From Flower to Aroma
The bean story
Ever wondered where the coffee you had this morning came from?
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Located between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, horizontally along the equator, is a strip of the world perfect for growing coffee, it’s called the Coffee Belt, also known as The Bean Belt.
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The Bean Belt provides the perfect climate for coffee beans to grow as coffee needs a specific climate and environment in order to grow. To produce their best beans, coffee trees need to be grown at high altitudes in moist, tropical climates with both dry and rainy seasons and where there is rich soil.
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While these regions all share a tropical climate, their lands each have unique characteristics that influence the flavor profiles of the coffee they produce. Even different regions within a single continent—or different farms within a region—can produce coffees that are quite different. Much like a wine’s characteristics are associated with the area in which the grapes are grown, so it is with coffee.
As you are drinking your delicious morning cup of coffee, let’s take a moment to look at the process and embrace the journey of the coffee bean — from the moment it has been grown and harvested — to the moment you pour your very first Javali roasted cup.
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The beginning process starts when a tiny seed is planted in a nursery in a country where the sun shines brightly and can give the seed all its nutrients. It takes about 3-4 years for a coffee plant to mature to where the beans can be harvested. Upon maturity, coffee plants will bear coffee berries/cherries. They will change from a green to a reddish-pink shade of colour. This colour change indicates that the coffee cherry is ripe and ready for hand-picking.
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Inside the red cherries is where the green coffee bean is, and must be removed from the red cherry flesh. Once all the husks have dried and the bean is partially exposed, the beans are dried and milled to remove the last bits of the cherry from the green beans. These green beans are now ready to be shipped and roasted.
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Turning green coffee beans into roasted coffee beans is an art and a science. Keep in mind that roasters do not create flavour, they unlock what’s already available.
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The next time you enjoy your freshly brewed coffee, think about the farmers, pickers, tasters, distributors, and your Javali roaster involved in this incredible journey.
