Since Coffea grows in tropical and equatorial regionswhere it is always spring or summer, it’s not a change of climate, but rather the beginning of the rainy season that triggers Arabica plants to flower, fragrant and white. Eight or nine months after flowering comes the fruit: deep red, shiny and plump like cherries, each containing two Arabica seeds, or beans. With rain, the fruit flourishes, and a careful harvestingprocess begins. Since ripe and unripe fruit can occupy the same plant, precision harvesting is critical.
THE ARABICA BEAN
The coffee plant is an evergreen shrub, classified under the genus Coffea, and part of the botanical familyRubiaceae. There are several species of Coffea, the finest quality being Arabica, which today represents 59% of the world’s coffee production. Arabica originated in the highlands of Ethiopia. It is sensitive to hot and humid conditions, and grows at altitudes of 1.25-1.55 miles. Arabica grown at higher altitudes is associated with the emergence of higher quality characteristics during roasting. The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, found inside a red fruit often called the cherry. Each cherry contains two seeds (beans) surrounded by a membrane called the parchment, and a layer of sweet pulp. Arabica beans are fairly flat and elongated, with a sinuous groove. Genetically Arabica is the only species with 44 chromosomes of Coffea. Chemically, Arabica’s caffeinecontent varies from 0.9 to 1.7% of each bean’s volume.
