Green Coffee – Is There Such A Thing?

We get our coffee from the beans of a coffee tree. These beans are roasted, ground to smaller pieces, and finally crushed into finer particles that we know as the coffee powder webuy in supermarkets.

However, the finished product that we buy doesn’t start out that way. The coffee we drink each day is actually a berry. More precisely, it is known as a green coffee berry.

These berries are picked by hand by the basketful at plantations around the world. The fleshy part of this berry is then removed by soaking and scouring it off by mechanical means to get to the bean itself.

After undergoing a cleansing and drying process, these beans are further dried under sunlight and air.

Coffee beans are categorized based on size and color. Any beans that are damaged, decayed or discolored are removed painstakingly by hand.

After being sorted, they are placed in breathable containers such as burlap or paper bags in room temperature away from direct sunlight. The coffee beans will now be ready for roasting.

Green beans are rich in polyphenols which work to reduce the level of free radicals in our body.

Depending on where it comes from and how it is prepared, coffee beans will have varying degrees of tastes, flavors, and aromas.

The length of time the beans are roasted also determines its strength. Coffee beans contain compounds composed of sugars, fats, proteins, caffeine, cellulose, and organic acids.

These compounds are altered during the roasting process, where they undergo oxidation or decomposition.

The green coffee bean expands during the roasting until it is twice its original size. It will crack and change color from yellow to a mild cinnamon as it starts to secrete oil.

The more oil is released, the darker the bean gets, and the stronger the flavor of the coffee will be.

The roasting process is an important part of creating an aromatic coffee blend to suit each person’s taste.