The host plant of coffee beans: explore the wonderful growth journey of coffee together

The wonderful journey of coffee growth

Coffee is one of the indispensable drinks in our daily life. However, have you ever thought about the wonderful growth journey hidden behind this cup of fragrant coffee? Its host plant, planting environment, picking and processing all have an important impact on the delicious taste that finally appears in front of us.

1. Host Plant: Coffee Tree

As a common shrub or small tree in tropical and subtropical regions, scientists named it "Coffea" . It can usually grow to 5-10 meters high and has dark green, smooth and shiny leaves. However, the most eye-catching and important part is its fruit - what we call "coffee beans".

There are dozens of varieties of Coffea , the most well-known and widely grown around the world to meet market demand include Arabica and Robusta. Arabica coffee beans are considered to be the best quality, with lower caffeine content and richer flavor. Robusta, on the other hand, usually contains higher caffeine and tastes relatively bitter.

2. Planting environment: unique and complex

Coffee trees are quite demanding in terms of their growing environment. They prefer warm, humid and stable climate conditions and need plenty of sunlight. This explains why most of the global production is concentrated in areas near the equator.

In addition, soil quality is also crucial for coffee growth. The host plant needs soil that is rich in nutrients, well-drained, and kept moderately moist for optimal growth. Some growers also build shade structures around the planting area to protect the trees from excessive sunlight exposure.

3. Harvesting and processing: from fruit to green beans

When coffee beans ripen, they turn bright red or dark purple. This is a signal that tells growers that they can start picking. The method of picking varies from region to region, with some places using manual labor and others using automated harvesting machines.

Whether it is picked by hand or machine, care must be taken during the process to avoid damaging the fruit. Once the fruit is collected, it needs to be processed to obtain the coffee beans we know as coffee.

First, in the dry process, growers dry the fruit in the sun, turning it regularly to ensure even drying. Then they remove the outer skin and the slimy inner pulp.

The opposite is wet processing, in which growers pass freshly washed coffee berries through a machine to remove the outer skin and mucilage, wash the remaining material with water, and then ferment the beans on special equipment for several days.

4. Baking: from green to fragrant

No matter which processing method is used, the final coffee beans are green. These green beans need to be roasted to bring out the aroma and taste we love.

During the roasting process, coffee beans are exposed to high temperatures to evaporate their internal moisture and produce chemical reactions. This process produces a series of complex and important chemical changes that give coffee its different flavor characteristics.

Depending on the taste and aroma requirements, people can choose light, medium or dark roasting. Light roasting usually retains the sourness and fragrance of the original coffee beans; medium roasting balances the sour, sweet and bitter elements; deep roasting brings a richer and bitter taste.

5. Final enjoyment: Savor the beauty

After a long and careful process, we can finally taste the freshly brewed coffee. Each cup is a story, a journey, in which we can feel the miracle created by nature and human wisdom.

So, when you taste a cup of fragrant coffee again, please remember the host plant, the planting environment, the picking and processing behind it. This will make you cherish the taste and value of every drop of coffee even more.