The Plant
The coffee plant belongs to the "rubiacee" family and can grow spontaneously
and reach heights of 8-10 meters depending on species. In the plantations of
course the height never gets beyond 2 meters. It blooms only in grounds rich
of mineral salts like the volcanic ones of Central America, South America and
East Africa. The ideal climate for coffee is damp and with average
temperatures between 17 and 23 degrees Celsius. The harvestings periods are
determined by amount or rainfall; the plant generally blooms after several
weeks from the rainfall. After 7-8 months of the blooming it's possible to
pluck the fruit, the "drupe".
When completely ripe the fruits are much like berries, united in clusters and attached to the branch by thin stalks. These berries contains two seeds, called "beans", surrounded by the sweet pulp. After harvest, the pulp is separated from the seeds by applying one of two methods: the dry method or the wet method. With the 1st method the fruits are allowed to dry in the sun and then following that smashed to separate the membrane from the seeds. With the second method (utilized with the more fancier species) the drupes are dipped in large tanks of water where they ferment. After fermentation they are removed from the tanks, stripped of their pulp and again allowed to dry in the sun. The final outcome of both the methods are the green beans that are traded in big sacks of jute.
The Species
In nature there exist more than 80 different species of coffee, but
only four are utilized in the coffee trade.
Arabica coffee for its high quality considered among the best coffees. Probably originating in Ethiopia this species contains little caffeine and is the most traded of all coffees. It's farmed especially in South America but also in Asia and Africa. Among the most famous and appreciated types are: Moka, Burbon, Maragogype, Caturla, Mundo Novo, and Nacional.
Coffea Canephora, also called Robusta, originating from Central Africa is of lower quality but grows more rapidly and as the name suggests is more resilient that others. The presence of caffeine in Robusta is much higher than in Arabica. Robusta represents one quarter of the world-traded production of coffee.
Coffea Liberica, originating in the forests of the "golden coast", grows in tropical and subtropical areas, but due to the variability of quality it's seldom farmed.
Coffe Eccelsa, is less popular for the same reasons as Liberica. The seeds resemble the Robusta ones, while its leaves and its growth are like Liberica ones.