If You Love Expresso |
Coffee is grown in over seventy countries, from Indonesia to Brazil. Yet the total production of coffee is relatively small because it is such a fussy plant. Even though we call it a coffee bean, this is a misnomer. The little pod that is roasted, ground, and brewed is the fruit's seed that grows on the coffee tree. The coffee tree grows to twenty feet as a rule but can reach 45 feet. Most of these seeds come in pairs. One, called the peaberry, looks like cranberry with a sweet pulp and is covered with a silvery membrane. Coffee grows in a band of about 25 degrees to the north and south, near the equator that encircles the world. The concentration in this area is because coffee requires temperatures between 60F (15C) and 70F (21C) and rainfall of six inches per month or more. In addition, coffee needs specialized soil that is loamy and well-drained. High humidity found in mountain areas is also ideal. Diffused light and light breezes are also part of perfect conditions. Since oxygen is scarce at these altitudes, the trees mature slowly. All of these conditions cause the output of coffee to below.
A coffee bean can grow in lower altitudes, robusta or Coffea canephora, and it is also disease resistant. For these reasons, it is used for the majority of coffee. But coffee gourmets will insist on high-altitude coffee arabica.