Coffee is a
brewed drink prepared from roasted
coffee beans, which are the seeds of
berries from the
Coffea plant. The
Coffea plant is native to subtropical
Africa and some islands in
southern Asia. The plant was exported from
Africa to countries around the world and coffee plants are now cultivated in
over 70 countries, primarily in the equatorial regions of
the Americas,
Southeast Asia,
India, and
Africa. The two most commonly grown are the highly regarded
arabica, and the less sophisticated but stronger and more hardy
robusta. Once ripe, coffee beans are picked, processed, and dried. Dried coffee beans are
roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. Roasted beans are ground and brewed to produce coffee as a beverage.
