Elixir of the people
Who would have thought that drinking dirty bean water would be one of the most common activities that bind us all together in the morning, or in the afternoon? Did you know that there is so much to know about the “elixir of the people,” aka “go juice,” etc.?
To be honest I thought I knew more about the coffee bean and how it was produced, than your average daily coffee drinker but there is always more to learn and I am eager to jump into it. Let us start with the actual plant.
The coffea plant is a woody evergreen that has the capacity to grow to roughly 33 ft. (10 meters) tall, when growing amongst its wild mates. The plant produces small and fragrant white blossoms, and six weeks after pollination takes place, coffee cherries replace where the flowers were. The cherries, when ready to harvest will turn shades of red, orange, yellow or pink, which depends on their coffee varietal. Within the cherries, seeds are present and are what we call “beans.” They generally produce one to two seeds within the cherry. The average time from the flowering to the harvesting of the cherries is around nine months.
A little side quest: If you remember from last week’s column this would fall into the fruit and berry category. So, technically when having coffee it could be considered a derivative of having your fruit in the morning, berry style.
There can be many different strains of seeds (equalling about 120) with Arabica and Robusta (coffea canephora) being the leaders in production and consumption. Arabica seeds and their sub-varieties make up about 60% of the world coffee beans, the other 40% is Robusta and its descendants. Not all Arabica or Robusta seeds taste the same. On the contrary, it depends on where in the belt they grow.
Yes, I did say belt. There is a coffee belt. One of the best belts out there! It loops around the planet, from Central America to Papua, New Guinea and Australia in the Pacific Ocean. Do you know where the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are? The belt fits snuggly between the two. There are around 70 countries that lie within, but not all are ‘bean making’ worthy. It depends on the perfect climate and location.
That brings me to Brazil. Brazil is marked as the biggest coffee producing country in the world, with Colombia following. A delicious cup of Brazilian coffee is clear, sweet, medium-bodied and low in acid. (So from what I am gathering, Brazil has got the bananas and coffee - I definitely need to learn more Portuguese and visit. Until then I will keep enjoying some Café Bustelo).
Ethiopia is the legend of all coffee places, since the legends tell of the discovery of the plant. There you will taste a full flavored, down-to-earth and full bodied bean. So, we should thank Ethiopia for this brilliant discovery. Enjoy your coffee!
SEEKING
W
ONDER
BY
SAMANTHA Y OCIUS CREATIVE MEDIA
