Coffee bean farming: from seed to flavor

Seed selection and preparation

The coffee bean cultivation process begins with seed selection and preparation. High-quality coffee beans need to be picked from healthy, mature coffee trees with good genes. These ripe coffee fruits are called "cherries", which are usually bright red or yellow with a smooth and shiny surface.

After harvesting, farmers soak the cherries in water to remove the pulp and separate the kernels, which contain two coffee beans. The kernels are then dried, graded and screened through sieves.

Sowing and germination

Once the coffee beans are dry and healthy, the next step is planting, where farmers plant the beans in fertile soil under ideal temperature and humidity conditions.

After a period of weeks to months, you can finally see the first seedlings begin to sprout. This stage requires patience and ensuring that sufficient sunlight and water are provided to promote the growth of the seedlings.

Coffee tree growth and management

Once coffee trees start growing, farmers need to manage them regularly. This includes tasks such as pruning, weeding, fertilizing, and pest control.

To ensure that the coffee trees get enough sunlight, farmers regularly prune branches and leaves, remove weeds, and apply the right amount of organic fertilizer to provide nutrients.

At the same time, farmers also need to pay close attention to whether the plants are attacked by pests and diseases. If any abnormalities are found, they will take corresponding measures to prevent and control them and ensure the healthy growth of the plants.

Flowering and fruiting

After about three to five years, the coffee tree will begin to bloom and bear fruit. These white flowers usually bloom in the spring and have a strong and fragrant aroma.

Over time, under the right conditions (such as temperature, humidity and soil quality), these flowers gradually transform into coffee cherries. These cherries are initially green and then gradually turn red or yellow.

Harvest and processing

When the coffee cherries are fully ripe, farmers will harvest them. They will carefully select those coffee cherries that are perfect in appearance and ripe, and pick them by hand.

The cherries are then sent to a processing plant where the outer layer of the cherries is first removed and the two coffee beans inside are separated.

Next, the beans go through washing, fermentation, and drying steps, which are designed to remove any remaining pulp and other impurities and bring the beans to an ideal moisture content.

Baking and tasting

The final step is to roast the clean, dry and high-quality coffee beans. Different degrees of roasting will produce coffee with different taste and flavor characteristics.

After roasting, the beans are cooled, tasted and evaluated. Professional tasters evaluate the quality of the coffee based on its aroma, acidity, bitterness and mouthfeel.

Finally, after a series of steps including seed selection, sowing and germination, tree management, flowering and fruiting, and harvesting, we can taste that cup of fragrant and delicious coffee.