Ecolodge San Luis & Biological Station
Coffee Fact Sheet
About Coffee- the plant
Our word “coffee” comes from the Latin name of the genus Coffea. The genus is a member of the
Rubiaceae family, which has some 500 genera and over 6,000 species. Most are tropical trees and
shrubs that grow in the lower story of forests, covered by the shade of the forest canopy. Other
members of the family include gardenias and plants which yield quinine and other useful substances,
but Coffea is by far the most important member of the family economically.
Family
Rubiaceae
Genus
Coffea
Species
arabica
canephora
liberica
varieties
Typica
Robusta
Since Coffea was first correctly described, by Linnaeus in the mid-18th century, botanists have failed to
agree on a precise classification system. There are probably at least 25 major species, all indigenous to
tropical Africa and certain islands in the Indian Ocean, notably Madagascar. Difficulties in classification
and even in designation of a plant as a true member of the Coffea genus arise becuase of the great
variation in the plants and seeds. All species of Coffea are woody, but they range from small shrubs to
large trees over 10 m tall; the leaves can be yellowish, dark green, bronze, or tinged with purple.
The two most important most important species of coffee economically are Coffea arabica (Arabica
coffee) – which accounts for over 70% of world production – and Coffea canephora (Robusta coffee).
Two other species which are grown on a much smaller scale are Coffea liberica (Liberica coffee) and
Coffea dewevrei (Excelsa coffee).
Some differences between Arabica and Robusta coffee:
Variety:
First described:
Chromosomes (2n)
Time from flower to ripe cherry
Yield (kg beans/hectare)
Root system
Optimum temp (yearly average)
Optimum rainfall
Optimum elevation (m)
Caffeine content of beans
Disease resistance
Market share (world)
Arabica
1753
44
9 months
1500-3000
Deep
15-24 deg C
1500-2000 mm
1000-2000
.8-1.4 %
Generally low
70%
Robusta
1895
22
10-11 months
2300-4000
Shallow
24-30 deg C
2000-3000 mm
0-700
1.7-4%
Generally high
30% (but increasing)
Coffea Arabica – Arabica coffee
Coffea arabica was first described by Linnaeus in 1753. The best known varieties are “Typica” and
“Bourbon” but from these many different strains and cultivars have been developed, such as Caturra
(Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia), Mundo Novo (Brazil), Tico (Central America), the dwarf San Ramon, and
the Jamaican Blue Mountain. The average Arabica plant is a large bush with dark green, oval leaves. It is
genetically different from other coffee species, having four sets of chromosomes rather than two. The
fruits are oval and mature in 7-9 months; they usually contain 2 flat seeds (the coffee beans) – when
only one bean develops it is called a peaberry. Arabica coffee is often susceptible to attack by pests and
diseases, therefore resistance is a major goal of plant breeding programs. Arabica coffee is grown
throughout Latin America, in Central and East Africa, in India, and to some extent in Indonesia.
Coffea canephora – Robusta coffee
The term “robusta” is actually the name of a widely grown variety of this species. It is a robust shrub or
small tree growing up to 10 meters in height, but with a shallow root system. The fruits are rounded and
take 11 months to mature; the seeds are oval in shape and smaller than C. Arabica. Robusta coffee is
grown in West and Central Africa, throughout Southeat Asia and to some extent in Brazil, where it is
known as Conilon.
Coffea liberica – Liberica coffee
Liberica coffee grows as a large strong tree, up to 18 meters in height, with large leathery leaves. The
fruits and seeds (beans)are also large. Liberica coffee is grown in Malaysia and in West Africa, but only
very small quantities are traded as demand for its individual flavor characteristics is low.
About the Coffee Bean – its production and its qualities
The fruit of the coffee plant is sometimes referred to as a “cherry.” Each cherry normally contains two
coffee beans, which are the seeds of the plant.
A very general rule of thumb is that each shrub produces about one pound of coffee annually.
Coffee requires consistently warm temperatures, ample sunlight, and abundant rainfall (approximately
70 inches or 1.8 meters of rain per year).
The unique characteristics of a particular type of coffee are determined mainly by climate and soil
composition.
Robusta and Arabica are the two most significant species of coffee shrubs in the world, and many of the
botanical and agronomic characteristics are compared above. Here we talk about their qualities and
characteristics in the market….
The Robusta shrub typically grows in lower to middle elevations, is easier to grow, and produces
a lower-quality bean. Most store-bought or instant coffees are either robusta or robusta mixed with
Arabica beans. Robusta beans have high acidity and minimal flavor and aroma. No grading system exists
for robusta beans.
