The legend of Kaldi the shepherd and his goats is fascinating, but it doesn’t shed much light on coffee today. What is this plant that provides everything from a morning pick-me-up to a warming cocktail?
The Early Origins of Coffee
It is widely believed that coffee originates in the province of Kaffa in Ethiopia;. However, the actual date of the discovery of coffee is not reliably recorded; coffee was cultivated in Yemen in the 15th century (and probably before).
The Arabs tried to stop coffee beans from exportation to other countries, but eventually, the Dutch were successful in “exporting” coffee beans to Holland in 1616; the exportation of coffee then spread to the Dutch colonies in Indonesia.
The Introduction of Coffee into Europe and America
The coffee trade began in Europe in 1615 through Venetian traders, and Venice opened the first European coffeehouse in 1623; the exportation of coffee into Europe followed chocolate and tea. The use of coffee was first recorded in America in 1668, but it wasn’t until the 1720s that coffee cultivation began in the Americas. Coffee cultivation was introduced to Martinique by the French, to Jamaica by the British, and to Central and South America by the Dutch. Today, North America is the largest consumer of coffee.
The Ecology of Coffee
Coffee is a tropical plant that requires certain ecological factors to survive; these include water, the right temperature, wind, soil quality, and sunlight. Altitude levels also affect coffee cultivation’s success; this varies depending on the type of coffee species.
Botanically, coffee is classified in the Rubiaceae family, which makes it somewhat of a cousin to the gardenia. The coffee bush produces clusters of sweet-scented white flowers, eventually becoming a red berry that looks much like a large cherry. Inside that cherry are the two seeds, or coffee beans. The coffee berries are harvested by hand, and the seeds extracted. The seeds are then roasted and ground.
There are dozens of species of coffee, most growing wild in subtropical areas. There are far fewer species cultivated commercially, only about 10 varieties, and these can be broken down into two major groups – arabica and robusta.
What is Arabica Coffee?
According to the National Coffee Association, roughly 70% of the world’s commercially grown coffee is Coffea Arabica, better known as just arabica. These plants are the descendants of the original coffee trees found in Ethiopia and are generally considered to produce finer beans. Arabica beans also bring higher prices in world markets.
The varieties grown at higher sea levels usually produce better beans, but there is no “best height” for coffee production. The most important factors are actually the temperature and the climate. The plants prefer temperatures between 69 and 75 degrees and require about 60 inches of water a year.
Arabica plants are generally hearty, but they can be killed by heavy frost. They do require more attention because they are more prone to disease than the plants in the robusta category. They’re also more expensive to cultivate because the plants prefer the steeper, less accessible mountain terrains.
What is Robusta Coffee?
The scientific name for the robusta variety of coffee is Coffea Canephora. Most robusta coffee is grown in Central and Western Africa, Brazil, and parts of Southeast Asia. Although the beans are not as highly prized by gourmets, robusta plants have advantages over arabica varieties. Robusta trees are heartier and more pest and disease-resistant. They also tolerate higher temperatures, preferring the 75-85 degree range. Robusta beans also are higher in caffeine. They are more commonly used in coffee blends.
Arabica vs. Robusta
Both bean types came from the same plant family but are of different species. Their key differentiating factors are the flavors and the bean characteristics.
- Plant disease resistance: Arabica is more susceptible to plant diseases in comparison to Robusta. Thus, Robusta thrives well in lower altitudes while Arabica does not.
- Caffeine concentration: Robusta has higher 1.7-2.5% caffeine versus Arabica’s 0.8-1.4%.
- Sugar and acid content: Robusta has high chlorogenic and low sugar content, adding to the beans’ bitterness.
- Price: Since Robusta is easier to grow because of its resiliency from plant diseases, it is cheaper than Arabica.
- Bean appearance: Robusta beans are smaller and rounder, while the Arabica is larger and flat.
Origin of coffee
A coffee’s qualities largely depend on the region where it was grown. So in choosing your coffee, you might want to familiarize yourself with the most common coffee-growing regions:
- Latin America: nutty and chocolatey
- Africa/Arabia: fruity and floral
- Asia/Pacific: herbal, earthy, and spiced
Arabica beans can be grown in all regions, but most of the supplies are produced in Latin America. Meanwhile, Robusta beans are typically grown in Africa and Asia. Most of the coffees available in the market are blends of two or more beans from different regions. But if you want to try coffee made of beans from one region, try looking for single-origin coffee for that more cultural experience.
Why is Coffee Picked by Hand?
Hand-picking coffee beans are not only a long tradition but a practical necessity. One issue is the terrain. Most coffee is grown in mountainous regions, and even if mechanical equipment could be designed, it would be difficult to operate. And in some regions, coffee is grown alongside crops such as corn or beans for the first several years. In this way, the fields produce food while the coffee trees are too young to produce. Mixing crops in this fashion would make it almost impossible to use a mechanical picker.
The most important factor requiring the continued hand-picking of coffee, however, is the nature of the coffee bush itself. Coffee is not a seasonal crop, and coffee bushes produce continuously. A single bush will have new flowers, ripe coffee cherries, and every stage. Picking by hand ensures that only coffee cherries at the perfect stage are chosen.
Jay Kang
As a professional barista, it was more important for me to know the ins and out of what coffee means. So, I started this journey to unlock the appreciation and the love of coffee on my site.