Monthly Archives: January 2021
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Posted: January 27, 2021Categories: The Bean
Read more »Have you ever wondered what happens on a coffee farm? For one, your coffee beans are actually seeds and are called ‘coffee cherries’. And second, it can take up to five years before these coffee beans reach you. Let’s take a look at the fascinating journey your coffee bean takes before it’s sent to the roastery.
It Starts with a Seed
Your coffee bean’s great adventure starts with a humble seed. Freshly farmed (unprocessed) coffee beans are planted into rich soil in the nursery and left for about a month or two. Once these seedlings are big enough, they are planted for production where they are left to grow into coffee trees. Factors such as country of origin, climate, soil, altitude, wind and rainfall, will influence how the coffee will eventually taste, giving the coffee bean its unique taste profile. At this stage, the waiting game begins—coffee trees can take up to five years to produce fruits (Arabica trees take seven years!), which are the little cherries where the coffee beans are extracted from. It will take about another nine months before these coffee cherries are ripe enough to harvest.Harvesting
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Coffee cherries have to be harvested in stages because they don’t ripen at the same time. Photo from Daniel Reche.[/c
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Posted: January 20, 2021Categories: The Bean
Read more »You’ve probably heard of Arabica coffee, the world’s most popular coffee bean. Second to that is Robusta coffee, which makes up an estimated 40% of global coffee production. When combined, Arabica and Robusta make up close to 99% of coffee beans produced each year, with the rare Liberica making up for the remaining 1%. However, despite Robusta coffee’s high production, it is known to be the “least popular” option in the coffee world. But why? Read on to find out.
Growing Conditions and Characteristics
Robusta coffee beans are harvested from the plant Coffea canephora, which is easy to care for and has higher crop yields than Arabica coffee. Robusta coffee is mainly grown in Vietnam, which accounts for 40% of the world’s Robusta exports, followed by Brazil (25%) and Indonesia (13%). Robusta coffee grows at low altitudes, ranging from sea level to 600 metres. Arabica plants often grow between 2.5-3.5 metres in height compared to the taller Robusta plants, which reach from 4.5-6 metres. Robusta plants are robust just like its name - they can withstand high temperatures and large amounts of rainfall. Moreover, all it takes is 11 months for the Robusta plant to mature and be harvested.Caffeine Content
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Robusta coffee cherries are packed with caffeine, which acts as a pesticide. Photo from
