Origin
Where coffee is grown, picked and processed
The beginning of the coffee journey
From small family farms in isolated villages, to large estates in expansive fields. Where coffee is grown and how it is transformed into something that we can consume makes a huge impact on how we perceive it. Using the information below will help expand your knowledge and help in choosing your next coffee!
Terroir
Coffees origin or “terroir” meaning the complete natural environment in which it is grown is the most crucial part of a long journey that imparts a change in the coffees flavor profile. With an endless combination of country, elevation, soil, sunlight and temperature its impossible to identify a single profile to a single country. However, there are some basic tools to help you interpret a coffee before purchasing -
Elevation
The higher a coffee is grown, the less oxygen it has and the slower it grows. It is also subjected to greater diurnal temperature swings. This stress causes the plant to place more energy into progeny e.g. its seeds or beans. The same variety of coffee grown at higher elevation typically displays more complexity, higher acidity and greater density of the beans. Elevation will be displayed as MASL or Meters Above Sea Level. The common range of coffee growing regions is between 600masl and 2000masl
Climate
The “Bean Belt” centers on the equator between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. With ample yearly sunlight providing the extended growing seasons necessary for the development of the coffee cherry, it is within this margin that the majority of coffee is grown for production in the world. While you may be able to grow a coffee plant at home, it will not have the proper environment to produce a meaningful amount of coffee for consumption. While no specific line of latitude can be guaranteed to produce a high quality coffee, it is unlikely that coffee grown outside of the bean belt will produce a high scoring cup.
Soil
While coffee can bear fruit on a wide range of soil types, it is especially well suited in volcanic soils because of its improved porousness and subsequent water infiltration. This can translate to a higher acidity, and higher scoring coffee that is commonly associated with coffees grown in volcanic areas. Soil fertility also directly correlates to yield for farmers, and greater production associated with more nutrient rich soils. Coffee variety will also dictate the type of soil best suited for its needs.
Photo: Coffee drying on raised beds in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
Variety
Much like apples, coffee comes in different shapes, colors and flavors. These varieties are often selected based on a combination of their ability to produce in the environment it will be grown in, the quality that it is able to produce, and its resistance to pests, disease and environmental stressors . The two most commons species grown in the world are -
Arabica
Comprises 90% of the specialty market, and ~70% of the commodities market.
Especially well suited for high elevation and colder environments
Produces a higher cupping quality
Fetches a higher price for farmers at market
Lower yield by comparison to Robusta
Robusta
Higher Caffeine content which provides greater defense against pests like coffee bean borer
More resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust, a fungus that covers the leaves and inhibits photosynthesis
Able to grow at lower elevations, making it more feasible for a larger growing area
Higher overall yield per plant
Lower cupping quality (woody, rubbery flavor)
Hybrids / Cultivars
From Arabica and Robusta, coffees begin to branch off into varieties known as Hybrids and Cultivars. With over 125 different known varieties, and more unknown heirloom varieties being added to the Coffee Family Tree every year.
Hybrids are coffees that have mutated naturally and are discovered amongst growing fields or in the wild. More considerable efforts are being dedicated to active cultivation and inter-variety breeding to selectively grow coffees suited towards desirable flavors, specific growing environments and rising global temperatures from anthropogenic climate change.
Photo: Heirloom variety in Guji, Ethiopia before being picked and sent to Mulish Washing Station.
Picking
The coffee fruit which bears the beans within must be picked within an ideal window of maturation of the cherry. Too early, and the underdeveloped seeds will display lower cup characteristics, a grassiness and lower acidity. Too late, and the coffee will taste “wild”, overfermented, sour (like olive juice). Ripe or Red cherries are those within that ideal harvest window.
As improved harvesting practices occur in all coffee growing regions, Cooperatives and mills are being encouraged by growing demand for higher quality to be more selective in which cherry they will purchase from growers. As farmers bring their cherry to mill, they are paid not only on the amount by weight, but for the quality of the cherry.
Photo: Delivered coffee waiting to be processed at the wet mill.
Processing
In order to get coffee to a form in which it can be roasted, it must be processed to remove the outer fruit or “cherry” as well as the underlying parchment layer, both of which protect the seed. The way in which the cherry is processed impacts the flavor of the coffee in a number of ways.
The three most common processing methods -
Natural Process
The oldest form of coffee processing. The cherries are picked and placed in the sun on raised beds (improves airflow) to dry until the cherry is hard and can be broken off through milling. Similar to how raisins are made from grapes. The most notable profile distinctions of a Natural Processed coffee -
Intense Fruit like blueberry, raspberry, plum
Deeper flavor, naturally more wild, boozy
Heavier body, syrupy
Natural Processed Offerings: Yemen Haraaz Red
Washed Process
The most common and fastest of the three main processing methods. The coffee cherry is mechanically removed using a depulper, exposing a slick mucilage layer that covers the bean. These beans are then placed in fermentation tanks wherein bacteria break down that mucilage so that it can slough off when moved either by hand or when transferred to a different tank. The fermentation process must be observed carefully, as overfermentation can produce an olive juice or vinegar like flavor. After removal of the mucilage layer, the coffee must dry in the sun on patios, or raised beds until it reaches a moisture content of 13%. The most notable profile distinctions of a Washed Processed coffee -
Greater clarity, exposing more of the naturally occurring flavors in the coffee without muddying the overall profile
Wider range of fruit type acidity
Caramel or Sugary Sweetness
Washed Processed Offerings: Guatemala Waykan, Mood Enhancer
Pulped Natural or Honey Process
The best of both worlds approach and most recent of the three processing methods. For our breakdown we will treat these two processing methods as the same, however slightly different based on where it is done and the resulting profile. Coffee cherry is run through the depulper to remove the outer cherry, and then allowed to dry in the sun to remove the outer mucilage layer and parchment on either patios or raised bed. As the mucilage remaining on the bean dries, it leaves a sticky covering that earns it the name “Honey”, the amount of mucilage left places it into different categorizations and names such as White, Yellow, Red or Black Honey. (less mucilage, lighter color and the more clarity in the cup). The most notable profile distinctions of the Pulped Natural or Honey Processed coffees -
More clarity than a natural, but similar deep notes
Jammy, burnt sugar sweetnes, nutty
Medium to low acidity
Pulped Natural Processed offerings: Ethiopia Suke Quto, Costa Rica La Alquimia
Honorable mention coffee processing: Giling Basah (Wet-Hulled), and Carbonic Maceration
