coffee cherry

plant

Also known as: cherry

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Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

The coffee cherry is the fruit of plants in the genus Coffea, native to tropical Africa. These plants are typically evergreen shrubs or small trees. The fruit, resembling a cherry in shape, color, and size, contains two seeds known as coffee beans, enclosed by pulp and an outer skin.12

Two species, Coffea arabica and C. canephora, are of major economic importance for coffee production. Arabica beans are generally considered milder and more aromatic, while Robusta beans have twice the caffeine content and are hardier, making them cheaper to produce. Coffee plants thrive in the "Coffee Belt," a region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, requiring specific temperatures and rainfall.23

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coffee
Processing the bean
…coffee plant are known as coffee cherries, and each cherry generally contains two coffee seeds (“beans”) positioned flat against one another. About 5 percent of the cherries contain only one seed; called peaberries, those single seeds are smaller and denser and produce, in the opinion of some, a sweeter, more…
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…coffee plant are known as coffee cherries, and each cherry generally contains two coffee seeds (“beans”) positioned flat against one another. About 5 percent of the cherries contain only one seed; called peaberries, those single seeds are smaller and denser and produce, in the opinion of some, a sweeter, more…
Read More