Where does coffee come from? (2024)

FAQs

Where does coffee come from? ›

Most of the world's coffee grows within the Bean Belt, the area around the equator between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. This region includes parts of Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Coffee beans develop inside a “cherry” that grows from these plants.

Ethiopia is widely considered to be the epicentre of where coffee came from. If you've ever googled “coffee history”, you will have come across the famous story of how coffee was founded in Ethiopia by Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder, around 800 AD.

Coffee traces its origin to a genus of plants known as Coffea. Within the genus there are over 500 genera and 6,000 species of tropical trees and shrubs. Experts estimate that there are anywhere from 25 to 100 species of coffee plants.

Coffee beans come from the coffee plant, a bush-like plant which can get very tall (coffee farmers will usually keep them trimmed to around 5ft to keep them manageable). On these coffee plants, bunches of cherries grow and inside these you'll find two coffee beans, Arabica and Robusta coffee...

Brazil. Situated in South America, Brazil is the top producer of coffee. They produce 2,68 million metric tons of coffee on average every year. Brazil has also held onto its first-place position as the world's largest coffee producer for over 150 years.

An Ethiopian Legend

There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans. The story goes that that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.

The first mention of coffee in America was by Captain John Smith who, having seen coffee cultivation in Turkey, introduced the idea to Jamestown colonists. Reportedly, 1723 was when coffee came to America, and its seeds were introduced in the New World.

Hu said that moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson's disease, and depression. It's even possible that people who drink coffee can reduce their risk of early death.

Coffea canephora

The botanical genus and species name for Robusta coffee, described over 100 years after C. arabica. One of the two diploid parent plants of C. arabica.

Kopi Luwak, often referred to as the “most expensive coffee” in the world, has a fascinating history and a truly unique production process. Originating from Indonesia, particularly from the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, Kopi Luwak has gained worldwide recognition for its distinctiveness.

Where does coffee grow naturally? ›

It is traditionally grown along the “coffee belt” which sits in between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, this includes Central & South America, Central Africa, India, and SouthEast Asia. The largest producer is Brazil, who produce more than a third of the world's coffee.

The answer is yes! Coffee cherries are classified as fruits because they contain seeds that are processed into roasted beans. These coffee trees generate the cherry-like fruits from which we obtain our beloved beverage's beans; in essence, this means that your regular cup of java counts as a fruity treat.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, so if you're a coffee-lover, you must experience the original to fully appreciate every other coffee experience. Anyone that has had Ethiopian coffee beans knows that it's special.

For many people, Ethiopia is home to the best coffee in the world also, particularly those who enjoy fruity and floral flavour profiles that Ethiopian coffee so often provides. Vietnam: Even though it produces more coffee than most other countries, that coffee is almost entirely robusta.

Hawaii is the only state with an established coffee farming industry. In fact, it originated 200 years ago, and produced 5.12 million pounds of coffee in 20202. Another interesting coffee statistic is that Hawaii ranks number 1 on most Google searches about coffee.

Most agree that the original coffee plants were native to the western regions of Ethiopia. Coffee was recorded as a beverage as early as the 6th century, utilized by the Ottoman Empire. It was in Yemen, however, that these plants were finally cultivated and developed into the beans and beverage that we know today.

Caffè (pronounced [kafˈfɛ]) is the Italian word for coffee and probably originates from Kaffa (Arabic: قهوة, romanized: Qahwa), the region in Ethiopia where coffee originated. The Muslims first used and distributed it worldwide from the port of Mocha in Yemen, after which the Europeans named it mokka.

Kopi luwak, also known as civet coffee, is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus).

Coffee beans come from the coffee plant, a bush-like plant which can get very tall (coffee farmers will usually keep them trimmed to around 5ft to keep them manageable). On these coffee plants, bunches of cherries grow and inside these you'll find two coffee beans, Arabica and Robusta coffee...