CoffeeForums Coffee Facts

Probably the most commercially used coffee in the world is Colombian ground coffee. The beans that are grown in Colombia are full of flavor and provide a robust coffee with a heavenly aroma. That coffee you smell when you wake up in the morning has probably been made with Colombian ground beans. So what makes Colombian ground coffee some of the best in the world? You have to understand the type of coffee that is grown in Colombia.

Colombian ground coffee comes from a perennial evergreen tree that grows to substantial heights. It is less a plant and more a tree, especially since it does grow three levels of horizontal branches. The leaves of this tree remind you of the leaves found on a holly bush. They are elliptical in shape and the tops are a dark green that appears shiny and waxy. The more area on the leaf of the coffee tree, the higher the yield of coffee beans the tree will produce. It is interesting to note that coffee trees also produce a major amount of oxygen in the world today, averaging about 86 pounds per hectare of coffee tree.

There are two types of coffee beans that can go into Colombian ground coffee, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica coffee is the most common coffee found in the world today. It produces a rich, flavorful coffee that can be strengthened or weakened depending on the type of roast used and the drinker's personal tastes. Robusta beans account for about twenty percent of the coffee drunk in the world, however, the beans produce a different taste, one that is considerably weaker and inferior to its much more flavorful Arabica sibling.

Coffee plants do not mature until they are about three to four years old. It is at this time the plant will flower and then beans are produced. Called a coffee 'cherry', it takes thirty to thirty-five weeks for the fruit to be ready to harvest. The cherry will turn from green to red and it can be picked at this time. The outer red layer is then removed, revealing the green coffee bean inside that is ready to be roasted and then turned into the Colombian ground coffee we enjoy.

Take a walk through the coffee aisle at your local grocery store and really read the labels of the coffee cans you see there. You will notice that close to eighty percent of the coffee found there is made of Colombian ground coffee. That speaks volumes about the fine product being grown in Colombia.