Coffee beans raw materials and production process

Coffee beans raw materials and production process

Coffee is a popular drink, and coffee beans are an important raw material for making coffee. This article will focus on the raw materials and production process of coffee beans, introducing its origin, types and processing.

1. Source of raw materials

Coffee beans come from the coffee tree (Coffea), which is a tropical plant mainly distributed in Africa, Asia and Latin America. According to the origin, it can be divided into two main varieties: Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica is one of the most common and popular varieties. It grows at high altitudes and requires a cooler climate with plenty of rainfall. Arabica beans are generally of higher quality, with a rich aroma and a smooth taste.

Robusta is more adapted to low altitude areas and is less demanding on climatic conditions. Compared with Arabica, Robusta beans have a stronger aroma and higher caffeine content.

2. Processing

The processing of coffee beans mainly includes picking, peeling, fermentation, drying and roasting.

First comes the picking stage. When the coffee cherries are ripe, farmers remove them from the trees by hand or by machine. This process requires careful operation to avoid damaging the cherries.

Next comes the peeling step. There are generally two ways to remove the outer layer of coffee cherries: dry and wet. The dry method involves drying the whole coffee cherries until the water evaporates and becomes easy to peel; the wet method involves soaking and scrubbing to separate the pulp from the seeds.

Then the seeds are fermented. In the wet process, the washed seeds are placed in water for fermentation. This step helps remove the mucilage remaining on the surface of the seeds and prepares them for drying.

Next comes the drying stage. After the fermentation process, the coffee beans need to be dried in the sun or by mechanical equipment. The purpose of this step is to reduce the moisture content in the coffee beans to the appropriate level to prevent mold growth.

The last step is roasting. Roasting is the most important step in the coffee bean processing, which determines the taste and flavor of the coffee beans. Under high temperature, the chemical composition inside the coffee beans will change, producing aroma and color.

Summarize

Through the above introduction, we know that coffee beans, as the raw material for making coffee drinks, have diversity in types and processing processes. Coffee beans produced by different varieties and processing methods have their own characteristics, providing people with rich and diverse choices with different tastes.

No matter what type or flavor of coffee you like, it is inseparable from these precious raw materials that are carefully cultivated, picked, processed and roasted - coffee beans.