BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE BEANS?

What we call a coffee bean is actually the seeds of a cherry-like fruit. Coffee trees produce berries called coffee cherries, that turn bright red when they are ripe and ready to pick. The fruit is found in clusters along the branches of the tree. The skin of a coffee cherry (the exocarp) is thick and bitter. However, the fruit beneath it (mesocarp) is intensely sweet and has the texture of a grape. There is usually one coffee harvest per year. The time varies according to geographic zone, but generally, north of the Equator, harvest place between September and March, and south of the equator between April and May. Coffee is generally harvest by hand, either by stripping all the cherries off the branch at one time or by selective picking. The latter is more expensive and is only used for arabica beans.