People consume about 3 billion cups of coffee daily, which makes coffee one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. However, many people do not know the origins of coffee, the reason for its great diversity, the difference between these types, and the reason for its different taste.
Where does coffee come from?
Coffee is grown in what is known as the “Coffee Belt,” which is a group of 50 countries located on the equator, where the appropriate set of factors for growing coffee are available in terms of altitude, soil, and weather. Although some may not care where coffee is grown, knowing the origins of coffee gives you a lot of information about its taste.
Coffee growing regions around the world can be divided into three main regions: Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The coffee grown in each of these regions has some distinctive characteristics in terms of strength and taste. Knowing the characteristics of each type may help you determine your favorite coffee.
African coffee: Coffee grown in Africa has a deep flavour, which makes it a favorite among many coffee lovers. Africa is considered the oldest place where coffee was grown and prepared in general.
Latin Coffee: Latin America produces most of the coffee in the world, as coffee is grown throughout the jungles of Central and South America, and in the Caribbean. This type of coffee has a nutty flavor and relatively low acidity.
Asian coffee: Indonesia, Vietnam, and some other regions of Southeast Asia are among the largest coffee producing regions in the world. Coffee grown in this region also has distinctive characteristics such as an earthy flavor and mild acidity.
Types of coffee beans
Coffee beans are the seeds found inside the beans of the coffee tree, which look very similar to cherries but are inedible. It can be said that there are 120 types of coffee in the world currently, but most of the coffee we drink daily comes from either Arabica or Robusta, or a mixture of the two. The differences between the two types can be identified as follows:
Arabica: Because of the extremely delicate nature of these beans, they are considered the most difficult type of beans to cultivate, as they need to grow in mountainous areas with moderate rain and constant temperatures, and they are the first type of coffee beans to be grown in general. This type of coffee beans has some distinctive characteristics, such as:
- Softer than others.
- There is more sweetness in its taste.
- Very fruit-like flavor.
- Less strong due to lower caffeine content than other pills.
Robusta: These grains have greater strength, which makes them withstand weather fluctuations, and makes them more resistant to diseases, which makes them more suitable for cultivation and growth at lower altitudes than other grains. This type of grain has some distinctive characteristics, which include:
- More bitter than other beans.
- Nutty flavor.
- More strong and comes with better foam.
- It contains a greater amount of caffeine and antioxidants.
You can get your favorite coffee with a suitable combination of the two types, as you will find all of this available through Roma Coffee Store from a group of the largest international brands.
Coffee roasting
Despite the diversity of coffee origins in terms of beans and plants, it is not possible to make a cup of coffee directly from those beans, as it must go through the roasting stage first in order for it to become the image of coffee that we know. This stage is no less important than the cultivation stage, as the degree of roasting determines many of the characteristics of the cup of coffee that you will obtain. There are three main types of roasting:
Light: Coffee gives a more acidic flavor, and a relatively pleasant taste.
Medium: This degree of roasting gives the coffee a sweeter and fruitier taste, and is also less acidic.
Dark: Stronger and more bitter flavor, with a relatively chocolate-like taste.
In general, the darker the coffee is roasted, the more bitter it is and the stronger and richer the taste.
