When you sip your morning cup of coffee, you probably don’t associate it with being one of your 5+ fruits and veggies in a day. However, the journey of your coffee beans from plant to cup tells a fascinating story that begins with the coffee cherry, a bona fide fruit.
Let’s delve into the origins of coffee and explore its classification as a fruit.
The Coffee Plant
The coffee plant, belonging to the genus Coffea, is a tropical evergreen shrub or small tree. The two most commercially significant species are Coffea arabica (Arabica coffee) and Coffea canephora (Robusta coffee). These plants thrive in the coffee belt, a region stretching around the equator, encompassing countries in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.
Arabica coffee accounts for approximately 70% of the world’s supply. It produces a mild and aromatic coffee with a lower caffeine content. Arabica coffee is more expensive due to higher cultivation costs and its disease susceptibility.
Robusta coffee makes up about 30% of the world’s supply. It is cheaper to produce, as it can be grown at lower altitudes and is more disease-resistant. However, it doesn’t taste as good as Arabica coffee, having a woody, burnt quality with very little acidity and a heavy body. Robusta is typically used for instant coffee and contains almost twice as much caffeine as Arabica.
The Coffee Cherry
The fruit of the coffee plant is known as the coffee cherry or coffee berry. These cherries grow in clusters along the branches of the coffee plant. Initially green, they ripen to a bright red or sometimes yellow color. While the size of the fruit varies depending on the coffee variety, they are generally about the size of a small grape.
Unlike most fruits, where the flesh is consumed, the seed inside the coffee cherry is the real treasure. The majority of the fruit’s volume is occupied by the seeds, with only a thin layer of flesh beneath the skin.
The Seed
The seed, or coffee bean, consists of several layers, most of which are removed during processing. The outermost protective layer is called the parchment, with a thinner layer around it known as the silverskin.
Inside each cherry, you’ll typically find two seeds, which are the coffee beans. In rare instances, a cherry will contain only one seed, known as a peaberry. Many coffee enthusiasts believe that peaberries have a more concentrated and complex flavor. This is because the single bean receives all the nutrients and flavor from the cherry, potentially leading to a richer taste.
The Journey From Cherry To Bean
Once the coffee cherries are harvested, the beans must be extracted from the fruit through one of several processing methods. The chosen method significantly affects the flavor profile of the resulting cup.
- Dry Processing (Natural): This is the oldest method of processing coffee. After harvesting, the cherries are spread out in the sun to dry, requiring regular turning to prevent mold or rotting. This traditional method is time-consuming but imparts fruity flavors to the beans. Once dried, the outer layers of the cherry are removed to reveal the coffee beans.
- Wet Processing (Washed): This method is more costly than others. The cherries are pulped to remove the outer skin, and the beans are then fermented in water to break down the remaining flesh. After fermentation, the beans are washed and sun-dried. Washed coffee tends to have higher acidity, increased complexity, and produces a cleaner cup.
- Semi-Dry Processing: This method combines elements of both dry and wet processing, where the cherries are pulped, and the beans are partially dried before fermentation.
After processing, the beans are hulled to remove any remaining parchment layer, polished, and graded for quality. The final green coffee beans are then roasted to develop their distinctive flavors and aromas.
Can You Eat Coffee Cherries?
Yes, coffee cherries are edible, and their flesh is surprisingly delicious. Coffee author James Hoffmann compares it to the taste of a honeydew melon. However, coffee cherries are not widely eaten because there is very little flesh on them, and what little there is sticks tightly to the seeds, similar to a peach stone.
What Happens To The Flesh Of The Coffee Cherries?
While the flesh of the coffee cherry used to be discarded, it is now increasingly being used for different purposes. One of the most common is to use the dried skins and pulp to make cascara tea. This tea has a unique flavor profile, quite different from coffee, with sweet and fruity notes. The other common practice is to use the pulp as a compost and natural fertilizer, returning nutrients to the soil.
Nutritional Perspective
From a nutritional standpoint, coffee cherries contain beneficial compounds such as antioxidants and polyphenols. Some specialty products utilize the whole cherry, including cascara (dried coffee cherry skin) used to make teas and other beverages. This highlights the fruit’s potential health benefits beyond the coffee beans themselves.
Botanical Classification
Botanically speaking, coffee cherries fit the definition of a fruit. Fruits are the mature ovary of a flowering plant, usually containing seeds. In the case of coffee, the cherries are the fleshy, seed-bearing structures produced by the coffee plant after flowering. Therefore, it’s accurate to classify coffee as a fruit product.
Culinary Classification
In the culinary world, coffee is typically associated with beverages rather than fruits. We think of coffee in terms of its roasted beans, which are ground and brewed to produce a rich, aromatic drink. This disconnect between botanical and culinary classifications is not uncommon. For instance, tomatoes are botanically fruits but are often treated as vegetables in cooking.
Conclusion
So, is coffee a fruit? The answer is yes, coffee beans are actually the seeds of a fruit. While we enjoy coffee primarily as a beverage derived from roasted seeds, understanding its botanical origins adds an intriguing layer to our appreciation of this globally cherished drink. Next time you savor a cup of coffee, remember that it all started with a humble fruit grown in tropical climates around the world.
