Coffee bean

This article is about the coffee bean seed. For the coffee chain, see The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
Coffee beans
Roasted coffee beans
Region of originHorn of Africa[1] and South Arabia[2]

A coffee bean is a seed from the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit. This fruit is often referred to as a coffee cherry, and like the cherry, it is a fruit with a pit. Even though the coffee beans are not technically beans, they are referred to as such because of their resemblance to true beans. The fruits most commonly contain two stones with their flat sides together. A small percentage of cherries contain a single seed, called a "peaberry". Peaberries make up only around 10% to 15% of all coffee beans. It is a fairly common belief that they have more flavour than normal coffee beans.[3] Like Brazil nuts (a seed) and white rice, coffee beans consist mostly of endosperm.[4]

The two most economically important varieties of coffee plants are the Arabica and the Robusta; approximately 60% of the coffee produced worldwide is Arabica and ~40% is Robusta.[5] Arabica beans consist of 0.8–1.4% caffeine and Robusta beans consist of 1.7–4.0% caffeine.[6] As coffee is one of the world's most widely consumed beverages, coffee beans are a major cash crop and an important export product, accounting for over 50% of some developing nations' foreign exchange earnings.[7] In 2017, 70% of total coffee production was exported, worth US$19.9 billion.[8] The global coffee industry is massive and valued at $495.50 billion as of 2023, the biggest producer of coffee and coffee beans is Brazil.[9] Other main exporters of coffee beans are Colombia, Vietnam and Ethiopia.

  1. ^ Souza, Richard M. (2008) Plant-Parasitic Nematodes of Coffee. Springer. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4020-8720-2
  2. ^ Weinberg, Bennett Alan; Bealer, Bonnie K. (2001). The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug. New York: Routledge. p. 3–4. ISBN 978-0-415-92722-2. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Peaberry Coffee Beans: Speciality Coffee Drinkers Guide". ilovebuttercoffee.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 1 Dec 2016.
  4. ^ "Arabica and Robusta Coffee Plant". Coffee Research Institute. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Coffee: World Markets and Trade" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture – Foreign Agricultural Service. June 16, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  6. ^ "Botanical Aspects". International Coffee Organization. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  7. ^ "The Story of Coffee". International Coffee Organization. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  8. ^ Voora, V.; Bermudez, S.; Larrea, C. (2019). "Global Market Report: Coffee". State of Sustainability Initiatives. Archived from the original on 2021-01-27.
  9. ^ "33+ Buzzing Coffee Industry Statistics [2023]: Cafes, Consumption, And Market Trends". Zippia. 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2023-12-24.