God certainly knew what he was doing when he created the coffee plant, didn’t he? This unassuming plant – tree for some – has brought so many people such pleasure. More than that, I am certain that it has spelled the difference between going insane and staying sane more than a million times around the globe.
So what is the coffee plant? I was talking to a friend the other day – yes he loves coffee – and it came up that he had never seen a coffee plant! I suddenly thought that maybe he is not alone. There might actually be people – especially those who live in urban areas – who have never seen one.
Here, feast your eyes on this wondrous plant that we all depend on.
There are different kinds of coffee plants although perhaps the two most known varieties are Arabica and Robusta. The difference? It is generally held that Robusta beans yield inferior tasting coffee and has higher caffeine content. As such, about 80 per cent of the world’s coffee plants are Arabica.
How old do you think a coffee plant has to be in order to yield usable beans? Around 3 to 4 years. Yes, it takes that long and even then, you have to wait till the beans turn from green to red. This could take several more months. Another piece of trivia about the coffee plant – it produces about 86 lbs (40 or so kilos) of oxygen a day. That makes the coffee plant a major oxygen contributor. Not only does it give pleasure, it also helps the environment!
Originally posted on November 30, 2007 @ 3:18 am