March 4, 2003

The Coffee Tree Quick Facts

• Coffee was first cultivated in Ethiopia and Yemen
• Coffee made its way to Turkey and Egypt in the late 15th century
• First harvest is possible once the tree is 5 years old
• One Tree produces 1-2 lbs of green coffee per year
• Coffee is the seed of the cherry (fruit)
• It takes 2000 cherries to produce 1 lb of roasted coffee
• There are mainly 2 types of coffee, Arabica and Robusta
• The Coffee Tree carries green and red cherries at the same time
• The Farmer needs to re-visit The Coffee Tree several times to harvest only ripe cherries
• Harvesting usually involves the entire farmers family
• Hand picking is still the most popular harvesting method
• Depending on the rainy season, harvesting is done 1 to 4 times a year
• Every step in the process, from the farmer’s careful hand selection of coffee cherries, to the roaster’s blend of high quality beans, to the careful way we at Supramatic calibrate our machines, will lead to a
  fresh and flavourful coffee, the way it is meant to be enjoyed.