Specialty Coffee Facts Where, How, What, When, Who and Why WHERE: Coffee is grown in over fifty countries worldwide. The main producing areas are Central and South America, Africa and Indonesia. It grows in a narrow belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn; the Equatorial region of the world. Coffee grows at altitudes from 2,500 to 6,000 feet. Cultivation of coffee was brought from Yemen to India. The Dutch transplanted coffee to the island of Java in Indonesia. The French took a cutting from a coffee tree belonging to Louis IV and brought it to the Island of Reunion in the Caribbean Sea; from there it found a home in Central America. The Portuguese brought a coffee "cutting" from Africa to Brazil. HOW: Coffee grows on trees or actually evergreen shrubs which may reach up to 25 feet in the wild. Coffee requires rich soil, much rainfall, tropical temperatures, shade and overall "spring like" conditions year round. It takes from 3-5 years before a coffee tree will bear fruit. The tree will bloom with white, jasmine scented flowers; and 6 to 9 months later the once green cherries will be red or yellow and ripe for harvest! The seed of the coffee fruit, known as the coffee cherry, is what we actually roast and drink. WHAT: There are several species of coffee. Two of the primary species are Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta. Arabica coffee is the premium coffee used almost unanimously by the Specialty Coffee Industry. Arabicas have cleaner, richer "coffee flavor"; require less coffee to yield the proper cup; can be consumed as straights or in blends; have less caffeine than Robusta (approx. 1-2%); are more labor intensive to grow, harvest and process; are 99% hand-picked and are most costly. Robustas have harsh, bitter taste qualities; are almost always used in commercial blends; have more caffeine than Arabicas (approx. 2-3%); require more coffee to yield a cup; most often machine harvested and are less costly. Return to top. WHEN: Coffee was first discovered growing wild in Ethiopia and first cultivated in the country of Yemen. Many legends surround coffees’ past. It was used as a "holy" beverage by religious people of the Middle East to keep them awake during prayers. In about 600 AD, coffee houses or "Kaveh Kannes" were common. Coffee was introduced to Europe in the fifteenth century by Venetian traders. It spread to England where it was consumed in the "penny university". In Germany, coffee was so popular that J.S. Bach composed the "Coffee Cantata" in 1732. This was a musical protest about coffee. The French delighted in the beverage and at one point there were over 2,000 coffeehouses around the city of Paris. Coffee "powder" was probably brought to America on the Mayflower and by Captain John Smith in 1607. WHO: Coffee is the second largest traded commodity worldwide! It is second only to oil! The industry employs close to twenty-one million people from the tree to the cup! In producing/exporting countries it is grown by the small farmer and their families on individual plots of land; by cooperatives of farmers in small villages and it may also be grown on individual estates. In countries that import coffee, there are many people employed in the coffee process; the importers; the green coffee brokers on Wall Street; the coffee cuppers who evaluate the green coffee; the packagers; the retailers; the baristas who tend the coffee bars. Return to top. WHY: Specialty coffee? Flavor, quality, variety! In the 1960’s, coffee consumption in the US began a downward trend due to poor quality, high price and the limited selection of coffee available to the American consumer. To meet consumer demands, a handful of "specialty roasters" began to buy, roast and sell Specialty coffees! These coffees were sold as unblended or straight varietal coffees from many origins such as Hawaiian Kona, Jamaica, Kenya, Colombia and were named as such. They were also offered in a variety of roasts from medium "Full City" to dark "French Roast" unlike the "peanutty" roast offered by the large commercial roasters in canned coffee. They were sold in whole bean form and available in specialty coffee shops. Today’s Specialty Coffee is more varied than ever! Offered not only by country of origin, but even more specific, by method of preparation, region, estate, roast color and even flavored. Return to top.