Of the thirty or so species of the genus, Coffea; There are three different types of coffee suitable for consumption.
The most popular is Arabica.
Arabica flourishes at high altitudes and is indigenous to Ethiopia. Arabica tree's usually yield their crop after five years. Most coffee grown throughout the world is Arabica; and the coffee grown in Central America is exclusively Arabica.
Second in popularity is Robusta.
This tree grows best at altitudes of 3,000 feet or lower. Indigenous to Zaire; coffee is ready to be harvested from Robusta trees two to three years after planting. Robusta is more resistant to disease than arabica and it's sturdiness makes it popular with farmers. The flavor of Robusta isn't as popular as Arabica within the America's, however it is popular in countries that favor stronger coffee such as France and Italy. Robusta is also a popular bean for use in blends
The third species is Liberica.
Grown mainly in Liberia, this is an unpopular tree. Although resistant to disease, it produces a small crop and it is grown in the lowlands. It's flavor has never been much of a hit with consumers, and so far, this type of coffee hasn't become commercially important.
The Tree:
The coffee tree is small, 15 - 30 feet high at maturity. (A small tree or a large shrub, depending on how you want to look at it.) Commercial coffee tree's are rarely allowed to grow to their full height, as they are pruned to expedite harvesting. The tree has shiny dark green leaves and small white flowers that bloom for only a few days. Six to seven months after the flower's appearance, the berries begin to develop. Changing from small, hard and light green, to red and finally to a dark crimson. They are then ready to be picked. The ripe fruit resembles a cherry.
High grown coffee usually matures in about six to seven months; two or three months longer than lower grown counterparts. Small coffee seedlings are grown in nurseries for an average of a year and are then transferred to the plantations. The most suitable climate for coffee growing is tropical.
Cultivation:
The best soil for coffee cultivation is rich in potash and highly nutritious with good drainage. This explains why coffee trees thrive on the tropical mountainsides of Latin America, where volcanic activity is substantial, and the temperatures remain fairly constant. Coffee trees cannot tolerate frost and need a stable environment.
Although coffee can grow from sea level to altitudes up to 9,000 feet, coffee cultivated at higher altitudes is generally prefered. It matures slower and also produces more, and better flavored oils.
The mature tree's produce fruit for about fifteen to twenty years.
The amount of beans produced is subject to many variables. Coffee trees growing at higher altitudes may only flower and bear fruit once a year, while coffee growing in lower more tropical regions may flower three to five times a year. Each cherry usually has two sections, or chambers. Sometimes, however the fruit develops with only one chamber and these are called peaberries.
Harvesting:
Harvesting coffee is a slow and painstaking process. There are two methods of harvesting the fruit. Either carefully picked by hand, or by shaking the tree and stripping the fruit.
The Wet Method:
In the first procedure, coffee is usually processed by the "wet" method. This entails the beans being softened in water, then de-pulped mechanically, fermented in large tanks, washed again, and then dried in the open or in large, heated, rotating cylinders.
The wet method of harvesting is generally considered the best as only the ripe fruit is picked. Lest we lead you to believe that all plantations harvesting with the dry method have inferior products, however, it is important to note that sometimes beans are carefully hand picked and allowed to be harvested by the dry method simply from a lack of an abundant water source.
The Dry Method:
This consists of drying the beans out in the open, allowing the sun to evaporate moisture. The beans are then hulled.
In many plantations in Africa, coffee is allowed to dry on the tree; and it appears that this enhances the flavor of the coffee; The hot dry climate does not allow the fruit to ferment.
Export:
The final product of both methods is the green bean, ready for export.
Coffee's from Brazil are called Brazil's and are usually designated by the principal ports from which they are shipped; i.e. Santos, Rio, Victoria or Parna. All other Latin American coffee's are called Milds. Milds are designated by their country of origin, with a few words that describe either quality, district or state of preparation; For example, Prime Washed or Hard Bean. Asian and African coffee is designated similarly, for example, Ugandan Washed or Ivory Coast Superior.
Coffee is then roasted within the country that imports it.
(For more information on coffee roasting, check the 'Roasting' section in this guide.)
