PRODUCTIVE CYCLE

The coffee is the seed of a tropical plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family which includes more than 500 varieties and 6000 species, the majority of which are tropical trees and shrubs. It grows up at an altitude of 400 to 2000 metres, with a temperature of 20 to 25 °C.

The plants produce a fruit called drupa which matures as it gets red. Inside it there are two seeds covered with a membrane: those are the coffee beans.

After the harvesting, coffee beans are separated from the pulp and sacks of coffee are packaged and ready to be commercialized all over the world.

Roasting and blending are the crucial moments of the productive cycle and the obtainment of a full-bodied, flavoured and balanced blend depends on them. In this stage, coffee beans are invested by blasts of hot air (temperatures are above 220° C).

Coffee beans lose humidity and swell, their volume increases and their weight decreases, they become crumbly and their color changes form green into brown because of the caramelization of sugars.

After being roasted and cooled, coffee is packaged with appropriate proceedings aimed to maintain the volatile substances contained in the bean so that it will not lose its aroma.

Some typical roastings (from the left): no roasting, medium roasting, from medium to intense, intense, continental, French roasting.