About Coffee

The beauty of coffee is in its diversity. Diversity begins with a region and its combination of climate and soil where the beans are grown. The regions themselves create different attributes that will contribute to their distinct flavor. Coffee beans grow best in volcanic soil and moderate sunshine found in mountainous tropical regions. Generally, the higher the elevation of the coffee trees, the higher the quality. It takes three years for a coffee tree to yield its first crop of beans and it will continue to yield crops for the next 15 to 25 years. The four growing regions for coffee include Arabia and Africa, the Americas, the Pacific and the Exotics, which produce Certified Jamaica Blue Mountain and Certified Hawaiian Kona. Although there are four growing regions there are only two types of coffee plants – Arabica and Robusta. The Arabica beans are higher in quality and are used in specialty coffees. The Robusta beans are of a much lower quality and have a less appealing flavor. Besides the type of coffee beans used to make a coffee, there are other factors that alter the flavor of a particular coffee -- how it is processed, wet or dry method, and the way it is roasted.