Coffee beans

Coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee plant and the source for coffee. They are the pit inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a cherry. Even though they are seeds, they are referred to as 'beans' because of their resemblance to true beans. The fruits – coffee cherries or coffee berries – most commonly contain two stones with their flat sides together. A small percentage of cherries contain a single seed, instead of the usual two. This is called a "peaberry". The peaberry occurs only between 10 and 15% of the time, and it is a fairly common (yet scientifically unproven) belief that they have more flavour than normal coffee beans. Like Brazil nuts (a seed) and white rice, coffee beans consist mostly of endosperm.

Cultivation and processing

Coffee beans are cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial regions of the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The beans are then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor, before being ground and brewed to create coffee.

Types of coffee beans

There are two main types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are more expensive and considered more flavorful, while Robusta beans are cheaper and easier to grow.

Health effects

Coffee beans contain a number of compounds which can have an effect on the human body, including caffeine, antioxidants, and diterpenes. These can have both positive and negative effects on health.

Economic importance

Coffee is one of the most valuable primary products in world trade, in competition with petroleum as a source of foreign exchange to producing countries. Its cultivation, processing, trading, transportation and marketing provide employment for millions of people worldwide.

See also

• Coffee roasting
• Coffee preparation
• History of coffee
• Economics of coffee