May 19 2010
Beans Coffee
Everything has a beginning and tracing something back to its beginnings is the best way to determine what the traits are that make it what it is. The same is true of coffee. To find out what makes that one certain coffee the most flavorful or the smoothest, one must go back all the way back to its origins, the beans of coffee that start the process.
The actual process of getting the coffee bean from the plant to the coffee cup is a long, slow process that Mother Nature and many years of growing traditions influence the most. Coffee beans come from the coffee plant, which is grown in many countries around the world. The area that the coffee is grown in plays a huge part in the ultimate flavor of the coffee.
Coffee beans that are considered by many people to be the absolute best come from countries with humid, moist soils in high altitudes. The soil in these areas tends to be more acidic than other regions, which adds to the flavor of the coffee bean and locks in the moisture. Brazil and Columbia are too of the top producers of coffee, most likely due their high elevations and moist, warm climates that are ideal for coffee growing.
Coffee Berries on the Tree
Areas with volcanic activity also produce excellent coffee beans. Hawaii, producer of the Kona coffee bean, is a region that is located in a volcanic area and produces one of the most popular and sought after coffee. The amount produced isn’t nearly as much as other countries, which make it even more sought after.
The main two types of coffee beans grown are Arabica and Robusta, with the Arabica been the more popular of the two. The Arabica bean is sometimes known as mountain coffee due to being grown in higher, cooler regions. These higher regions do cause the growth process to be slower and one bush only produces about a pound of coffee, which means that the coffee plantations must be large in order to produce large amounts of coffee.
Even though Brazil and Columbia are the most popular growers of the Arabica bean, Ethiopia and Yemen are the original home of the Arabica coffee bean and still today these countries produce some outstanding coffee beans.
Arabica coffee has become the coffee of choice in many coffee shops. It is also the main ingredient in the pre-ground coffee that is purchased in supermarkets; however, these pre-ground coffees are often a mixture of Arabica and Robusta.
Getting to the bottom of a good cup of coffee often means starting at the top of a tall mountain in a far away country. The beans found here will help create an eye-opening cup of coffee that is brewed day after day.
-Sharon Chapman