The Coffee Plant – From Flower to Coffee Cherry
When we talk about coffee, we usually talk about beans. Ethiopia. Colombia. Brazil. Natural process. Washed process. Light roast. Espresso. But before coffee becomes any of those things, it starts as a plant. And surprisingly, the coffee plant is a pretty fascinating bit of agriculture.
So… is coffee a bean?
Technically, no. What we call a coffee bean is actually the seed of a fruit. That fruit is usually called a coffee cherry because, when ripe, it often turns red, although some varieties produce yellow, orange or even pinkish cherries.
Inside the cherry you'll normally find two seeds facing each other. These are the things we eventually roast and grind to make coffee. So the next time someone says they like their coffee "bean to cup", you can remind them that it actually started as a fruit.
Meet Coffea
Coffee belongs to the genus Coffea, which contains many different species. The two species most important commercially are: Coffea arabica – usually simply called Arabica.Coffea canephora – commonly known as Robusta.
Arabica is native to Ethiopia, where the species has its greatest genetic diversity. Robusta originated in the forests of western sub-Saharan Africa. And these aren't simply two different "types of beans". They are different species with different genetics, growing characteristics and responses to their environment.
What does a coffee tree look like?
Left to grow naturally, a coffee plant can become surprisingly tall. Commercial coffee farming, however, usually involves pruning the plants to keep them at a manageable height. This makes harvesting easier and encourages productive growth. The plant has glossy green leaves, white flowers and, eventually, coffee cherries. And those flowers are something special.
Coffee flowers
Coffee flowers are small, white and beautifully fragrant. They can look a little like jasmine. But the flowers don't stick around for long. After flowering, the plant begins developing the fruit that will eventually become the coffee cherry. This is where things get interesting.
A coffee plantation can have flowers, green cherries and ripe cherries on the same plant at the same time. That means harvesting coffee isn't always as simple as picking everything at once.
From flower to cherry
Once the flower has been pollinated, the fruit begins to develop. The green cherry slowly grows and changes as it matures. Eventually, depending on the variety, it develops its characteristic ripe colour. Inside are usually two seeds. These seeds are surrounded by layers of fruit and protective material that have to be removed during coffee processing.
Only after processing do we get what the coffee industry calls green coffee. And green coffee is what we buy from producers and eventually put into the roaster.
Coffee plants are fussy
This is one of the reasons we should probably appreciate our coffee a little more. Coffee plants don't just grow happily anywhere. They need the right combination of temperature, rainfall, sunlight, soil and drainage.
Altitude can also have a major influence on the environment in which coffee grows. And farmers have to deal with pests and diseases, including coffee leaf rust, coffee berry disease and various insects.
As we've mentioned before on the Al-Gharb blog, coffee plants generally take around three to five years to reach an age where they can produce their first meaningful harvest.
That's a long wait for your first coffee crop.
Comments