Beans, Beans, the Beautiful Fruit

Cultivation, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping, roasting, packaging and brewing are all factors which, individually and collectively, contribute significantly to the taste of the coffee you drink. This process all begins with the coffee shrub itself, an evergreen that grows around the world in over 80
tropical or subtropical countries. The tree grows up to a height of fifteen feet, and will produce fruit, called “cherries,” after three to five years. Each cherry normally contains two beans that are surrounded by a protective silver skin, then a layer of parchment, the pulp, and finally the outer skin, which reddens with ripening. Because cherries mature at different rates, multiple pickings, which are done by hand, are necessary for each tree. A tree will produce about one pound of coffee beans per year.

The two coffee species grown for commercial production are Coffea robusta and Coffea arabica.

The higher-yielding robusta plant normally grows at lower elevations and is less expensive to grow. Robusta beans contain twice as much caffeine as arabica. Unfortunately, robustas typically produce harsh, bitter-tasting coffee; so these beans usually make their way to the mass-produced canned coffees of the United States. (Most other countries won’t even touch robustas because of their inferior flavors.)

Grown at higher elevations and more difficult and costly to grow are the arabicas. The best of the best arabicas are grown between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. In addition, minimum rainfall requirements for various soil and climate types, and the shade of taller flora must be present in the right mix to produce the world's most renowned, sought-after beans that are prized by discriminating importers and specialty roasters. It should also be noted that there are inferior arabicas as well, so just because a package says that it is “Arabica” doesn’t mean the beans are good. Questioning your coffee roaster and trusting your own taste buds can verify the quality!

Not All Coffees Are Created Equal

While larger “institutional” companies are infamous for using the less remarkable, cheaper, lower-grade beans, some specialty roasters are also guilty of cutting cost corners. These roasters are somewhat easy to identify, because their roasts are so dark and oily that the roast itself (actually, the carbon) overpowers the flavor of the bean. To further obscure inferior flavor, some roasters may add syrups and flavorings to the roasted beans, or create blends of acceptable/non-acceptable beans.

Perfect Beans Roasted Perfectly

Conscientious specialty coffee roasters buy only the best beans available.
Then, through much trial and error, they develop roast profiles (which are sort of
recipes) that extract the most flavor from any given type of bean. Furthermore,
they properly store and package the beans to ensure freshness and maximum
flavor. The dedicated roaster, then, invests a great deal of time, expense, and
expertise to provide the coffee lover with a truly satisfying cup of coffee.