The coffee bean is actually a seed
Despite the name, a “coffee bean” isn’t a bean at all—it’s the seed found inside the fruit of the coffee plant, known as a coffee cherry. Each cherry usually contains two seeds, which develop their familiar shape as they grow pressed together. When only one seed forms, it becomes a rare “peaberry,” which some people believe has a sweeter, more concentrated flavour.
Before it ever reaches your cup, that seed goes through a long journey: harvesting, pulping, fermenting, drying, roasting, and grinding. Considering that over 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day, it’s wild to think the entire global obsession starts with a tiny seed hidden inside a bright red fruit.
