The coffee bean production process: from planting to roasting, do you know?

The coffee bean production process can be divided into four main stages: planting, picking, processing and roasting.

The first is the planting stage. Coffee trees usually grow at high altitudes and prefer warm and humid climates. Farmers will choose soil suitable for growing coffee trees and regularly water and fertilize to ensure the healthy growth of the trees. Generally speaking, it takes about 3 to 4 years for a coffee tree to start bearing fruit.

Next comes the picking stage. When the coffee cherries turn bright red, they are ripe. Farmers will pick these ripe cherries from the trees by hand or with the help of machines. This process needs to be done carefully to avoid damaging the cherries.

Then comes the processing stage. Soon after picking is complete, farmers process the harvested coffee cherries to remove the outer skin and pulp and expose the two coffee beans (also known as the "germ") inside. There are two main methods used for processing: dry and wet.

Dry processing involves drying the cherries in the sun before mechanically removing the skin and pulp. This method works best in areas with a drier climate, but takes longer to complete.

Wet processing, where the cherries are soaked in water before the outer layers are removed mechanically, generally produces higher quality beans, but also requires more water.

The final stage is roasting. During roasting, the coffee beans are subjected to high temperatures to change their taste and aroma. Generally speaking, lighter roasts retain the original flavor and acidity, while darker roasts produce a stronger and more bitter taste.

To sum up, before making a delicious cup of coffee, everything from planting to roasting plays an important role. Each stage requires farmers to cultivate carefully and strictly control each link to ensure the quality of the final product.