Coffee cherries appear on a fertilized plant, fully ripening after 7 – 8 months, depending on both the climate and the variety. As we noted earlier, coffee cherry is a small green oval-shaped berry that becomes bright red or even dark yellow when ripe.
The cherry consists of:
Every bean, in its turn, is protected by two membranes, a parchment coat and a silver seed coat. The length of a coffee bean varies from 7 to 15 mm (0.27 – 0.6"), the width – from 6 to 8 mm (0.23 – 0.3") and the weight – from 0.1 to 0.2 g (0.003 – 0.007 ounces).
Since coffee was discovered, it has always been associated with magical effects, medical and therapeutic properties and stimulatory action. When we drink a cup of coffee, we experience a rich combination of sensations and impressions, which only a few other products can give us. Much has been written on this topic, but sufficient knowledge on the chemical substances causing these phenomena has been acquired only recently.
The most important chemical components of coffee are:
Components | Arabica | Robusta | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
not roasted | roasted | not roasted | roasted | |
Caffeine | 0,9–1,2 | 1 | 1,6–2,4 | 2 |
Minerals | 3–4,2 | 3,5–4,5 | 4–4,5 | 4,6–5 |
Proteins | 11–13 | 13–15 | 11–13 | 13–15 |
Fats | 12–18 | 14,5–20 | 9–13 | 11–16 |
Oligosaccharides (carbohydrates) | 6–8 | 0–3,5 | 5–7 | 0–3,5 |
Water | 10–13 | 1–5 | 10–13 | 1–5 |