How is coffee grown?

Coffee-growing regions form a relatively narrow strip stretching along the equator. It is called the coffee belt. Today coffee is grown in Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

где растет кофе.png There are several botanical species of coffee plants. However coffee consumers are interested in only two of them: Arabica (or Arabian coffee) that is valued for its bright flavour and mild taste and Robusta (or Congolese coffee) that has a strong rich taste.

Coffee beans are the seeds of coffee tree. They develop inside coffee berries and there are usually two beans in each berry. Coffee berries are harvested when they become red in colour.

Coffee is harvested mainly manually. Coffee harvesting season is different in each country and usually takes several months.

Coffee beans are processed by two major methods - wet and dry. Wet method is used for high-quality grades and the dry method is applied to the beans with less flavour as it is simpler and does not require expensive equipment.

Each coffee tree annually gives on average 2.5-3 kilograms of berries out of which 500 grams of green coffee beans or 400 grams of roasted coffee are produced.