- One harvest each year

One harvest each year

River View This Week - October 17, 2008

As I've said before, the Dutch, of all the Europeans, were the most successful businessmen. There's a good chance your morning coffee comes from a region where the Dutch established enduring coffee industries way back in the 17th century.

Coffee comes from a fruit-bearing shrub (genus "coffea," so named by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus). Coming from Ethiopia via Arabia, it varies in height from three to 10 metres tall (10-32 feet). The bush is usually pruned to a height of two to four metres (eight to 13 feet).

The three best-known coffee plants are coffea Arabica, coffea robusta and coffea liberica. Arabica is by far the most prized for its rich taste. It is best-grown at high altitudes where the slower growth process creates a more refined taste.

Arabica fetches the best prices, too. It accounts for 75 to 80 per cent of the world coffee market. Read More.