Reading Passage
Coffee is one of the world's most popular beverages, with over 2.25 billion cups consumed daily. The journey from coffee bean to the cup on your table involves multiple complex stages, each crucial to the final product's quality and flavor.
Coffee plants thrive in tropical and subtropical regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, an area known as the "Coffee Belt." The ideal growing conditions include temperatures between 15 and 24 degrees Celsius, adequate rainfall of about 1,500 to 2,000 millimeters annually, and altitudes ranging from 600 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The two main commercially grown species are Coffea arabica, which accounts for approximately 60% of global production, and Coffea robusta, which makes up most of the remainder.
After planting, coffee trees typically take three to four years to produce their first harvest. The trees produce clusters of white, jasmine-scented flowers that develop into coffee cherries. These cherries change from green to yellow, then to red or purple when ripe. Harvesting methods vary by region and scale: some use selective picking, where workers return to the same trees multiple times to harvest only ripe cherries, while others employ strip picking, removing all cherries at once.
Once harvested, the cherries must be processed within 24 hours to prevent spoilage. Two primary methods exist: the dry (natural) method and the wet (washed) method. The dry method, the oldest and simplest technique, involves spreading cherries in the sun to dry for several weeks. The wet method removes the pulp from the cherry before drying, requiring more water but generally producing cleaner-tasting coffee. After processing, the dried beans, called parchment coffee, are hulled to remove the remaining layers.
The beans then undergo careful sorting and grading based on size, weight, color, and defects. Exporters and importers cup coffee—a process of tasting and evaluating quality—before purchase. Finally, roasting transforms the green coffee beans into the aromatic brown beans sold in stores. Roasting temperatures reach between 180 and 240 degrees Celsius, and the duration affects the coffee's flavor profile. Light roasts preserve more of the bean's original characteristics, while dark roasts develop deeper, more caramelized flavors.