coffea – Café Palumbo

I believe that all of us in some way long for the tropical areas. Everything seems to be so perfect there: life is thriving, colors are vibrant, and many cultures form a relationship to nature in their abundant surroundings. But what is the most imporant thing that is found in this region? Coffee!

The subtropical region is the birthplace of the Coffea plant. This region is otherwise known in the industry as ‘The Coffee Belt’, or the Bean Belt. If we take a look at the Earth-Sun geometry, we can understand why location is very important.

The Coffee Belt surrounds the Earth between two parallels called the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This is located between 23.5˚ N and 23.5˚ S of the equator. This is where the sun appears directly overhead all year long. The general climate allows for a rainy, or wet, season and a dry season. Temperatures are mild and the sun shines for an average of 12 hours, every day for 365 days a year. All of these factors allow the soil to be rich and optimal for growing coffee. Fun fact, some areas that experience volcanic activity around the Ring of Fire have even more nutritious soil due to previous lava flows.

World map showing the coffee belt across each continent.

The geography for growing coffee usually is Northern Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America. However, in North America, there are some coffee plantations established in California, Hawaii, and the country of Puerto Rico. Despite all the similar elements necessary for coffee to grow, certain variations can contribute to the unique flavor of each individual batch. Some factors include the components of the soil due to its particular terrain, the amount of rainfall and moisture, and most importantly, the altitude. Many people will find themselves preferring coffees from specific countries because of how the origin may affect the flavor profile. This is why you may see origin labels such as ‘Ethiopia’, ‘Sumatra’, or ‘Honduras’ on your bean bags.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the geography where coffee is grown!

Until our next coffee adventure!

It’s safe to say that we alll pretty much know what a coffee bean looks like. But did you know that before it made its way to your cup, that it actually looked like this?

And that it’s part of a larger tree that looks like this?

I’m not kidding. This bitter drink comes from a lovely cherry plant botonically classified as ‘Coffea’. It consists of about 6,000 species of small trees and shrubs that come in all shapes and sizes. It is generally characterized by its long, waxy, verdun green leaves and soft red cherries that grow along the branch. The small flowers that bloom are a a mellow white. It’s a very beautiful plant that works hard throughout its life. One tree can yield an average of 2 pounds of green beans per year!

Now that we are familiar with the source of life’s greatest miracle, let’s get to know our coffee cherry a bit better.

The dark roasted beans we grind every morning are only a small part of a bundle. The coffee cherry is composed of many layers that protect a green bean on the inside. Starting from the innermost component, we have our green coffee beans. The pair is snuggled together in the center of the cherry. They each have their own seed skin called spermodern, or better known as the silver skin. They are then wrapped in another layer called the endocarp, or the parchment. The following layer is a thin slime sheet called the parenchyma, otherwise known as the pectin layer. After, we move onto the pulp of the fruit, also called the mesoscarp. We then finally reach the outer skin, or the exoscarp. Fun fact, the outer layers of the coffee cherry actually become a byproduct called cascara, which is a delicious drink on its own. We will learn more about that in the future!

Now that you know where your morning happiness truly comes from, I hope your appreciation for it blossoms even more!

Until our next coffee adventure!

Tag: coffea

where, why, and how?

where it all began