Is Coffee a Vegetable?

The more my love for coffee grows, the more I want to learn about every aspect of it. That is the reason I started this blog, to learn and share my passion for coffee with all of my readers. One question that I came across during my research was, is coffee a vegetable?

This is an interesting question because coffee has some unique characteristics that can make it confusing to classify it. Some people think it’s a vegetable, others think it’s a fruit, and still others think it is a legume. I can see the reasoning behind each of these opinions. So, what is the truth behind this mystery bean? Let’s find out!

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Origin of Coffee

The coffee bean comes from the fruit of the coffee tree called the coffee cherry. While we roast the beans from inside. Coffee is technically a fruit, not a vegetable or a legume. You plant the bean in the ground, which grows the coffee tree.

Then the coffee cherry grows on the tree. We take the bean from inside the coffee cherry and roast it to make the delicious liquid that we all love. So, in short coffee is a fruit.

The Coffee Cherry

While we all love the coffee bean, the coffee cherry is pretty interesting as well. The cherries are small in size and very sweet. They also contain quite a bit of caffeine in them. You might be wondering if they are edible, technically yes you can eat them.

However, there is very little flesh on the fruit. It is mostly made up of the pit inside of it. This is why you don’t see coffee cherries for sale inside the grocery store. They really aren’t worth eating.

The coffee cherries grow in abundance on the older coffee trees and take about 9 months to be ripe enough for harvesting. The harvesting process is usually done by hand to ensure that each coffee cherry as picked at the optimal time and then it is processed to remove the seed from the fruit.

The Coffee Bean

This is what most of us think of when we think about coffee. Those delicious roasted coffee beans that are used to brew that delicious brown liquid that helps me start each day off right. However, there is a lot that goes into getting the coffee bean from the fruit to the point that you can brew your morning cup of joe. The coffee bean is technically the seed from the coffee cherry fruit.

So, why do we call it a coffee bean instead of a coffee seed. Well, because the shape resembles that of a bean. Confusing right? This is why so many people think that coffee is a vegetable or legume. The coffee seeds look like beans, and we call them coffee beans.

However, coffee is actually a fruit because it is the seed of the coffee cherry fruit. Most coffee cherries produce two seeds inside that are fused together and look like a bean. However, every once in a while a coffee cherry will produce one perfect looking seed. This seed is called a peaberry and is believed to be more potent and stronger in flavor.

Peaberry coffee is highly coveted by coffee connoisseurs around the world. If you are interested in trying it, you will find it in a lot of Tanzanian and Kona coffees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is coffee fruit edible?

This is an interesting question because coffee is a fruit, so you would think that means it is edible. However, we don’t find it in any grocery stores. Why is that? Well, while the coffee fruit is technically edible. You can eat it without any problem.

It isn’t very common because there isn’t much to eat. The pit of the coffee cherry takes up most of the space, so there isn’t much left to eat. Most people don’t bother because it just isn’t worth the effort. If you do decide to try it, know that it does contain quite a bit of caffeine.

Also, while the flesh is sweet and juicy, the skin is quite bitter. Not everyone who tries it enjoys the experience. If you are wondering what it tastes like, most people who try it says it tastes like a floral flavored watermelon.

If that sounds interesting to you, give it a try. It may be difficult to find a fresh coffee cherry because most producers won’t ship them. However, some companies have now started selling a dried version of them called cascara. So, you can always get some of these and see what you think.

Is coffee a juice?

So, now that you know that coffee is a fruit you might be asking yourself, is coffee a juice then? The short answer is no, it’s not. Juice is made from the flesh or pulp of the fruit. Coffee, on the other hand, is made from the seed of the coffee cherry, not the flesh.

This means it is considered an infusion, not a juice. You make coffee by pouring hot water over the ground coffee seeds (aka coffee beans) which releases the soluble part of the beans into the water. This includes both the flavor of the beans and the caffeine inside of them.

Why don’t I see coffee cherries for sale in the grocery store?

We touched on this a little bit above. There are a few reasons that you don’t see coffee cherries in the store to buy. The first is that they are extremely hard to ship without going bad, so it isn’t worth the risk.

Second, there is very little edible fruit on a coffee cherry. The majority of the fruit is taken up by the pit inside of it, so there isn’t too much demand for the whole fruit. While the coffee beans have a huge demand and make a lot of money for the producers. Therefore, they focus on the part that is profitable to grow, harvest, and process.

If you are really hoping to try a coffee cherry, you will have to visit a grower to try one fresh off the tree when it is ripe. Some companies will save the cherry during the drying process and sale it as a dried fruit called cascara. Most people use them to brew cascara tea.

These can be found in some supermarkets and online for sale. If you don’t live near a region that grows coffee, then this is your best bet to be able to see what the coffee cherry tastes like.

Can I grow my own coffee cherries?

While technically it is possible. The chances of being able to do it successfully is slim. Coffee trees are very difficult to grow. They need very specific environmental conditions in order for them to grow and flourish. This is why coffee is only grown is certain regions around the world.

They require a high altitude that is also warm and humid. This is a very rare combinations because most places that are higher in elevation get very cold. So, unless you live in this type of environment you won’t be successful growing a coffee tree.

You can grow a small coffee tree inside. However, these trees don’t flower or produce fruit. Therefore, you won’t be enjoying your own personal coffee brew any time soon.

Final Thoughts

So, coffee is definitely not a vegetable, it is a fruit. This means you can’t count your morning cup of coffee as your first vegetable serving for the day. While you don’t get this benefit, you do get quite a few other health benefits by drinking coffee every day. And really, isn’t that all that matters…

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