does coffee comes from tells us that an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi noticed his goats became more energetic after eating berries off a tree in his herd’s area.

By the 16th century, coffee production was evident in other regions like Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. Several public coffee houses called qahveh khaneh were seen in the cities. At the beginning of the 17th-century, coffee shops were being opened in Europe.

Though there was a good response, some people feared the beverage and named it the bitter invention of Satan. The local churches were not pleased with the drink when it came to Venice.

Soon several rumors and controversies began. Pope Clement VIII was asked to make a decision. As he was skeptical, he opted to taste the drink.

The pope found the beverage to be both relaxing and delicious. He even gave it his papal blessing.

In the major European cities of England, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland, cafes serving coffee quickly became a thing. They evolved into social hotspots. Over 3000 coffee houses were functional in England by the mid-17th century, and London housed many of these coffee houses.

How do you grow coffee?

Coffee is grown on large plantations where they are cultivated with care and attention. The coffee plants grow from seeds, which are planted into soil that has been prepared for them by adding nutrients and watering regularly.

They will bloom after several months or years, depending on the type of plants being grown; some take longer than others to produce fruit (the process of flowering).

Once the flowers blossom, coffee plants will eventually produce a small green berry that contains two beans inside. These berries are picked by hand or by machines when it turns red in color and then dried for several weeks before being roasted at high temperatures so their natural sugars caramelize into delicious flavors!

When the coffee is ground up finely enough, it can be used to make coffees where you see the familiar pods in stores.

A coffee tree likes a warm climate and a mountainous region and will grow best where the temperature is between 60-80 F (15.5 -26.7 C). They need plenty of water but should not be over-watered; otherwise, they will become susceptible to mold and other diseases.

Coffee plants also enjoy high levels of humidity, so misting your coffee plants every day or using a humidifier in their growing environment is ideal. It is important to take care of your coffee plant, so they stay healthy.

Keep them out of direct sunlight and water them regularly with an organic fertilizer every three months or more often if needed. Coffee plants can be grown indoors where there is plenty of light available during the day but not too much at night time because this will cause them to wilt and die off prematurely before producing fruit.

Cappuccino in a glass on the table

Where is coffee grown?

Several regions across the globe grow coffee, including Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America. There are different varieties of coffee that are specific to each region.

For example, African coffees tend to be fruity and floral, while Asian coffees are often associated with a strong, rich, and spicy taste. The top coffee-producing countries are Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. These countries produce the majority of the world’s coffee.

How is coffee harvested?

The ripe cherries are harvested when they turn red. There are two principal ways of harvesting coffee beans: by hand or by machine.

Hand-picking takes place where the fruit grows best and requires skilled workers who know where to look for ripe berries among all those leaves! It’s not an easy job because each plant needs its own attention, so there will always be enough time spent on picking just one type of bean.

In order to harvest coffee manually, you need special gloves that protect your hands from being scratched by thorns on branches where fruits grow; this could cause injuries, so it’s important not only for workers but also those who consume them!

The coffee producers work longer during the harvesting season, and the climate where the coffee is grown also determines the need for coffee picking.

On the other hand, machines can do the work in a fraction of the time, and they don’t require special gloves or training.

However, not all places where coffee grows are suited for machine harvesting because it depends on how accessible the fruit is and how even the distribution of berries is on the plant. There are a lot of different ways that people can harvest their coffee beans.

We’ll take a look at some common methods and how they might affect your cup o’ joe!

The first step in the process is to remove all fruits from branches where they grow. This is usually done by mechanical harvesters that use a comb-like device to pluck the berries off of the plant.

There are different types of machines that can be used for this process, but they all have one common goal: removing the fruit in the quickest and most efficient way possible!

After all the fruits have been removed from the branches, the beans need to be sorted. This is usually done by machines that use optical scanners to identify different types of coffee beans.

The scanner will read the color, size, and shape of each bean in order to determine whether it is a ripe or unripe berry. The next step is cleaning the coffee beans. This is done by a machine called a destoner, which removes any foreign objects or debris from the beans.

The beans are then ready to go through the roasting process! The flavor of the coffee is highly influenced by the roasting process.

What are the different types of coffee?

There are many types of coffee, but the three most common coffee species are Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora (Robusta), and Liberica.

Arabica coffee is the most famous variety of coffee beans and accounts for about 75-80% of world production. Arabica beans come from the Coffea arabica plant.

It is grown at high altitudes where temperatures are cooler, producing a less acidic flavor profile with fruity undertones. Arabica coffee is grown in many parts of the world, including Central America, Africa, and Indonesia.

Arabica coffee is made by harvesting the coffee bean and then drying it in the sun or in a roaster. The dried bean is then roasted to achieve the desired flavor profile. Arabica beans are known for their smooth flavor profile.

