Coffee beans: are they beans?

Coffee beans: are they beans?

Coffee beans, as one of the foods widely used in our daily life, are not actually real beans. In this article, we will explore the origin, structure and characteristics of coffee beans, and explain why they are called "beans".

Origin and development

Coffee originated in Ethiopia, Africa, and has been picked and used by people for hundreds of years. At that time, people discovered that the seeds contained in the fruit of these plants could be made into a refreshing drink. Over time, people began to roast and grind these seeds into powder form to brew rich and mellow coffee.

Structure and characteristics

Although we habitually call them "coffee beans", in fact they are not "beans" in the traditional sense. As most people know, "real" peas, yellow flat beans, etc. are all vegetables or grains. The seeds produced by coffee are actually wrapped inside a fruit called a "drupe".

Coffee beans are usually oval or flat in shape, with a light to dark brown color. These seeds are picked when they are ripe and go through a series of processing steps to remove the pulp and the thin outer skin. In the end, we get dry and hard coffee beans.

Why are they called "beans"?

Although coffee beans are not true peas or other similar plant seeds, people are accustomed to calling them "coffee beans". This is mainly because they have similar characteristics to the traditional "peas": hard, round and edible.

Furthermore, in ancient languages, the word "bean" (the English equivalent of "bean") was widely used to describe a variety of similar granular foods. Thus, "coffee bean" (i.e. coffee granules) gradually evolved into the term used for coffee in modern English.

in conclusion

Although coffee beans are not actual beans, the term has become the standard for describing coffee. We can think of it as a customary name for the seeds that are roasted and ground into the aromatic coffee.

In short, although coffee beans are not "beans" in the traditional sense, they are similar to other plant seeds in form and use. In any case, these small seeds still play an important role and provide deliciousness and enjoyment in our daily lives.