What is Coffee?

Coffee is a familiar part of most of our lives and is one of the most traded commodities in the world so it's no surprise that even people who don't love coffee know a little bit about it. Even with all its time in the spotlight, there's still so much more to know about coffee. Like honestly, what's even in that cup you're drinking?

Although we usually say "coffee beans," coffee isn't a bean at all. Instead, coffee is the seed found inside a coffee cherry. These cherries--which actually look more like a common cranberry--aren't eaten on their own but are harvested for their seeds.

Most specialists agree that coffee originated from Yemen, but it can be found in many places near the equator. In fact, the places equipped with the climate to grow coffee are often referred to as "the coffee belt." 

Coffee grows on large shrubs or trees that are actually a part of the evergreen family. Although the trees can grow big and tall if left alone, most farmers keep them shorter to make harvesting easier. The trees are covered with big, waxy leaves and have small light-colored flowers. The cherries grow in tiny bundles, starting as little green fruit and mature into deep red or purple cherries. 

Once the cherries are ripe they are hand-picked from the trees to ensure that no unripe cherries effect the flavor of the coffee. This is one of the reasons coffee growing is so labor-intensive. Once the cherries are harvested the coffee goes through one of many processes to remove and dry the seed from the cherry before it is packaged to be shipped. Each of the different processes used yields different results. That is why we always mention the process on our labels. 

After the seed is removed and dried, the coffee beans are gathered in large burlap bags and shipped to their destination. When we receive coffee beans they are a pale greenish-gray color. They are referred to as "green beans" (not to be confused with the green beans in a casserole). We receive our green beans and roast them, bringing them to the recognizable brown bean you use to make your morning cup of joe.