History of Coffee

Coffee beans come from the seeds of coffee berries which originate from a genus of plant known as Coffea which is native to Madagascar and the tropical regions of Africa. In this genus, there are over 6,000 species of shrubs and trees and nearly 100 species of coffee plants. The two most commonly grown species of coffee plants grown are C. arabica and C. robusta, which are picked, processed, and dried once the plants are ripe. Earliest evidence of drinkable coffee comes from the 1400s in modern-day Yemen, Arabia. The coffee beans were roasted similar in how they are roasted now, but the coffee first had to be exported from East Africa to Yemen. However, the native origin of the coffee bean stems from Ethiopia. Soon, through the trading of agriculture, the growing of coffee plants spread to Mecca and Cairo.

Coffee Belt

The Coffee Belt, or “The Bean Belt”, is an area wrapped around the world along the equatorial zone which is located between latitudes 25 degrees North and 30 degrees South. For example, Robusta is a heartier coffee tree that grows best in higher temperature and lower altitudes unlike Arabica which tends to grow best in higher altitudes where the soil is richer.