Where does coffee come from?
Coffee is one of the oldest drinks consumed worldwide.
The region, altitude, and even the soil it was grown from add to the flavour of every cup of coffee you drink.
Whether it is from rich volcanic soil or high altitudes, the geography of your coffee adds to its unique and rich flavour.
Find out what makes your cup of coffee so unique, and which coffee-growing region makes your favourite.
What is coffee?
Coffee comes from a tall, bushy evergreen plant often categorised as a shrub. This plant produces red, cherry-like berries that contain the coffee bean. When grown in the wild, these coffee plants can grow up to 10 feet tall. After 3-5 years of growth, this plant begins to bloom.
The blooms of the coffee plant are small, white flowers that smell remarkably like jasmine. After six months of producing pollen from the blooms to stimulate reproduction, the coffee plant begins to grow cherries instead of flowers.
Depending on the variety of coffee plant, these berries can be red, pink, orange, or yellow. Each coffee cherry starts as an unripened green color and matures to contain two seeds. These seeds are what we know as coffee beans.
During the harvesting of the coffee cherries, their skin and pulp are removed to separate the seeds, which are then dried and roasted. Coffee cherries do not ripen simultaneously, so several harvesting periods are required to pick them all.
Although they are technically edible, the coffee cherry has thick skin and hardly any meat. This makes it unsuitable for eating raw. The coffee cherry contains little to no nutritional value, although it tastes pleasantly sweet.
The soil, elevation, and variety of coffee plants are all factors that determine the flavour of the final brew of coffee. Because of this, there are hundreds of variations, blends and brews to choose from.
What are the origins of coffee?
Coffee has been around for centuries, which makes finding its origins quite difficult.
Although there is no written history about the discovery of coffee, popular legends say that the energising properties of this plant were discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi.
Kaldi noticed that some of his goats suddenly had tons of energy and required little sleep. To figure out why, Kaldi paid close attention to what his goats were eating. He discovered that these bursts of energy were a direct result of eating coffee cherries.
Kaldi shared his discovery with a local monastery, who eventually began growing their own version of this native plant.
As time went on, the monastery created a 'tea' brewed from the cherries of the coffee plant to energise people during long prayers. This 'magical' energy drink was then traded far and wide, until it became the delicious coffee we enjoy today.
Types of coffee plants
Although there are many types of coffee plants, only two varieties are commonly used today: Arabica and Robusta.
These two coffee bean varieties contain different innate flavour profiles, acidity levels, sweetness and caffeine.
Some coffee producers choose one coffee variety over the other, but a majority use a combination of the two.
Arabica Coffee
Arabica coffee is named after its place of origin. This coffee plant consists of 60% of all coffee drank worldwide.
Part of its popularity is due to the unique and delicate flavour profile Arabica coffee produces when harvested and prepared properly.
Arabica coffee has a complex chemical structure that allows it to produce subtle flavours such as florals, citrus fruits, and berries. It contains twice as much sugar as Robusta coffee, making it the preferred choice for many.
Its delicious flavour is instantly lovable but is not the reason why Arabica coffee is significantly more expensive than Robusta coffee. Arabica coffee’s complex chemical structure allows it to have a distinctive flavour, but its complexity also makes it difficult to grow.
The Arabica coffee plant is extremely temperamental and will only grow in certain regions that have both a high elevation and temperate weather conditions. It is highly susceptible to cold, disease and insects, which makes it more expensive to grow and harvest.
Robusta Coffee
Robusta coffee has a much simpler chemical structure than Arabica coffee. This allows Robusta coffee to be more resistant to harsh weather conditions, and its robust nature is what gave Robusta coffee its name.
Robusta coffee contains half the amount of sugar that Arabica coffee contains. Its simplistic chemical structure means that Robusta coffee beans do not have the taste many have come to expect from their coffee.
Robusta coffee can be described as rubbery or woody with an intense flavour. Although it is not as sweet as Arabica coffee, Robusta coffee contains significantly more caffeine.
Many coffee companies that boast high caffeine content create blends from Robusta coffee beans.
