Coffee bean
Seed of the Coffea plant, source of the world's coffee.
A coffee bean is a seed from the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. The fruit, often called a coffee cherry, most commonly contains two seeds with their flat sides together; the seeds are referred to as beans because of their appearance, though they are not true beans. Coffee beans are a major cash crop and an important export product, accounting for over 50% of some developing nations' foreign exchange earnings.
- field
- Agriculture, beverage production
- known_for
- Source of coffee, one of the world's most widely consumed beverages
- largest_producer_2023
- Brazil
- main_exporters
- Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, Ethiopia
- caffeine_content_arabica
- 0.8–1.4%
- caffeine_content_robusta
- 1.7–4.0%
Lore & Background
The two most economically important varieties are arabica and robusta, accounting for approximately 60% and 40% of coffee produced worldwide, respectively. Coffee plants grow within a defined area between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, termed the bean belt or coffee belt. Coffee beans are processed by either the wet (washed) method, historically used in Central America and areas of Africa, or the dry method, historically used for lower-quality beans in Brazil and much of Africa. A third type, kopi luwak, involves the Asian palm civet eating coffee berries and excreting the beans, which are then harvested and sold as a niche product. Peaberries, which contain a single seed, make up around 10% to 15% of all coffee beans; it is often claimed they are superior, but there is little hard evidence to support this.
Reader's Guide
Coffee beans are central to the global coffee industry, one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. The two main varieties, arabica and robusta, differ in caffeine content and growing conditions: arabica beans contain 0.8–1.4% caffeine and grow best at 15–24 °C, while robusta beans contain 1.7–4.0% caffeine and prefer 24–30 °C. The etymology of the name is uncertain, possibly from Turkish kahveh or from Kaffa Province, Ethiopia. Coffee beans consist mostly of endosperm, like Brazil nuts and white rice. Their non-volatile and volatile compounds, including caffeine, deter many insects and animals. Since the mid-2000s, green coffee extract has been sold as a nutritional supplement and studied for its chlorogenic acid content and potential weight-loss properties. The legacy of coffee beans lies in their economic importance, cultural significance, and the ongoing debate over quality distinctions such as peaberries.
Did You Know?
- Coffee beans are not true beans; they are seeds from the Coffea plant.
- Peaberries, which contain a single seed, make up about 10% to 15% of all coffee beans.
- Arabica beans contain 0.8–1.4% caffeine, while robusta beans contain 1.7–4.0% caffeine.
- The Asian palm civet eats coffee berries and excretes the beans to produce kopi luwak.
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