Coffee fruit anatomy: from cherry to seed
1. Exocarp and Mesocarp functions:
Exocarp: protects seeds, red/yellow when ripe (called "coffee cherry").
Mesocarp: contains sugar and water, affecting the flavor of fermentation treatment (such as washed vs sun-dried).
Pulp accounts for 40-50% of the weight of coffee fruit, usually discarded or made into "coffee fruit tea" (Cascara).
2. Parchment and Silver Skin
Parchment: forms a parchment-like shell after drying, protecting the green beans from moisture during storage and transportation. Removed during shelling machine processing (improper retention can easily lead to mold).
Silver skin: a thin film structure that clings to the green beans, containing cellulose and antioxidants. Carbonized and detached during roasting, the residual amount affects the appearance and flavor (more silver skin in light roasting, almost disappears in deep roasting).
3. Seed (coffee bean) core structure
Endosperm: accounts for 90% of the bean body, contains oil, sugar and protein, and determines the flavor precursor.
Germ: located on the concave surface of the bean body, the key to germination ability (aged beans lose their germ activity).
