Most of the
world’s coffee is grown within a broad geographical band bordered by the
Tropic of Cancer to the north and the Tropic of Capricorn to the South. Within
this region, an average year-round temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and
abundant rainfall provide the ideal conditions the coffee plant needs to
thrive.
Although there are many species of coffee
trees, only one produces exceptional coffee. Coffea arabica, which was first
found growing in Yemen centuries ago, is the sole species of quality beans.
The most widely cultivated coffee plant, arabica thrives at higher altitudes,
where the beans mature slowly and have time to develop body and density. They
may take six or seven months, but gives the bean more time to develop flavor.
Coffea robusta, a small round bean with
less refined flavor, is grown at lower altitudes and therefore is more
abundant and less expensive. Discovered in Africa toward the end of the
nineteenth century, robusta is relatively new to the coffee industry but its
role is significant.
