The growth path of coffee beans: from planting to roasting, exploring the miracle of coffee

The growth path of coffee beans: from planting to roasting, exploring the miracle of coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and hundreds of millions of people enjoy its aroma and taste every day. However, few people know that before we taste that delicious cup of coffee, there is a magical and complex process behind it. This article will take you on the road to coffee bean growth, from planting to roasting, revealing this amazing process.

1. Planting

Coffee beans originated in Ethiopia, Africa, and gradually spread to all parts of the world. Today, coffee trees are grown in many countries and regions around the world. These trees usually grow in high altitudes, warm and humid environments with fertile soil and good drainage.

When farmers start planting, they select quality varieties and make sure each tree gets enough sunlight and water. They also prune branches regularly to keep the trees healthy and growing.

2. Picking

Picking coffee beans is a laborious and time-consuming process. Generally, farmers wait for ripe berries to appear on the coffee trees. When the berries turn bright red, they are fully ripe.

To ensure the best quality beans, farmers usually hand-pick each berry and place it in baskets or bags. This process requires great care and patience, as only fully ripe beans can provide the best taste and flavor.

3. Peeling and fermentation

Once the coffee beans are picked, the next step is to remove the outer pulp and inner mucilage. This process is usually carried out through two methods: dry processing and wet processing.

Dry processing involves placing the entire coffee concentrate in the sun for several days and stirring it regularly to ensure even exposure. During this process, the outer pulp gradually dries and becomes brittle, allowing farmers to easily remove it.

Wet processing involves placing the coffee concentrate in water for fermentation. During this process, the pulp is broken down and washed away by a stream of water. This method generally requires more time and labor, but can produce cleaner, better-tasting beans.

4. Baking

Once the coffee beans have been peeled and fermented, they need to be roasted to enhance the flavor and aroma. Roasting is a delicate and complex process, and different degrees of roasting will bring different taste and flavor characteristics.

Generally speaking, light roasting will retain the original acidity and floral flavor of the coffee beans; medium roasting will give the coffee a balanced and rich flavor; deep roasting emphasizes bitterness and special flavors such as cocoa or chocolate.

Regardless of the degree of roasting, close attention to temperature and time must be paid throughout the process to ensure that the quality and taste of the coffee beans are optimal.

5. Grinding and brewing

The last step is to grind the roasted coffee beans and use the appropriate method to brew delicious coffee. Different coarseness of grinding will affect the contact time between water and coffee and the extraction effect, thus producing different flavor characteristics.

Whether you use a brewing tool such as a drip brewer, French press or espresso machine, you need to master the right proportions, temperature and time to make coffee with the ideal taste and flavor.

Conclusion

From planting to roasting, every step has an important impact on the final quality. In this process, people have put a lot of effort into cultivating, picking, processing and making the fragrant coffee we love. I hope that through this article, you can better understand and appreciate the miracle hidden behind this cup of coffee.