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Coffee is a living and organic being.
- All coffee originates from Africa.
- Coffee beans come from a tropical plant named after their source of origin (regions where they grow--such as, Indonesia, Africa/Arabia, and South/Central America).
- Brazil is the largest producer of coffee. Most coffees used in our grocery stores come from Brazil. Colombia is the second largest coffee producing country.
- There are two types of coffee -- Arabica and Robusta.
- Arabica - Arabica grows best in high elevations (3,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level), in thin soil and a mild weather condition. A fruit bearing tree will yield one to two pounds of coffee per harvest. The coffee beans are small, hard, and flavorful. Only ten percent of all Arabica coffee qualifies as a great or fine quality coffee.
- Robusta - Robusta originated in the Congo Basin. The combination of the rich soil and constant rainfall provide ideal conditions for growing Robusta. The Robusta crops can withstand the diseases and insects that live and grow in the Congo. Survival and reproduction are phenomenal. Robusta trees can bear fruit all year around. One tree will produce four to six pounds of beans per year; whereas, Arabica will produce one to two pounds per year. The fruit of the Robusta has very little flavor substance, and the beans are big and spongy. Robusta has an earthy, woody, dirty flavor and is high in caustic acidity. The coffee is very high in caffeine (over twice as much as Arabica--two to four percent by weight).
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