Coffee is the drink obtained by percolating hot water through the roasted and ground beans of the fruits of the coffee plant (coffee tree); It is highly stimulating due to its caffeine content, a psychoactive substance. It is one of the most marketed products worldwide, in addition to being among the three most consumed beverages by humans (along with water and tea). It is usually taken during or after breakfast, and is even considered for many people as the only breakfast, although it is also taken on different occasions and at different times of the day, such as at snack, after lunch or dinner; and it is ideal for starting conversations, and in many countries by custom or tradition it is distributed at family gatherings such as funerals; These and other reasons make it one of the most frequently used non-alcoholic drinks for socializing. The taste for coffee has not always been spontaneous in world cultures and new generations, but almost always must be cultivated, since its original flavor is strong and bitter.

Caffeine is the main stimulating component of coffee, which is responsible for improving some cognitive functions, such as accelerating brain processes and improving memory, in addition to stimulating wakefulness and the ability to concentrate.

The most popular ways to take it are black (on its own), and with milk (with or without sugar); It is also usually added: honey, cream, condensed milk, chocolate or some liquor, depending on the recipe there are various ways to prepare it. It is usually served hot, but it is also taken cold or with ice. In Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal and Paraguay, the consumption of roasted or roasted coffee is common, that is, roasted with little refined sugar.

The coffee tree is native to the province of Kaffa in the highlands of Abyssinia, present-day Ethiopia, where it grows wild. The energetic qualities of coffee were already known by the Galla tribe of Ethiopia in the 11th century, who mixed it with animal fat. Later, it would be introduced to Arabia, from where it would spread to the rest of the world with the Turkish rule of Anatolia.

Currently, the plant is mainly grown in tropical and subtropical countries such as Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia (main coffee producers). Brazil concentrates just over a third of world production. Coffee beans are one of the main products of agricultural origin that are sold in international markets and often make a great contribution to the export items of the producing regions.

The cultivation of coffee is culturally linked to the history and progress of many countries that have produced it for more than a century. During the period 2012-2013, 87 million tons of coffee were produced, of which approximately 80% was exported for a value of 19.1 billion dollars, while the gross value of the total industry associated with the coffee trade is estimated at 173.4 billion dollars. Currently, more than 25 million family farms in some eighty countries grow around 15 billion coffee trees, whose production ends up in the 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed daily.

Species

Of the more than one hundred species that belong to the genus Coffea, only two are mainly used for the preparation of the drink: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. The first species accounts for almost three quarters of world production and is mainly cultivated from Mexico to Peru.

Coffea arabica (also called Arabica or Arabica coffee or simply Arabica coffee) is the most cultivated since ancient times. It represents 75% of world coffee production. It produces a fine and aromatic coffee, and needs a cool climate. The cultivation of the Arabica coffee plant is more delicate, less productive and is reserved for high mountain lands, between 600 and 2000 m above sea level. n. m. (meters above sea level). The ten countries with the highest production of Arabica coffee, according to 2018/2019 statistics, are: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, China and India. In addition, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, the island of Java, Jamaica, Kenya, Panamá, Puerto Rico, Tanzania and Venezuela are also producers.

Coffea canephora (also called robusta coffee) offers a drink rich in caffeine; strong and more bitter, usually used for the manufacture of soluble or instant coffee and mixtures. The robusta adapts to flat terrain, with higher yields. He is originally from the Belgian Congo (since June 30, 1960, Democratic Republic of the Congo). Today the ten countries with the largest production of robusta coffee are: Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, Uganda, India, Malaysia, Ivory Coast, Thailand, Tanzania and Laos. It is more resistant than Arabica (hence its name robusta). It grows between 0 and 600 m above sea level. n. m.