The journey from plant to cup
Planting
Coffee seeds are generally planted in large beds in shaded nurseries. The seedlings are watered frequently and shaded from bright sunlight until they are hearty enough to be permanently planted. Planting often takes place during the monsoons, so that the soil remains moist while the roots become firmly established.
Blossoming and Picking
The coffee plant starts bearing fruit after 3 – 5 years. In the month of February the coffee flowers blossom and by July clusters of green coffee cherry start appearing on the plants, which ripen to deep red cherries. These cherries are ready to be handpicked by expert workforces. The harvest season is from November to mid‑January for Arabica & February to mid‑March for Robusta.
Drying and Processing
Once picked the coffee reaches the pulping stations where is coffee are processed quickly to prevent spoilage. Processes could involve natural, washed, pulped natural depending on the coffees. The coffees are then sent to the curing works, where they are hulled, polished, peeled, graded, and sorted.
Warehousing and Roasting
These processed beans are now known as ‘green coffee’ ready to be shipped to roasters. The roasters carefully roast the coffee to bring out the flavours and characteristic for this humble coffee beans, where the journey ends and you enjoy your cup of coffee.