October 1 is World Coffee Day
Coffee is a genus of evergreen shrubs or low trees from the Rubiaceae family. Coffee leaves are whole, opposite or arranged in three-membered spines. The flowers are white, located in the axils of the leaves. The fruits are drupes similar to cherries. The genus has about 40 species that grow in paleotropical areas (mainly in Africa). Three species produce coffee: Coffea arabica (from Ethiopia) Kafa region. It has a flower divided into 5 lobes. Today it is mostly grown in Brazil. C. liberica is native to Liberia. The flower is divided into 6 to 8 lobes. C. stenophyla is native to Sierra Leone. It has a flower with 5 to 7 lobes.
The seeds arrive at the store free of the fleshy covering (mesocarp) and silvery shiny skin (endocarp). The process of drying or wetting separates the seeds from these parts. The seeds contain caffeine, fat and sugar.
Caffeine is the most important ingredient in coffee. It is an alkaloid of the fruit of the coffee tree and the tea leaf (tein). In medicine, it is used as an analeptic, diuretic and stimulant.
Roasted and ground seeds are used to make a drink.