The high caffeine content of Robusta coffee also makes it highly resistant to insects and other diseases. As such, it is much less expensive to grow and often finds itself in coffee blends marketed as Arabica coffee.
Where is coffee grown?
Coffee comes from a plant that needs a very specific environment to grow in. One area of the world commonly referred to as the “Bean Belt” has made itself known as the best place to grow coffee plants.
The Bean Belt is an area around the equator between the Tropic of Capricorn and Cancer that boasts high humidity, high altitude, and volcanic soil. Central America, South America, the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Africa are all considered part of the Bean Belt.
Among these regions, areas that have an elevation between 800 and 2,200 meters above sea level create the perfect climate for growing flavourful coffee beans. Although all the areas in the Bean Belt share a similar climate, the soil the coffee is grown in can create vastly different tastes.
The various tastes of each region within the Bean Belt have created the common phrase, “geography is a taste.” Many coffee production companies will market coffee beans grown from a single region as single-origin coffee.
Single-origin coffees are renowned for their distinguished flavours and often delicate flavour profiles. Guatemalan coffee, for example, has a toffee-like sweetness to it, while Ethiopian coffee tastes like jasmine and blueberry.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is commonly thought to be the birthplace of coffee, due to its perfect climate for the coffee plant.
Ethiopia is renowned for growing delicious Arabica coffee beans with bright flavours.
Citrus fruits and florals are a distinguishing flavour note of Ethiopian coffee.
Most Ethiopian coffee blends are of light or medium body and carry a bright acidity to them. This makes them the perfect candidate for manual pour-overs and light roasts.
Approximately half of the coffee produced in Ethiopia is for domestic consumption, as it is a very popular and highly revered beverage in this country.
Kenya
Kenyan coffee contains many varying flavours depending on how the coffee beans were harvested and processed.
Kenya has an elevation of approximately 1,800 meters above sea level, which allows its coffee to have a sweeter, more rounded flavour.
Coffee plants grown in higher elevations mature slowly, which creates a sweeter berry and seed. In addition to its sweetness, Kenyan coffee is characterised by its bright and acidic flavour.
Bergamot, berry, and lemongrass are all common flavour notes found in Kenyan coffee. Its rich and heavy body makes Kenyan coffee a delicious addition to the French Press.
Colombia
Colombia is regarded as one of the top three coffee-producing countries in the world. It is many people's go-to for South American coffee beans.
Although Colombian coffee is remarkably acidic, it is a mellow acidity that blends with flavour notes of caramel. This makes for a more even-toned taste.
Colombian coffee usually contains nutty undertones with a sweet aftertaste. Its medium body and rich flavours pair well with both drip coffee brewing methods and the French Press.
Although Colombian coffee is often prepared as a medium roast, it also makes a delicious dark roast.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country known for its high elevation and, as such, is the perfect environment to grow deliciously sweet coffee.
Coffee berries ripen more slowly in high-altitude environments, creating a sweeter taste.
Guatemalan coffee exemplifies this distinctly sweet taste, with a rich chocolate undertone created by the volcanic soil the coffee plant is grown in.
Its spiced, fruity aroma makes Guatemalan coffee an ideal candidate for both manual pour-over and Aeropress coffee brewing methods.
Costa Rico
Costa Rican coffee has a distinctively clean taste that magnifies its perfectly blended flavour profile. Costa Rican coffee is often considered to have the best flavour profile out of all the single-origin coffees.
This is partly because Costa Rican coffee blends bright citrus flavours with rich chocolate undertones in a full-bodied and pleasantly sweet taste. The roast level of Costa Rican coffee greatly impacts the resulting flavours.
Light roasts tend to lean to the citrusy side with notes of honey, while medium roasts are a better blend of its two flavours.
Dark roast Costa Rican coffee has a full flavour that is extremely smooth.
Summary
The way you brew your coffee is not the only factor contributing to its flavour. The region of the world where it is produced plays a huge role in coffee’s final taste.
Altitude, weather, and even the type of soil coffee is grown in can drastically change the flavour and acidity. This makes it important to be aware of where your coffee beans are grown.