Coffee Beans....It All Starts Here!

Actually, a coffee bean isn't really a bean, but rather the seed of the coffee plant.

There are two main types of coffee beans: Coffea Arabica,more commonly referred to as "Arabica" and Coffea Canephora, or Robusta.

These two types make up over 90% of beans sold worldwide. Arabica typically produce higher quality coffees, while Robusta produce a heartier flavor.

More than 70% of the world’s coffee is Arabica. There are more than 6,000 varieties of Arabica coffee beans grown in the world and 25 types of beans.

The growing process for Arabic coffee is similar to Robusta coffee beans.

It starts with a tree that first flowers and then produces a ripe “cherry” which contains two seeds. The seeds, or beans, are then removed from the flesh of the “cherry.” When the beans are dried, they are sorted and labeled.

Next they must be roasted, and sorted into categories of light, medium-light, medium, medium-dark, dark, or very dark. A coffee plant will only produce about one pound of coffee of Arabica in a year, so the plantations must be very large.

Arabica coffee is also known as ‘mountain coffee.’ It is planted at 1,000-2,000 feet above sea level in higher, cooler elevations.

The deep flavor and aroma of arabica coffee comes from the fact that it grows more slowly.

Beans grown at higher elevations are harder and better in quality, but they are also susceptible to frost, pests and disease, so the beans are harder to protect and harvest.

The beans ripen at different times, so they must be hand-picked at intervals. This accounts, in part, for the higher price.

Coffee houses and cafes usually serve Arabica coffee, but when purchased from the grocery story it is often used in a blend with Robusta coffees and adds body to the blend. Blending the Arabica coffee with Robusta coffee simply adds a hint of flavor and body to the coffee.

Even though Arabica coffee is more expensive than Robusta coffee, for most it is worth the price.

Arabica coffee types taste and smell differently. Some smell like spices or nuts, while others have distinctive tastes.

All in all, Arabica coffees have just the right level of acidity and flavor that makes a great cup of coffee.

All this talk of coffee beans has me heading for the coffee maker...how about you?