How does a typical coffee bean go from the ground to your mug? Coffee seeds are usually planted in large beds of shaded nurseries and take about nine months to sprout. In general coffee beans grow in the Bean Belt or warmer tropical climates. The fruit of coffee trees are called cherries, which are processed either in the sun or by being separated from the pulp until the moisture level reaches 11%. At this time the beans go through a hulling process to remove the parchment layer or husk, followed by polishing, grading and sorting to remove any remaining defective beans. The beans that survive this process are loaded onto ships and sent all over the world for roasting, grinding and eventual brewing. The largest current importers of coffee are in North America and Europe.
A coffee connoisseur generally evaluates each blend by sight, smell and taste. So where does your coffee come from?