The History of Coffee
By Faye Soriano

       I know almost all of us have already drunk a cup of coffee, of course because of Starbuck's and Seattle's Best Coffee. Today, we can enjoy a variety of coffee beverages -- from a simple espresso and espresso-based drinks such as cappuccino, latte or moccaccino -- to iced and cold-drink coffee beverages -- to flavored coffees and special blends. Coffee can also be enhanced with an assortment of syrups, flavorings, and toppings -- from whipped cream and cocoa powder to cinnamon sticks and sweeteners. But, do you know who first harvest the coffee cherry? How did it reached the world market? How do they prepare the coffee beans?

       In this article I want to share to you the interesting facts about coffee beans. The who's, where and how of coffee beans.

       Coffee was first discovered in Eastern Africa in an area we know today as Ethiopia. A popular legend refers to a goat herder by the name of Kaldi, who observed his goats acting unusually frisky after eating berries from a bush. Curious about this phenomenon, Kaldi tried eating the berries himself. He found that these berries gave him a renewed energy. The news of this energy laden fruit quickly spread throughout the region.

       Monks hearing about this amazing fruit dried the berries so that they could be transported to distant monasteries. They reconstituted these berries in water, ate the fruit, and drank the liquid to provide stimulation for a more awakened time for prayer.

       Coffee berries were transported from Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula, and were first cultivated in what today is the country of Yemen.

       From there, coffee traveled to Turkey where coffee beans were roasted for the first time over open fires. The roasted beans were crushed, and then boiled in water, creating a crude version of the beverage we enjoy today.

       Coffee first arrived on the European continent by means of Venetian trade merchants. Once in Europe this new beverage fell under harsh criticism from the Catholic church. Many felt the pope should ban coffee, calling it the drink of the devil. To their surprise, the pope, already a coffee drinker, blessed coffee declaring it a truly Christian beverage.

       In the 1700's, coffee found its way to the Americas by means of a French infantry captain who nurtured one small plant on its long journey across the Atlantic. This one plant, transplanted to the Caribbean Island of Martinique, became the predecessor of over 19 million trees on the island within 50 years. It was from this humble beginning that the coffee plant found its way to the rest of the tropical regions of South and Central America.

       Today, coffee is a giant global industry employing more than 20 million people. This commodity ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage.

       By any name, in any language, or at any time of day, coffee is a popular beverage. Aside from its great taste and the endless ways one can enjoy a cup of coffee.

FAQ's

What is a coffee cherry?
The coffee plant is in fact a small to medium sized tree, the fruit of which is called the "cherry." The coffee cherry contains two seeds or beans that are covered by a fleshy pulp membrane. Once ripe, the cherries are typically handpicked and the outer layers are removed by either a wet or dry method. Then, the beans are cleaned, dried, graded and inspected.

What are green beans?
After they have been cleaned, dried and graded, the coffee beans are called "green" beans (they may be pale green to dull yellow in color). In this state, beans are shipped to their destination where they will be roasted, blended, ground and distributed.

What are the characteristics of the coffee plant?
The coffee shrub has a life span of 70 years and reaches its highest yield in 5 to 7 years. It can flower and bear fruit (up to 30,000 per year) at the same time. It grows primarily in the tropical regions of the world but will not flower if temperatures drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

What are the two most common types of green beans?
The two most common types are Robustica and Arabica beans. Robustica beans are of lower quality with higher caffeine content. Arabica beans are of higher quality with lower caffeine content. Jeremiah's Pick uses only 100% Arabica beans.

What is "cupping"?
A cupping, or cupping session, is a coffee tasting. Cuppings occur before coffee beans are purchased, to ensure quality and to test the balance of flavors for blending purposes. Cuppings are similar in many ways to a wine tasting. During a cupping session, the coffee is not swallowed (spittoons are required) and a specific procedure is followed for assessing the quality of the coffee imperfections resulting from old, diseased or unripe beans, as well as from yeast or fungus can be detected. As with wine tasting, the more air that is circulated in the mouth while tasting, the better the sense of flavor balance the taster will get. Cuppings involve a detailed identification of flavors and tastes. These categorizations range from aroma taints like "improper roasting" which would come across as "tipped," "scorched" or "baked," to internal changes such as "fats changing chemically" which would taste "horsey" or "sweaty."

How does the roasting process work?
While there have been significant advances in the uniformity and quality of the roasting method, the principle remains the same. Raw coffee beans are heated to a temperature of 355 and 415 degrees Fahrenheit. As they heat, they lose a large part of their water and increase in size. A popping noise, much like that of popcorn, can be heard as gasses inside the bean expand.

Coffee travels a long way before reaching your coffee mug. Here are some interesting coffee facts:

• It takes three-to-four years for a coffee seed to grow into a tree that produces coffee beans.
• Seeds are first planted in nurseries. Six months to one-year later, seedlings are transplanted to open fields. Workers must prepare the planting ground for the small seedlings by loosening and grading the soil.
• Approximately two-and-a-half years after transplantation, the trees begin to flower and the flowers produce a small fruit known as a coffee cherry. In the center of each cherry are two green coffee beans.
• Coffee plants grow best where there is plenty of rainfall at certain times of the year and thrive in a well-drained, rich, volcanic soil. The plant does not like sudden changes in temperature, and frost can severely damage or kill it.
• During harvest, coffee cherries are hand picked. It takes approximately 2,000 cherries -- 4,000 beans -- to produce one pound of roasted coffee.
• After being husked, sorted and bagged, the green coffee beans are shipped from the countries where they were grown to the countries where they will be manufactured and consumed.
• Manufacturing involves the roasting and grinding of the coffee beans, or the production of instant coffee. Once manufacturing and packaging are completed, the coffee is ready for the consumer.
• The leading coffee producing countries of the world are Brazil and Colombia. The United States imports and consumes more coffee than any other country