The Cherry
The cherry is the name usually given to the fruit of the coffee tree. Botanists prefer to call it the “drupe”. Green to begin with, the berries ripen over several months, becoming successively yellow, then red, garnet red, and finally almost black.
The ideal time for harvesting is when the berries are red. Inside the drupe, protected by the “mesocarp” or pulp, lie two small beans separated by a groove. These must be extracted and roasted before they can be used for consumption. Coffee is a member of the Rubiaceous family (Gardenias, Quinquina, Garence), it has a lot in common with Jasmine. The plant was first classified in 1753 and there are now about 60 different species, each having different varieties. However, there are two main types: Arabica and Robusta.