Kinds of Coffee Beans

By David Urmann

Coffea or coffee is a large variety of flowering plants with over 90 species. They are shrubs belonging to the Rubiaceae family native to southern Asia and subtropical Africa. The coffee beverage is derived from the seeds of its fruit or coffee cherries. Coffee plant grows to a comparatively large height and is more precisely described as a tree.

The coffee berries, coffee cherries or fruits usually contain two stones or beans. Coffee beans are mostly made up of endosperm that consists of 0.8 to 2.5 per centum of caffeine. Only a small percentage of coffee cherries have a single bean. This bean is called a peaberry.

Coffee beans are not literally beans. The name originates from the Arabic words gahwa and bunn; gahwa means coffee and bunn means berry. They are the seeds of the coffee plant, and almost all coffee traders call these seeds beans.

Coffee develops under the shade in its natural habitat. Coffee plants grown under the shade, do not deplete the soil's resources and lives two times longer than sun grown varieties. The quality of shade grown coffee is said to be higher than sun grown coffee. The cherries produced by the coffee tree under the shade are relatively smaller than those of commercial varieties.

Many believe that this smaller cherry contracts the flavors into the bean itself. Majority of coffee is grown on plantations with full-sun. Some coffee plantations were prepared with the use of deforestation.

The two main variety of coffee being grown today are Robusta and Arabica. Robusta comprises about 20 percent of the world's production. It is a lower grade coffee with higher caffeine content. Robusta trees are normally grown at lower elevations and easier to maintain and cultivate. This type is typically grown to attain a lower priced coffee in the market.

Arabica coffee supplies 75 to 80 percent of the world's coffee trade. It is usually referred as gourmet coffee by most people because of its superior grade, aromatic properties and desirable taste. Arabica species of coffee are grown all over the world but only a few growers passed the Specialty Coffee Association of America's standard.

Other kinds of coffee plant being grown include Coffea benghalensis, Coffea congensis, Coffea excelsa, Coffea bonnieri, Coffea gallienii, Coffea mogeneti, Coffea liberica, and Coffea stenophylla. Each species has different characteristics.

Green beans are essentially coffee beans not roasted yet. Its volatile and non-volatile compounds are said to appeal to insects and distract animals from eating the coffee fruits. These compounds also contribute to the flavor of roasted beans. Nitrogenous compounds jointly with carbohydrates are significant for the full aroma or fragrance of roasted coffee beans. The non-volatile nitrogenous compounds include trigonelline, alkaloids, protein and free amino acids.

Gourmet Coffee Beans have volcanica, costa rice, Jamaica blue mountain, and kona. Volcanica are grown at 3,000 to 7,000 feet on mountain slopes created by volcanoes and nurtured on volcanic soil. The moisture coming from the clouds and the cool climate combined gives the coffee a smooth and robust flavor.

Costa rica is among the world's largest gourmet coffees with clean, light flavor and fantastic aroma. The magnificent growing condition of this tiny Central American nation is due to the fertile volcanic soil and mild climate.

Jamaica blue mountain is considered as the Rolls-Royce of coffee. It is one of the most appreciated gourmet coffees in the world. This coffee has a strong and intense aroma, balanced acidity, and prominent fruit flavors.

Kona coffee has a rich delicious full-bodied flavor grown from the slopes of Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii. Plantation needs a sunny weather, rich soil and ample rainfall. This coffee has a luscious, smooth, intense fragrance and nutty flavor that made it very famous throughout the US.

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