Where does coffee come from?

A cup of coffee is an integral part of our daily lives. Coffee comes from different types of coffee beans, but where do we actually get the tastiest beans from? Read more about the production and origin of coffee below.

Which countries produce coffee?

Where is coffee produced? Coffee is consumed all over the world, but coffee beans do not grow everywhere.
The cultivation of coffee takes place around the equator, where the climate is most optimal.
This is because coffee beans need both heat and rain. The sun provides the warming, and the rain provides the cooling. This is optimal for growing coffee beans. The coffee bush is a shade plant. Because of indirect sunlight, the coffee berries grow slowly. Because the berries develop slowly, the sugars are given the best possible chance to be absorbed into the coffee bean. This creates the most flavorful coffee beans.
The top 10 coffee countries where coffee plants grow well is therefore: Brazil, followed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Colombia, Honduras, Ethiopia, Peru, India, Guatemala and Uganda. The production of coffee then takes place on the farm where the coffee grows.

Where is most coffee produced?

Most coffee comes from Brazil. The arabica bean grows here primarily, but the robusta bean is also produced here. Both bean types are grown on the Atlantic coast and in the southeast of the country. In these areas the climate is optimal due to the combination of sun and rain, but especially the almost constant temperatures.
Brazil is head and shoulders at the top 10, this is because a large part of the country is suitable for growing coffee. Due to its favorable geographical location, there are many coffee plantations in Brazil and the best coffee comes from the higher elevations.
At number two, quite a bit behind Brazil, is Vietnam. Vietnamese coffee comes from the highlands, and is mainly robusta coffee.
And at number four, again quite a bit behind Vietnam and Indonesia, we find Colombia. Colombian coffee is grown near the Andes Mountains, where the climate is optimal.

Who invented coffee?

The coffee bean has its origins in Ethiopia with a goatherd, who discovered some 1500 years ago that his goats got much more energy after eating a certain berry. That berry turned out to be the coffee bean, and his goats got that energy from the caffeine, of course.
The goat herder cooked the berries, and noticed that it gave him energy himself.
The Arabs planted more coffee bushes, and called the good "qahwa," which is Arabic for "strong.

Roasting coffee beans was only discovered later -by chance- by two monks, who were responsible for the local harvest. They encountered a rainstorm on the way, and the harvest was soaked. They therefore put the beans to dry in the chimney, where they not only dried, but also roasted them. Since then, the monks have been roasting their coffee beans.

Roasting can be done in two different ways: quick roasting, or the traditional method. The traditional method involves the beans going into a sealed drum that rotates on its axis. As it rotates, the beans are heated evenly.
The moisture is extracted from the coffee beans, and then the temperature inside the bean rises until they burst open, just like popcorn. Roasting for too long is disastrous, so this process is closely monitored by the roaster.

However you drink your cup, special coffee, filter coffee, or an espresso like the real Italian, it all starts with the coffee bean. Almost everyone knows filter coffee from the past, but at the moment it is making a comeback in various coffee shops. Would you like to make your own filter coffee? Then read our blog: how to make the best filter coffee.

The German importer Ludwig Roselius discovered decaffeinated coffee at the beginning of last century. This is the perfect alternative to, for example, a cup of coffee after dinner, when you do want a good night's sleep. This is how coffee is made decaffeinated, by the way.

Which country drinks the most coffee?

Most coffee is drunk in Finland, with an average of 2.64 cups per day. The Dutch drink an average of 1.84 cups of coffee per day, putting them in fifth place worldwide. In the top 10, the scandinavian countries are at the top, followed by the Benelux, which is also well represented. The average number of cups that we drink in the Netherlands is equal to the average of the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain and France combined. At the bottom of the world list, by the way, hangs China, where they clearly prefer tea.