A comprehensive introduction to all aspects of coffee

The variety Coffea Robusta can grow to more than 12 meters above sea level to 600 meters above sea level and grows rapidly and has stronger resistance to insect pests. It was discovered in Congo in 1898, and the strong variety was widely spread, especially in places such as Africa, Asia and Indonesia where Coffea Arabica was not suitable for growing in climate. It accounts for 1/4 of the world's total output. Because it contains more caffeine (about twice as much as Arabica) and has a strong taste, Robustas is usually used for special mixes. Overuse and / or incorrect processing led to the low price and bitter taste of this coffee, with a significant "wood texture", a typical characteristic of natural Robustas from Africa. Washing varieties from Indonesia are rare and precious in some combinations. This kind of bean is small in shape, round and yellowish brown.

Coffee crops can thrive and have a good harvest, which requires a special natural environment:

Suitable climate: hot and humid or sub-hot climate, between the Tropic of Cancer, rainy, the temperature is 15 to 25 ℃.

The soil should be deep, hard, permeable, conducive to irrigation and drainage. The best land is halfway up the hillside, broken down by volcanic rocks or freshly cultivated forests. The ideal altitude is between 600m and 1200 m, although some varieties are suitable for 2000-2200 m, others below 400m, or even on flat ground.

Carefully cultivated in order to protect tree species at each growth stage, so:

Select seeds from robust, productive and longevity tree species

The seeds are first planted in a sheltered, dark nursery, and about six months later, the seedlings are transplanted to the plantation during the rainy season, together with the soil wrapped in roots.

Depending on the area where they grow (tropical or subtropical), coffee trees are protected from strong winds and excessive sunshine by other trees. Cultivated and protected in this way, trees will begin to bear fruit when they grow to three or four years old.

Harvest and treatment

Harvest occurs in different months of the year (depending on the geographical location of the producing country), depending on the maturity of the fruit. The harvest time depends on the geographical location, climate and altitude, and varies according to the situation of each producing country.

Ripe fruit can be picked by hand, or raked with a small rake, or hit to the ground with a pole: the first two methods can be carried out by low-cost labor, who will operate more selectively; the method of hitting with a pole is faster but not fine enough. and requires further cleaning of the fruit. If the terrain permits, the harvest can be operated by a special automatic machine.

As coffee is a very delicate product, beans must be processed within a few days after harvest. This is to prevent the pulp and covered film from fermenting. There are two ways to process seeds:

"dry" processing, known as "natural" coffee; this method is mainly used in Brazil and West Africa. The fruit is laid on the ground and dried by the sun and constantly turned so that the fruit is evenly exposed to the sun for a period of 15 to 20 days.

"wet" treatment, which is more demanding and more difficult. Using this processing method, you can get coffee that is called "washed" or "soft". This approach has been adopted in Central America, Mexico, Colombia, Kenya and Tanzania. The processing steps are: cleaning, soaking, removing pulp, fermentation, drying and peeling, and finally removing residual impurities and polishing the beans.

The beans are then packed in sacks, usually weighing 60 kilograms (about 132 pounds), and then stored in special sheltered houses. They will begin their own journey-- from sacks to bags-- to consumer countries.