Arabica shrubs are cultivated at elevations of around 3000 feet (1000 meters)of greater, are
more complex, more difficult to grow, and produce the highest quality coffee beans. The longer growing
cycle of Arabica beans results in the coffee having a lower amount of caffeine. Arabica shrubs produce
the best-tasting coffee available. Arabica beans have a grading system.
Variables Affecting Coffee Taste
The following variables affect the final coffee beverage. A change in any of these variables affects the
coffee’s taste. Therefore, a Kenya AA coffee sold in one coffee house may have a different taste than the
Kenya AA coffee from another coffee house.
Regional Characteristics
The following regional characteristics are based upon altitude, rainfall, sunshine, soil characteristics, and
temperature within the region. Note: Variables may differ from region to region, season to season, and
year to year. A change in one or more variables results in subtle differences in the final taste of the
brewed beverage.
Africa – Generally well-rounded and full-bodied. Notably acidic, African beans are often
characterized by having a slightly floral or winey taste.
American and Caribbean – Well-balanced with a medium body and acidity; beans from this
region have a slightly floral taste. Brazil and Colombia produce approximately 45% of the world’s coffee
supply.
Indonesian and Asian – For the most part, these coffees are full-bodied with a low acidity,
possessing an earthiness with pleasant, unusual aromas and flavors.
Harvesting and Processing
Arabica coffee cherries are hand-picked to reduce bean damage and to ensure the best beans are
selected. Coffee beans can be processed in two ways depending upon the availability of water in the
climate where they are grown.
The Wet Method – Typically used in Central and South America, the wet method allows the
cherries to soak and ferment. The soaking process causes the pulp and parchment to loosen from the
beans, which can then be washed off with water. Coffees processed in this manner are characterized as
medium-bodied with a medium to high acidity. Coffee beans produced in this area are wet-processed.
The Dry Method – Often used in the African and Indonesian/Asian regions; the dry method
allows the cherries to dry in the sun for two or three weeks. Once dried, the pulp and parchment must
be removed by machine or by soaking and washing in hot water. Coffees processed in this manner are
typically low-acidity, smooth, and full-bodied.
The final harvesting step involves sorting the beans according to size and quality, then assigning a grade.
The grading system varies according to the region grown (for example, Kenya “A” or “AA” and Colombia
“Fancy,” “Extra Fancy,” “Excelso,” or “Supremo”).
Roasting
Roasting coffee is a combination of art and science, requiring a high level of skill and attention to detail.
Beans are roasted for 10 to 20 minutes at temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit (or higher according
to the desired darkness of the roast). In the first few minutes of roasting, the beans double in size while
losing approximately 23% of their weight. After the appropriate brewing time has elapsed, the roaster
places the beans into a cooling tray where they are quickly cooled to prevent any further roasting. The
longer a bean is roasted, the more caffeine is lost.
Varietals, Blends, and Flavored Coffees
A varietal coffee can often be identified by a country name. Examples of varietal coffees include Indian
Monsooned Malabar and Mexican Custupec. A varietal is a specific bean from a specific country (or
region within a country).
A blend consists of two or more coffee varietals mixed together. To create a flavored coffee, artificial or
natural oil flavorings are added to the beans during the roasting process.
A flavored coffee may consist of a varietal or a blend. Some examples of flavored coffees are French
Vanilla, Golden Pecan, Hazelnut, and Irish Cream.
A Word about Espresso
Many believe espresso to be a particular type of coffee. However, espresso refers to the color to which a
coffee is roasted.
Contrary to popular myth, one cannot make an espresso beverage by simply brewing extremely strong
coffee. The process for brewing espresso differs radically from the process for brewing drip coffee.
Brewed espresso is made by quickly forcing a small amount of water through finely ground, packed
coffee, using a high amount of pressure. The resulting beverage is chemically different from drip coffee
made with the same beans. An espresso machine extracts specific oils from the beans, oils not present
in coffee beverages made with a regular drip brewer.
Brewing Methods
Gourmet coffee is most commonly brewed using the drip method. Drip-brewed coffee eliminates
boiling, minimizing the chance of a burned or excessively acidic flavor. Consider these four factors when
preparing to brew a pot of coffee:
Water – Start with fresh, filtered water. Water should be heated to 195-205 degrees or just
below boiling.
Grind – The grind of the coffee affects the taste of the final brewed beverage. For drip-brewed
coffee, be sure to use a medium grind.
Freshness – Coffee beans stay fresh longer than ground coffee; however, even bean coffee
doesn’t last forever. (Fact: The oils that give coffee its flavor begin to go stale immediately after
roasting.) Therefore, use coffee immediately after grinding if possible. To bring out maximum flavor, just
before grinding one may spread the coffee beans of a cookie sheet and gently heat the beans in the
oven just long enough to bring the volatile oils to the surface, so that a glossy sheen is produced.
