COFEE 101: EDITION 1
Coffee is part of the daily ritual for so many of us, but for something so familiar, it stills hold a fair bit of mystery.
Most people know how they like to drink it, but not necessarily where it begins or how much actually happens before it reaches the cup. Because coffee doesn’t start as roasted beans in a bag – it starts as fruit on a tree (or more acurately, the seeds – but we’re getting ahead of ourselves).
In the first installment of our Coffee 101 series, we’re taking it back to basics and looking at where coffee comes from, how it grows, and why origin plays such a big role in flavour.
coffee starts as fruit.
Coffee beans begin their journey inside a fruit called a coffee cherry.
Once ripe, these cherries can be red, yellow or orange, depending on the varietal. Inside, most cherries contain two seeds sitting side by side. Those seeds are what will eventually become the coffee beans we roast & brew.
Surrounding the seeds are several layers: skin, pulp, sticky mucilage, parchment and a thin silver skin. Each of these layers is removed at different stages before the coffee is ready for exporting/roasting.
So, while we call them beans, coffee is really the seed of a fruit.
No one knows exactly who first thought to roast these seeds, but one enduring legend says the discovery began when coffee cherries were thrown into a fire and the aroma of the roasting seeds caught people’s attention.
from coffee cherry to coffee bean.
Once coffee cherries are ripe, they’re picked & processed to remove the layers around the seeds.
This stage plays a major role in shaping the final coffee. The way the fruit is removed, how the coffee is dried, and how carefully it’s handled all influence flavour, sweetness and texture in the cup.
We’ll diver deeper into processing methods in a future post, but at a basic level, this is where coffee starts to take on some of the character you’ll taste later.
where coffee grows.
Coffee is typically grown in tropical regions around the world, in an area often referred to as the coffee belt.
This belt sits between the Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn and includes producing countries across central & South America, Africa, Asia and parts of Oceania – even in the north of Australia.
These regions offer the warmth, rainfall and elevation coffee plants need to thrive.
But while coffee can grow across many parts of the world, different environments produce different results. Growing conditions also have a huge impact on both quality & flavour.
why origin matters.
Just like wine, coffee reflects where it’s grown. Where a coffee comes from, often referred to as terroir in coffee (and wine) circles, helps to shape how it tastes.
Climate, soil, altitude and varietal all play a part in the final cup, which is why coffees from different regions can taste wildly different from one another.
A coffee grown high in the mountains of Ethiopia might taste bright, floral & citrus-driven, while one from Brazil might lean more chocolatey, nutty & rich. These aren’t hard rules, but they’re a helpful reminder that origin matters.
Understanding where it comes from is a great way to better understand what you’re tasting.
how growing conditions affect flavour.
A lot of what makes coffee interesting happens long before it reaches us (the roaster).
Altitude: Higher elevation can often produce denser beans with more complexity. Because the coffee cherry matures more slowly, the coffee can develop more of those layered, vibrant notes.
Climate: Temperature, rainfall and seasonal conditions all affect how the fruit ripens. Stable conditions can support consistent quality, while unusual or extreme weather patterns can impact both yield & flavour.
Soil: Soil contributes to the overall character of the coffee. Different nutrients and growing environments can subtly influence the way a coffee expresses itself.
Varietal: Just like different grape varieties produce different wines, different coffee varietals can bring different flavour profiles, structure & character to the cup.
Together, these factors help shape the end result.
understanding what's in your cup.
Coffee goes through quite the journey before it reaches you. Understanding where it comes from helps us to appreciate the work that goes into it.
From farming & harvesting to processing, roasting and brewing, every step helps shape the final cup. That’s a huge part of what makes specialty coffee so interesting – it’s the product of climate, craft & care at every stage of the journey.
This is the first instalment in our Coffee 101 series, where we’ll be breaking down the fundamentals of specialty coffee in an easy, approachable way.
Stay tuned for the second edition next month where we’ll dive into varietals.
