10 Interesting Facts About the Coffee Bean Plant

One cannot deny the fact that thanks to the coffee bean plant, we can drink coffee every day. Being in a world that contains coffee should make us more responsive about the coffea plant and we should learn more about it. In this article, we will try to inform you about some interesting facts about the coffee plant, but first, let us give you some general information about the coffee plant.

What is Coffee Plant?

Coffee bean plant, also known as coffea is a type of plant that we get our coffee from. It can appear as shrubs or small trees and it is native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Its beans can be used as a flavor in some beverages and products. Furthermore, it contains a large amount of caffeine and has a distinct taste and smell. It is one of the world’s most traded commodities and it is one of the main revenue sources for many countries like Africa.

Although it contains about 120 species, the most popular one is coffea arabica which makes up 60-80% of the world’s coffee production while another common species, coffee robusta, makes up about 20-40% of the world’s coffee production. While Arabica is preferred for a sweeter taste, robusta is usually preferred for higher caffeine content.

10 Interesting Facts about the Coffee Plant

As a coffee community, we need to know more about the coffee plants. Have you ever wondered where it comes from or how it grows? In this part of the article, we will try to give you some little facts to help you understand the coffee better.

Coffee Is the Seed of a Cherry

Coffee bean fruit, also known as the cherry contains coffee beans that we use in our daily life. They are harvested when their color turns dark red and the harvesting process is usually made by hand or a machine. After harvesting, the coffee bean is separated from the fruit and dried before shipping for roasting or selling.

Bees Love Coffee Just Like We Do

Although most of us think that we are the only ones that love coffee, it is actually wrong. Bees love coffee as much as we do because when they feed on the nectar of the coffee flowers, the caffeine content in the coffee plant seeds makes them more energetic. Due to this energy boost, we can say they love coffee like us.

There Are Only Two Commercial Varieties of Coffee

Although there are about 120 varieties of the coffee plant, only two of them are commercially cultivated. These two types are the coffee arabica plant and robusta coffee. While Arabica is higher in quality and tastes better, robusta coffee is easier to grow and contains more caffeine.

The Coffee Plant Originated in Ethiopia

Have you ever wondered where the first coffee plant or coffee bean tree originated? The answer is the province of Kaffa in Ethiopia. Actually, as you can see, the term “coffee” comes from “Kaffa”. Coffee still grows in there, and it is currently one of Africa’s largest coffee producers.

Harder Coffee Is Produced in the Higher Elevations

If you think that growing coffee in the higher elevations results in complex and better taste, it is not true actually. The truth is coffees grown in the higher elevations are harder and mature slowly, therefore makes them more characteristic and more tasteful. It would not be a wrong decision to select coffees that are grown on mountains.

Coffee’s Taste is Unique to Where It Is Grown

Although there are many factors that could change the taste of the coffee beans such as soil, amount of sunlight, water, and altitude as we mentioned above, the main thing that makes coffee’s taste characteristic depends on where is it grown. In addition to this, coffee plant seeds that are grown in the same area can differ in taste greatly.

Coffee Beans Can Outlive Humans

Although we make use of coffee or grow them, they can actually outlive us. Their most productive years are 7 to 20 years but they can live up to 100 years which is more than the average human life.

Most of the Coffee Are Grown on the “Bean Belt”

Although there are many geographical regions that can grow coffee, most of the coffee that we produce and trade comes from the geographical area named “bean belt”. Bean Belt is a geographical area that lies along the equator.

Coffee Cherries Have Two Seeds

Coffee cherries that are grown on coffee bush or tree usually contain two beans. Coffee cherries that contain only one seed regarded as mutated and are called “peaberry”.

Coffee Plants Grow Very Slow

You may think that a coffee plant can grow in a couple of months, but that is actually wrong. It takes almost one year for coffee plants to grow and fully grow out their leaves. After one year, it takes 5 years to produce fruit.

Wrapping Up

We are so lucky to have coffee in our world as coffee lovers. Being able to obtain coffee and make use of it is a great opportunity for human beings and therefore we should learn more about the coffee plant and. After reading this article, we hope you have general information about coffee plants and some interesting facts about how coffee plants are grown.