Behind the Bean: Discovering the Rich History of Coffee

Legend has it that coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat-herder in the 9th century, when he noticed that his goats started behaving hyperactively after consuming the red and yellow berries found on the dark green shrubbery that lined the Ethiopian countryside. After taking these berries to a monastery for answers, a chaplain declared them to be a devilish temptation and tossed them into the fire. Instantly struck by the unique aroma of the roasted coffee, the monks rushed to recover the fragrant beans and eventually brewed the first cup of coffee.

There are many stories like this, and we’ll likely never know the true origin story for this ancient beverage. However, we do know that coffee beans start their life as a green seed that can be found in a cherry-like fruit, grown on the “Coffee Belt” running horizontally along the equator from Central America and South America, through to Africa and Asia. The climate here is tropical, and the landscape features areas of high altitude and plenty of shade to protect from the hot sun, this makes it a hotspot of coffee plant cultivation.

Harvesting Coffee Plants

Once coffee plants have matured, there are three ways in which the cherry vines can be harvested, these include manually picking, stripping or mechanically removing them from the branch.

There are benefits and pitfalls of each harvesting method, and like all stages of the bean to cup process, the chosen approach will have an impact on the final cup of coffee.

Picking

Works will carefully select each coffee cherry by hand.

Strip Harvesting

All coffee cherries are stripped from the branch regardless of their ripeness.

Mechanical Harvesting

Vibrating machinery dislodges the coffee cherries from the branches at high speed. This machinery can often be adjusted to target specifically ripe of unripe yields.

Different Types Of Coffee Plants

Café arabica and café robusta are the two most cultivated plants for coffee production.

Arabica

• 60% of the world’s production
• Lower yield
• Grown at high altitudes (>900 masl)
• Sweet and balanced taste
• Higher acidity and sugar content
• Low resistance to weather and disease
• Large oval beans with pronounced centre crease

Robusta

• 40% of the world’s production
• Higher yield
• More caffeine
• More resistant to disease and weather
• Needs more rain and higher temperatures
• Easier and faster to grow
• Intense flavour
• Small round beans

Arabica is thought to have been the first type of coffee to be cultivated. As a result, there are many varieties of the species, the most prominent being typica and bourbon.

Typica and Bourbon were the first coffee plants transported from Ethiopia to Yemen to be grown for commercial use, and are well-known around the world for this reason.

Other varieties of coffees include Caturra, Catuai, Mundo Novo, Pacamara, Ethiopia Heirloom, SL28 and Geisha. Bourbon and Typica are considered the parents of these other varieties, which are all either natural mutations or intentionally developed hybrids.

Typica

Typica is one of the oldest and most commonly grown coffees worldwide, hence its name. Typica flourishes at high altitudes and can be grown in cold conditions. Because of this, it is known for having a complex flavour profile, as the beans grow at a slower rate. Central America is ideal for this growing environment and as a result, is known for producing very high quality Typica beans. However, Typica is low yielding and susceptible to common diseases such as coffee leaf rust. It is most prominent in Peru, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Bourbon

Unsurprisingly, Bourbon is named after Bourbon Island (now known as La Réunion), where it was exclusively cultivated until the 1860s. Like Typica, it has excellent cup qualities when grown at high altitudes, but is susceptible to many major coffee diseases and produces only low yields. Once it left the island, Bourbon coffee was cultivated in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru. Within the Bourbon variety, there are several types with their own flavour profile. We call these Red Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon and Orange Bourbon.

The Impact of Elevation

Altitude has a large influence on the flavour profile of coffee. Coffee grown at higher altitudes, such as Arabica, is sold at a higher price than low altitude coffees. This is due to the way elevation impacts key characteristics of the coffee bean including size, shape, density and taste.

The Ideal Growing Conditions For The Coffee Tree Are:

• Frost-free
• Average Temperature of 15-20°C
• Moderate Rainfall of Around 80 Inches
• Lots of Sunshine

These conditions mean that high altitudes of 900 or more MASL offer the perfect environment for growing the coffee tree, as the cooler mountain environment found at this altitude slows down the growth cycle of the tree.

This prolongs bean development, which leads to coffee cherries with a deeper flavour as a result of the more complex sugars that are produced. Additionally, there is typically less water in these coffee cherries because of better drainage at high altitudes. The rich soil found at these altitudes is often volcanic, which helps to produce hard, dense coffee beans that provide excellent cup qualities.

The Story Behind Every Cup

From its origins on the Ethiopian hillsides to the diverse growing regions along the Coffee Belt, the history of coffee is as rich and interesting as the brew itself. Each cup represents the perfect mix of careful cultivation, precise harvesting, and the distinct environmental factors that shape the flavour of the beans.

As coffee continues to evolve with new hybrids and innovative farming techniques, one thing remains clear: coffee is more than just a drink. It’s a global cultural experience, a livelihood for millions of farmers, and a constant companion in most of our day-to-day lives. So next time you enjoy your favourite brew, take a moment to appreciate the journey behind the bean and the process that went into making that delicious cup of coffee.

If you’re ready to take your coffee service to the next level, contact Liquidline today. We’d love to show you how our products, services, and expertise can transform your coffee experience and make your business stand out.