Behind the Scenes at a Coffee Farm
Botanical Basics
Coffee is a berry seed. The berries — usually called cherries — grow in mountainous regions across the world’s equatorial belt. This winter, I visited coffee farms for the first time, and took lots of photos to share. In this post, we’ll explore foundational facts about the coffee plant.
Have you ever heard a specialty coffee described as floral? Well, that’s not so strange. The coffee fruit is preceded by a beautiful, creamy white flower. It smells like jasmine, and is self-pollinating.
Coffee cherries grow on densely foliated shrubs. If I squint, a flowering coffee shrub reminds me of the rhododendron bushes in my home state of Washington. The range of possible height and circumference approximates a rhody bush, too.
There are two main species of coffee: Coffea Canephora (commonly called Robusta) and Coffea Arabica. Robusta is hardy and easy to grow, but produces a bitter, harsh-tasting coffee. It’s commonly used in cheap instant coffees, and other low-quality products. Arabica is very different. Its seeds contain twice the sugars and fats, and taste sweet and complex. This makes Arabica the go-to for specialty coffee, and the only species that Sudden works with.
Picture the produce section at your grocery store. See the oranges and apples? They are different species, like Robusta and Arabica. Now, look at the different types of apple. They are all the same species (apple), but they’re different varieties of that species (Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith). Coffee is the same way — within the Arabica species, there are many varieties. Their leaves and fruit are all distinct in appearance, and most importantly they have slightly different flavors.
Each coffee-growing country prefers a specific handful of Arabica varieties. In Colombia, you’ll commonly see Caturra, Castillo, Colombia, & Bourbon. Most varieties ripen to dark red, but some are ripe when yellow. A few rare varieties ripen to pink or orange.
The cherry’s glossy skin contains a small portion of flesh, which has a flavor and texture similar to white grape or lychee. Sometimes it tastes like watermelon, flowers, or honey, differing based on variety and environmental factors. Dried coffee cherries are called cascara, and they can be brewed into a sweet, caffeinated infusion (try this cascara from 49th Parallel).
At the center of each coffee cherry are two large, pale seeds. You can pop them out of the fruit by squeezing — kind of like edamame at a Japanese restaurant. After a lot of processing, these seeds become the brown roasted “beans” we know as coffee (more on that to come!).
And you know what? That covers the most important botanical basics. Seriously. It’s a berry that grows on a shrub. There are infinite details to elaborate on — but now you have a more solid foundation than I did in my first year as a barista!
If you’re interested in learning more, please tell me what you’d like hear about! umeko@suddencoffee.com