The Arabica beans are also less acidic than other types of coffee, and they have a slightly sweet taste. Latin America, especially Brazil, is the largest producer of Arabica coffee beans.

Robusta coffee beans are grown in Central Africa and Southeast Asia. It is known for its bold, earthy flavor and high caffeine content. Robusta beans are also more resistant to pests and diseases, so they are often used in commercial coffees.

Robusta coffee was first discovered in Congo in the 19th century. The robusta coffee plant grows best at higher elevations up to 2624.7 ft (800 m) above sea level, where there is more sunlight and cooler temperatures, just like wine grapes! There are many types of robusta plants with varying flavors; however, they all share similar characteristics.

The Robusta beans are earthy, nutty, and chocolatey. Robusta beans are smaller than Arabica beans.

Most of the robusta coffee beans are grown in Africa and Indonesia. Vietnam produces a significant proportion of these beans in the world. Robusta coffee beans contain higher amounts of caffeine than arabica coffee beans.

Liberica coffee is a type of coffee that is grown in the Philippines. It has a unique flavor profile, and it is becoming increasingly popular in the United States.

Liberica coffee beans are large and do not have a regular shape, and they have a deep red color or orangish tinge. The flavor of Liberica coffee is earthy and nutty, with hints of chocolate.

Liberica coffee is a great choice for people who want to try something different, and it is perfect for those who enjoy dark roast coffees.

Instant coffee is a type of coffee that has been brewed and dried into a powder or granule form. It’s made by extracting the flavor and aroma from roasted coffee beans and then drying them out so they can be stored and used later on.

Instant coffee was first invented around 1890, and it became popular because it was so much easier than brewing a full pot of coffee. You can make instant coffee with water, milk, or both, and it’s ready in just minutes!

What are the benefits of drinking coffee?

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Aside from its great taste, coffee has many benefits that make it a desirable drink to start your day with or enjoy during any time of the day.

Here are some of the major benefits of drinking coffee: Caffeine gives you an energy boost and helps you stay awake. Coffee is excellent for your brain as it gives you more energy to focus and think better.

Drinking coffee helps improve physical performance and increase endurance during exercise or other activities that require strength and stamina. If you drink coffee at night, it can help you sleep better because caffeine has a natural sedative effect on your brain. Coffee seeds have a lot of antioxidants.

Did You Know...

Coffee trees can produce anywhere from 100 to 200 lb (45.4-90.7 kg) of coffee cherries per year. Coffee beans come from coffee cherries, which are the fruit of the coffee plant.

The coffee cherry has two seeds inside of it, and these are where the coffee bean is located. To attain different flavors, different ways of roasting coffee beans are applied, and they can also be blended with other types of beans to create unique flavor profiles. The lifespan of a coffee plant is 20 years.

Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is the most expensive type of coffee in the world. This coffee is made from beans that have been eaten and expelled by civets, small mammals found in Southeast Asia. Kopi Luwak sells for anywhere from $100-600 per pound! It is mainly found in Indonesia.

One of the unique coffee beans comes from the island of Jamaica. The blue mountain coffee beans are grown in a small section of the mountain towards the east of the island.

There are over 100 coffee species, but only a handful of them are commercially available. The term coffee belt refers to a region in which the climate, elevation, soil quality, and rainfall are optimal for growing robusta or arabica plants that produce different types of coffee.

It mainly refers to parts of Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant that is found in coffee. Consumption of caffeine can have benefits for health, but moderation is key.

In the UK, an average consumer’s caffeine intake is two cups daily. The Food Standards Agency recommends healthy adults should not exceed 0.014 oz (400mg) of caffeine per day, the equivalent of four to five cups of coffee.

Coffee production is a major economic driver in many countries. Coffee production also has a significant environmental impact. The deforestation caused by coffee farming threatens the habitats of many animals, while the use of pesticides and fertilizers can contaminate water supplies. In addition, coffee processing generates large amounts of waste.

When a coffee cherry only produces one coffee bean, it is called a peaberry. This unique single bean is known for its complex and full-bodied taste. Colombia is considered the best coffee-producing region in the world.

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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_coffee

https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/types-of-coffee/

https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/all-about-coffee/coffee-production-today#:~:text=Coffee grows in around eighty to some extent Indonesia.

https://www.coffeemasters.com/coffee-101/harvesting-of-coffee/#:~:text=Traditionally coffee is harvested byRobusta coffee is strip picked.

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Written by Martha Martins

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

Martha Martins picture

Martha MartinsBachelor of Arts specializing in Linguistics

Martha is a full-time creative writer, content strategist, and aspiring screenwriter who communicates complex thoughts and ideas effectively. She has completed her Bachelor's in Linguistics from Nasarawa State University. As an enthusiast of public relations and communication, Martha is well-prepared to substantially impact your organization as your next content writer and strategist. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to delivering high-quality work enables her to create compelling content that resonates with audiences.

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