From Coffee Cherry to Coffee Bean
A coffee bean begins its journey inside a fruit. Long before it reaches a kitchen or café, it grows on a leafy tropical plant, surrounded by layers of skin and pulp. On September 29, people in the United States informally observe National Coffee Day. The day is a chance to consider the plants, workers, and processes behind a familiar food.
A fruit with a surprise inside
Coffee plants grow in many tropical regions, including parts of Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. They need suitable temperatures, water, and healthy soil. Some grow beneath taller shade trees, while others grow in more direct sunlight. The plants produce small, fragrant white flowers. After the flowers are pollinated, fruits develop.
These fruits are called coffee cherries. Many varieties turn from green to red as they ripen, although some ripen to other colors. Inside each cherry are usually two seeds. These seeds are called coffee beans, even though they are not true beans like the ones in a garden.
From harvest to drying
Coffee cherries do not all ripen at the same time. On some farms, workers pick ripe cherries by hand and leave unripe ones on the branches. This takes time and careful attention. Other farms harvest cherries in different ways, depending on the land, equipment, and type of coffee.
- tropical:
- Related to warm regions near the equator.
- pulp:
- The soft, fleshy part of a fruit.
- pollinated:
- Having received pollen so that seeds and fruit can develop.
- harvest:
- To gather a crop when it is ready.
- spoil:
- To become unsuitable to use or eat.
- exporter:
- A person or business that sends goods to another country to sell.
- dissolving:
- Mixing into a liquid so that a substance becomes part of it.
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Main Idea
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Context Clues
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Purpose
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the main idea of the article, and which two details support it?
- 2Why might workers leave some coffee cherries on the branches during harvest?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“From Coffee Cherry to Coffee Bean” is a explanatory article reading passage about Coffee production, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (479 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.