Proportion – It is important to use the correct amount of coffee when brewing. Use one level
teaspoon for every eight-ounce cup of water.
Coffee – the environmental and social context
Already the second most actively traded commodity in the world (behind oil), coffee creates a complex
web of business, political, and social relations around the globe.
As drinking coffee becomes more popular and the demand for gourmet coffee increases, the process of
cultivating coffee in tropical nations becomes more industrialized. Pressures for higher yields sometimes
put more pressure on already fragile ecosystems. Willingness on the part of the consumers to demand
(and pay premium prices for) “shade/bird-friendly coffee,” “organically grown coffee,” and “fair-trade
coffee,” produces a countervailing pressure that leads toward more sustainable coffee production, in
both an environmental and social sense.
Coffee has never been just a drink. It has always been loaded with social and political meanings…
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Coffee fueled colonial expansion in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas in the 18th century
– and imbibing coffee provided a social context for both the elite and the working classes to
gather and discuss the issues of the day, from business to revolution.
In the United States, coffee became the patriotic drink of choice, a symbol of defiance to the
British after the “Boston Tea Party.”
A caffeine-fix changed the nature of the urban work ethic, giving coffee drinkers the energy to
get past the tedium of sedentary occupations of the Industrial Revolution.
San Luis Note:
In San Luis, as in the rest of Costa Rica, both shade coffee and sun coffee is grown. The shade in coffee
fields may be provided in three ways, and are all seen in the Valley: (1) By leaving behind a certain
number of residual trees from the original forest; (2) By planting/intercropping banana trees, poró (a
thorny legume tree), or any of several other tree species here and there throughout the coffee field; or
(3) By planting coffee in relatively small fields which have forest or a belt of planted trees around the
periphery.
The most common varieties of sun coffee in the valley, mostly planted since 1985, are caturra and
catuai.
On the property of Ecolodge San Luis, some of the coffee fields planted in the early 1970’s were, for a
variety of historical reasons, abandoned and allowed to revert naturally to forest starting in the early
1980’s. In those areas (such as the first 600 meters of the Sendero Camino), many of the original forest
trees were left for shade, and now a lovely and quite visible as part of the present forest structure, and
their offspring – which are supremely shade-tolerant – have grown up under the canopy of the
regenerating forest.
Starting in 1998, we returned to those old naturally reforested coffee fields to find, dig up, and “rescue”
many of the seedlings of that original coffee, planting them in a trial plot in a forest-enclosed, naturally
shady clearing. You can find the plot and see them growing if you walk through the forest at the very
back of the El Nino garden area. Those plants started flowering and producing coffee berries in 20002001.
San Luis Note: Many but not all of the coffee producers in the San Luis Valley, and in the surrounding
region, are growing coffee organically. Some have not done so for the requisite three year yet, so it is
yet to be certified. Some local coffee farmers tell us that they can tell the difference in flavor, and find
organic coffee to be tastier and more pleasant than nonorganic – some prefer to drink organic coffee at
home, even if they have not converted to organic coffee on their own farms.
Why don’t more farmers grow organic coffee, since it eliminates the need to handle dangerous
chemicals on the farm, it introduces less potentially harmful chemicals into their diet, and it tastes so
good? Organic coffee, because it doesn’t use pesticides and so forth, is far more susceptible to attack by
certain pests and pathogens, and may be a risky venture economically for small farmers. This is partially
compensated for in that certified organic coffee draws a substantially higher price. Still, time will tell
whether alternative forms of pest control reduce the farmer’s concerns to a more acceptable level.
San Luis Note: The historical settlement patterns and traditions of land tenure in Costa Rica are unique
within Latin America (and within the tropics in general), and depart sharply from the more general
cases.
During the times of the early European colony, the population in Costa Rica was sparse, land was
plentiful, there was no surplus labor force to be had, and a pattern of small family farms, each worked
exclusively by the family members, arose. These were small holdings for subsistence agriculture,
producing pigs, chickens, bananas, vegetables, and so forth, for the family’s own consumption. When
coffee was introduced, these small family farms united to form cooperatives, which allowed the major
capital expenses of growing, harvesting, processing, marketing, and transportation to be shared among
all the growers.
Coffee growers in the San Luis Valley and surrounding areas belong to CoopeSantaElena, producer of
Café Monteverde. The profit at the end of the year is shared out among all of the cooperative members,
based upon the proportion of the crop delivered by each member during the year.