Coffee knowledge Coffee tree coffee beans growth habits

Coffee is a drink that gives the public the impression of being black, bitter, sleepless, and excited. The coffee beans we see in coffee shops are dark brown and belong to roasted coffee beans, while the color of coffee liquid is amber. Coffee comes from coffee beans, which in turn are harvested and processed from the fruits of trees.

Distribution of coffee:

Coffee trees grow in tropical or subtropical countries centered on the equator and between 25 degrees north and south latitude, known as the "coffee belt." At present, coffee is produced in more than 60 countries, widely distributed in South America, Central America, West Indies, Asia, Africa, Arabia, South Pacific and Oceania. In terms of output, Brazil ranks first in the world, accounting for about 30%. Central and South America, centered on Colombia ( 10% ), ranks second, accounting for 60%. Africa and Arabia account for about 30%. The remaining 10% are distributed in Asia and most islands.

Coffee growing habits:

Coffee trees belong to the evergreen family of the Akanaceae family. They are tropical plants and are not cold-resistant. Most of them are planted in areas with an elevation of 300-400 meters. There are also highlands cultivated at elevations of 2000-2500 meters. However, the quality of those planted on slopes above 1500 meters is better. Coffee trees are best suited to growing in an environment with an average temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius, annual precipitation of 1500-2000 millimeters, strong soil permeability and suitable sunshine. Coffee is afraid of frost and cold winter, and must not be planted on frosty heights. Generally wild coffee trees can grow to about 8 meters, home species, in order to protect the quality of coffee beans, easy to manage and harvest convenience, and will be cut to a height of 2 meters, coffee beans after sowing 3-5 years to start fruit, 5-20 years for the harvest period, a coffee tree can bear about 3-5 kg of coffee cherries per year.

The most important coffee beans in the world come mainly from three original varieties: arabica, robersta and liberia.

Arabica coffee trees originating in Ethiopia account for 70% of the world's coffee production, and almost all of the world's famous coffee varieties are Arabica.

Arabica coffee trees are suitable for planting in high mountains with large temperature difference between day and night, as well as soil with low humidity and good drainage. The ideal altitude is 500 meters to 2000 meters. The higher the altitude, the better the quality. However, due to the weak ability to resist pests and diseases, it is more difficult to plant than the other two coffee trees.

Robusta coffee trees are native to Congo, Africa, and account for about 20 -30% of world production. Robusta coffee tree is suitable for planting in lowlands below 500 meters above sea level. It has strong adaptability to the environment. It can resist harsh weather, resist pests and diseases. It does not need too much manual care when preparing soil, weeding and pruning. It can grow freely in the wild. It is an easy to cultivate coffee tree. However, its style is more bitter than Arabica, and its quality is much inferior, so it is mostly used to make instant coffee. Because it is grown in Africa, most Africans drink Robusta coffee.

Liberia coffee tree origin for Africa Liberia, its cultivation history is shorter than the other two coffee trees, so the planting place is limited to Liberia, Suriname, Guyana and a few other places, so the production accounts for less than 5% of the world's production, Liberia coffee tree suitable for planting lowland, the coffee beans produced have a very strong flavor and bitter taste.