Coffee plants need the right climate in which to grow: shade, heat, humidity and a slightly acidic soil rich in nutrients. The climate must be constant, without drastic changes in temperature. This is why the ideal place for these delicate plants is the Tropics, an area of 5,000km around the Equator.
The best growing regions are therefore found in South America, Africa and part of Asia. Famous coffee plantations, also used to supply coffee for Lavazza blends, can be found in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Vietnam.
In the Tropics, coffee plants grow at an ambient temperature with an annual average of 25°C, without major thermal changes. The sun always rises at 6a.m., and sets about 12 hours later. In these regions, there are no seasons as we know them in Europe.
Shade, heat and humidity. Coffee grows well in the Tropics, with an annual average temperature of 25°C
Arabica – The coffee that loves altitude
Coffee plants thrive in these areas. Different species of coffee plant grow at varying altitudes, of between 200 and 2,000 meters. Of the 80 species, only two are commonly used in commercial production: Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta, also known as Coffee Canephora.
Coffee Arabica grows at altitudes of 600m above sea level, which is why it is known as “highland” coffee. The beans of this variety are considered some of the finest, partly because they take a long time to ripen (up to 11 months).
Arabica has a very aromatic flavour with a bitter note, and contains less caffeine than the other species. Its refined aroma makes it very popular with connoisseurs. Coffee Arabica is found in 70% of all coffees and in all blends, including Lavazza’s finest and most sophisticated.
Arabica and Robusta grow at different altitudes, and are used in Lavazza blends in varying percentages
Robusta – A bean with a strong caffeine content
Coffee Robusta, the other pleasant-tasting coffee species, grows well at lower altitudes than Arabica, between 200 and 600m above sea level. Robusta beans are used in the remaining 30% of the world’s coffee production. Its main characteristic is its caffeine content: twice as high as that of Arabica. This is why Robusta beans mainly used in stronger blends. As the name indicates, Robusta is also more resistant to climatic influences and diseases, unlike Coffee Arabica.
The peculiarity of coffee plants is that the cherries and flowers grow at the same time, because a new flowering cycle begins with each rainfall. The coffee drupes or cherries are picked while the new beans are still flowering. There are two harvesting techniques: picking, which is more selective and gentler, or stripping, which is carried out by machine.