The journey of a cool bean
Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages, and there are a lot of people who enjoy a cup (or if you are like us, several cups) every day. But how much do you really know about your daily dose of cool beans? Where does coffee come from? How is it grown and harvested? How is it roasted and packaged? Put on that curiosity cap and lean into the bean and take a closer look at the farm to cup journey.
Coffee is a type of fruit that grows on bushes in warm climates. The coffee bush produces small red or yellow berries, called coffee cherries. Each coffee cherry contains two seeds, which are what we know as coffee beans (Cool beans to you and I). Once the coffee cherries are ripe, they are picked by hand and then undergo a process to remove the pulp and skin. The coffee beans are then dried, either in the sun or in special drying machines, however, the beans we procure bask in the sun.
After the coffee beans are dried, they are hulled, which removes the outermost layer of the coffee bean. The coffee beans are then graded and sorted according to size, density, and shape. We had the opportunity to watch our beans arrive at the Co-Op, Xalte and go through the sorting process and learn about how they determine the moisture content. We’ll create a separate blog post about that. The next step is roasting, which brings out the flavor and aroma of the coffee. Sean spends time creating sample roasts to find the right notes and flavors. Believe it or not, each batch of harvested bean has an profile. The best way to identify the profile is through an exercise called “cupping”. Sounds bougie but it’s necessary. Sean takes care of that for you and shares his notes under the descriptions in our Bean Shop.
After roasting, the coffee beans are ground and then brewed. The grind size, water temperature, and brewing time all play a role in the final taste of the coffee. Be sure to read the last post on Brewing Methods
Growing coffee is a complicated and lengthy process, but it all starts with a tiny cool bean. The next time you take a sip of your morning joe, think about all the steps that had to happen to bring that cup of coffee to you and give a bit of thanks to the families that dedicate their lives and livelihoods to give you that start of the day pleasure.
