Indonesia

How To Grow Coffee Beans

Posted on by blogger

Your cup of steaming hot coffee every morning isn’t something as easily prepared as you might think. Creating coffee needs more than just putting hot water and stirring sugar into it. It doesn’t even come in instant granules that we are so used to.

The coffee that we drink actually comes from the coffee plants that are cultivated in various parts of the globe. Brazil is the number one coffee producer in the world with a market share of about 30-35 percent. Most countries that produce coffee are from South and Central America and the Middle East. Some Asian countries like Indonesia and India also have coffee plantations.

Coffee plants are evergreen plants that are grown in specific situations. They need specific amounts of water, air and land in order for the flavor to be achieved. It involves a lot of back-breaking work and is pretty labor-intensive. This is perhaps why it is so hard to grow them.

Plants are sown as seedlings in what coffee-growers call nursery beds. The land needs to be well aerated since it should have a healthy amount of oxygen in the roots in order to grow well. After about 8-12 months, the seedlings are then replanted to the coffee fields where there are wet and fertilized holes.

As mentioned before, specific conditions must be kept true in order to cultivate a good coffee bean. Sunlight shouldn’t shine directly. In fact, diffused light is best. Moisture should also be kept constant with frequent and regular watering. The soil should also be fertilized and kept healthy by removing weeds and protecting them from pests.

When planted, it takes a long time before it can mature. The coffee grower needs to wait for about 5 years before his first crop.

What the trees look like Coffee trees are big and broad with dark green leaves. The flower, which resembles jasmine, is where the coffee granules are gotten. That is why harvest time are timed at the period when these flowers blossom. The fruits are also great sources of the coffee beans. The cherries or the berries will begin to come out about 6-8 months after.

It is a must that these fruits are harvested immediately as they can ripen easily- within 10 – 14 days. Manual harvesting is still preferred even if it takes a longer time. This is because the picker needs to keep the good beans apart from the bad ones.

The long wait is however very profitable for the coffee grower. One tree can produce about two pounds of beans, which is around 2000 coffee beans. After the harvest, the coffee beans are then processed. They are dried and then roasted. These coffee beans are then ready to be sold on the market where they will be grounded before being served.

Main Types Of Coffee Beans And Their Flavors

Posted on by blogger

Coffee beans are grown on trees in over seventy countries in the world, including, Brazil, US and Indonesia. Coffee trees are very sensitive to weather and require strict growing conditions and regardless of the fact that they are grown in so many countries, in reality the actual output of beans is rather small.

The coffee plant grows red/purple berry fruits and the seed of those fruits are coffee beans. And, prior to roasting it is very green and gummy. It is the roasting process that makes them dark and crunchy.

Coffee beans contain about 08 – 2.5% caffeine, which is what makes coffee the most popular beverage across the world, with an astounding 90% of North Americans drinking it. It is also the world’s second largest commodity, second only to oil. This makes it one of the biggest cash crops across the world, bringing a large amount of money for the countries that produce it.

The choice of coffee beans is really a personal one. Different beans yield very different flavors, aromas and bodies of coffee. The taste is usually a graduated one for many start with a basic cup of brew and their taste grows for a more sophisticated, stronger and flavorful coffee. The popularity of Starbucks is no accident as they produce a truly gourmet and rich tasting cup of joe.

Usually it is best to try a variety of beans and blends to determine your personal taste and preference.

3 Main Types of Coffee Beans

While there are hundreds of different coffee beans available depending on the region and grower, the following 3 are the basic and most widely used.

Kona

The Kona coffee beans are grown in Hawaii and are most known for producing a very rich and flavorful aroma of coffee. The Kona coffee bean produces a hardy and full bodied rich cup of coffee and is never used in blends of any kind because it is so good on its own. Kona beans are very expensive and so are not as popular as some of the less costly varieties. But, it is not easy to give up a cup of this brew once you’ve tried it.

Arabica

These coffee beans are very popular and especially in America where it accounts for many breakfast and domestic blends. Often blended with Robusta it adds a good body and flavor. Arabica is grown in several regions of the world with Indonesia producing the richest in flavor.

Robusta

Robusta coffee beans are more resilient than the others to weather and it is easier to grow and therefore less expensive. Often used in blends, it adds a nice kick of flavor and is known for bringing out the best in other types of coffee beans. Robusta coffee beans are also grown in different regions of the world each producing beans with their on unique flavor.

What Is The Difference Between Rosbusta And Arabica Coffee Beans

Posted on by blogger

There are two main species of coffee plants, Arabica and Canephora (Robusta).

The Robusta is a species of coffee that was originally grown in Central and Western Africa and brought to the islands of Indonesia in the 17th century by the Dutch. The Dutch began using the more robust Robusta coffee trees in the Indonesian islands due their resistance to disease, ease of cultivation in lower altitudes and warmer climates. The islands have become one of the best producers of Robusta coffee beans in the world.

However, Vietnam is the largest producer of Robusta coffee beans. Vietnam produces more than Brazil, India and Indonesia and has become the world’s largest exporter of Robusta. One-third of the coffee produced in the world is Robusta. It is cheaper to produce and of lower quality than Arabica beans, making it better suited for filler in lower grade coffee blends. Robusta is usually included in instant coffee and espresso blends. There is two times more caffeine in Robusta than in Arabica coffee beans and it appeals to people seeking a stronger flavor of coffee and a more complex flavor than Arabica. The French coffee makers use Robusta blends as do the Dutch. 70 percent of French coffee comes from Robusta beans.

The Arabica coffee bean is the “cream of the crop” of premier coffee beans. Its origins date back to about 1000 BC in Ethiopia. The Oromos tribe of Ethiopia ate the bean for a stimulant. They crushed the bean and mixed it with fat to make a ping-pong ball size treat. Arabica got its name when the bean was transported from Ethiopia to Yemen and the lower Arabian Peninsula.

The Arabica coffee bean is considered to be mild in taste and a seductive evocation of sweetness, light and mountain air. Many refer to it as the Merlot of coffee and it is said to produce better coffee than the other major commercially grown coffee beans like Robusta.

Of premier coffee beans, Arabica also contains less caffeine than Robusta beans. Coffee made from Arabica beans has an intense, intricate aroma that can be reminiscent of flowers, chocolate, caramel, fruit, honey and/or toasted bread. Its caffeine content does not exceed 1.5 percent of its weight. Because of its superior quality and taste, Arabica sells for a higher price than its hardy, rougher cousin, the Robusta bean.

Now here’s a question for you–Which beans or blend of beans do you think Starbuck serves?

Copyright (c) 2011 Sandra Tiffany