Coffee has become an indispensable part of our daily lives. We enjoy it every day and might even experience withdrawal symptoms if we have to go without it. But where does our coffee actually come from? In which countries does it grow? And has it always been so diverse? We explore these questions in our weekly blog post " Coffee Origins & Coffee Countries " and, as always, hope you enjoy reading it!
Coffee Origins - A Journey of Origin
The legend of coffee begins in Ethiopia. Goat farmer Kaldi observed how his goats, which grazed on the then-unknown coffee plants, remained awake well into the night. To stay awake himself and watch over his animals, the farmer did the same and chewed the leaves and cherries of the plant. He, too, was now able to stay awake for long periods without getting tired!
The success story of coffee began, and its preparation can be traced back to the 9th century BC: coffee cherries, along with the leaves of the coffee plant, were steeped in hot water, similar to tea, and then drunk. It wasn't until the 16th century BC that coffee reached the Ottoman Empire, and the first coffeehouse opened in Istanbul. Here, coffee was dried, roasted, and ground, much like today, before being brewed with hot water. The ruler at the time, Murad IV, was far from enthusiastic about the dark brew and ordered the coffeehouses closed and coffee drinkers persecuted. Coffee was subsequently banned.
Our knowledge of coffee in Germany likely stems from an Augsburg physician who traveled to the Orient in 1582. Nevertheless, the first coffee house didn't open in Bremen until 1673.
Coffee Countries - The Coffee Belt
All tropical-equatorial countries where coffee is grown are located in the so-called coffee belt. This name comes from the fact that the growing regions, from which the majority of our coffee is sourced, form a belt around the equator. In concrete terms, this means that coffee can be grown between the 23rd parallel north and the 25th parallel south. This region has a particularly humid-dry climate, ideal for growing coffee plants. Good soil conditions are also often found here, as coffee cultivation requires nutrient-rich soil. The coffee belt encompasses parts of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. By far the largest coffee-growing country is Brazil, producing over 30% of the world's coffee. Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Indonesia are also among the largest exporters.
Coffee plants - An (un)endless variety
Although there are more than 60 existing varieties of coffee, two types are primarily cultivated: Coffea Arabica, accounting for about 70%, and Coffea Canephora, including the subspecies Robusta, with about 30%. The most visible difference between these two varieties can be seen in the coffee beans themselves. Arabica beans are larger, flatter, and more oval. Robusta beans, on the other hand, are smaller and rounder. The groove on Arabica beans is beautifully curved, while on Robusta beans it is straight.
The Arabica coffee plant, with a flowering period of 7-9 months, needs slightly less time to reach harvest maturity than the Robusta coffee plant, which takes 9-11 months. Coffea arabica is the only coffee variety that can self-pollinate! It thrives best at altitudes between 400 and 2100 meters, with temperatures between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. The Robusta coffee plant relies on cross-pollination. It is cultivated at altitudes between 0 and 900 meters and requires around 26 degrees Celsius for optimal growth. Read more about the differences here.
We hope you enjoyed reading and learned something from us! In the coming weeks, we'd like to take you on an exciting coffee journey around the globe and introduce you to some special coffee-producing countries from which we source our own coffee.
Stay tuned and see you next time!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team
Coffee Origins & Coffee Countries
Coffee has become an indispensable part of our daily lives. We enjoy it every day and might even experience withdrawal symptoms if we have to go without it. But where does our coffee actually come from? In which countries does it grow? And has it always been so diverse? We explore these questions in our weekly blog post " Coffee Origins & Coffee Countries " and, as always, hope you enjoy reading it!
Coffee Origins - A Journey of Origin
The legend of coffee begins in Ethiopia. Goat farmer Kaldi observed how his goats, which grazed on the then-unknown coffee plants, remained awake well into the night. To stay awake himself and watch over his animals, the farmer did the same and chewed the leaves and cherries of the plant. He, too, was now able to stay awake for long periods without getting tired!
The success story of coffee began, and its preparation can be traced back to the 9th century BC: coffee cherries, along with the leaves of the coffee plant, were steeped in hot water, similar to tea, and then drunk. It wasn't until the 16th century BC that coffee reached the Ottoman Empire, and the first coffeehouse opened in Istanbul. Here, coffee was dried, roasted, and ground, much like today, before being brewed with hot water. The ruler at the time, Murad IV, was far from enthusiastic about the dark brew and ordered the coffeehouses closed and coffee drinkers persecuted. Coffee was subsequently banned.
Our knowledge of coffee in Germany likely stems from an Augsburg physician who traveled to the Orient in 1582. Nevertheless, the first coffee house didn't open in Bremen until 1673.
Coffee Countries - The Coffee Belt
All tropical-equatorial countries where coffee is grown are located in the so-called coffee belt. This name comes from the fact that the growing regions, from which the majority of our coffee is sourced, form a belt around the equator. In concrete terms, this means that coffee can be grown between the 23rd parallel north and the 25th parallel south. This region has a particularly humid-dry climate, ideal for growing coffee plants. Good soil conditions are also often found here, as coffee cultivation requires nutrient-rich soil. The coffee belt encompasses parts of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. By far the largest coffee-growing country is Brazil, producing over 30% of the world's coffee. Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Indonesia are also among the largest exporters.
Coffee plants - An (un)endless variety
Although there are more than 60 existing varieties of coffee, two types are primarily cultivated: Coffea Arabica, accounting for about 70%, and Coffea Canephora, including the subspecies Robusta, with about 30%. The most visible difference between these two varieties can be seen in the coffee beans themselves. Arabica beans are larger, flatter, and more oval. Robusta beans, on the other hand, are smaller and rounder. The groove on Arabica beans is beautifully curved, while on Robusta beans it is straight.
The Arabica coffee plant, with a flowering period of 7-9 months, needs slightly less time to reach harvest maturity than the Robusta coffee plant, which takes 9-11 months. Coffea arabica is the only coffee variety that can self-pollinate! It thrives best at altitudes between 400 and 2100 meters, with temperatures between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. The Robusta coffee plant relies on cross-pollination. It is cultivated at altitudes between 0 and 900 meters and requires around 26 degrees Celsius for optimal growth. Read more about the differences here.
We hope you enjoyed reading and learned something from us! In the coming weeks, we'd like to take you on an exciting coffee journey around the globe and introduce you to some special coffee-producing countries from which we source our own coffee.
Stay tuned and see you next time!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team