Every time you brew a cup of coffee, you’re tasting the result of a long and remarkable journey. From a small seed planted in the soil to the roasted beans in your kitchen, coffee undergoes a process that involves nature, science, tradition, and human dedication.

At Caarabi Coffee, we celebrate this journey. By working directly with estates across India, we honor every stage that transforms coffee from a fruit on a tree into the aromatic brew in your mug. In this blog, let’s trace the complete journey of coffee — from seed to cup.

Stage 1: Cultivation and Growth

Coffee begins as a seed planted in nurseries, often shaded and carefully watered until seedlings are strong enough to be transplanted into farms.

  • Location matters: Coffee thrives at high altitudes, typically between 2,500 and 5,500 feet in India’s Western Ghats.

  • Shade-grown tradition: Indian estates often grow coffee under a canopy of native trees, which helps biodiversity and creates slower-growing beans with more complexity.

  • Timeframe: Coffee plants take about 3–4 years before producing their first harvestable cherries.

Stage 2: Flowering and Cherry Development

Coffee plants bloom with delicate white flowers once a year, usually after the first monsoon rains. These flowers develop into green cherries, which ripen over several months into a deep red color.

  • Arabica cherries ripen faster but require cooler temperatures.

  • Robusta cherries take longer but are more resilient.

The color of the cherry signals readiness for harvest — red cherries are ripe, while green ones are immature.

Stage 3: Harvesting

The harvest is the most labor-intensive stage of the journey.

  • Selective Picking: Workers handpick only ripe cherries, often returning to the same plant multiple times in a season. This ensures quality but requires skill and patience.

  • Strip Picking: Faster but less precise, where all cherries (ripe or unripe) are stripped from branches. Rare in specialty coffee.

In India, the harvest season runs from November to March, with Arabica picked earlier and Robusta later.

Stage 4: Processing the Coffee

Freshly picked cherries must be processed immediately to avoid spoilage. Processing defines much of a coffee’s flavor profile.

  • Washed (Wet) Process: Cherries are pulped, fermented, washed, and dried. Produces clean, balanced flavors.

  • Natural (Dry) Process: Whole cherries are sun-dried, producing fruit-forward and bold coffees.

  • Honey Process: Part of the mucilage is left on, giving sweet and syrupy notes.

  • Fermentation Methods: Innovative techniques like anaerobic or koji fermentation are now common in specialty coffee, creating complex, wine-like flavors.

At Caarabi, we source from estates that experiment with these methods to highlight unique cup profiles.

Stage 5: Drying and Milling

After processing, beans are dried until they reach about 10–12% moisture content. They are spread out on patios or raised beds and turned regularly to ensure even drying.

Once dried, the parchment or fruit skin is hulled off in the milling stage, and the beans are sorted by size, weight, and defects. Only the highest grades move forward into specialty coffee.

Stage 6: Exporting and Roasting

Green coffee beans are packed in jute or GrainPro bags and shipped to roasters.

At Caarabi Coffee, we roast in small batches to ensure freshness and precision. Each roast profile is designed to unlock the bean’s full potential — whether it’s highlighting fruity acidity in a pour-over roast or emphasizing buttery chocolate in a medium roast.

Roasting transforms green beans into the aromatic brown beans we recognize, developing flavor compounds and creating the aroma we love.

Stage 7: Grinding and Brewing

The final step happens in your home or café. Grinding and brewing release all the work of farmers and roasters into the cup.

  • Grind Size: Determines extraction. Fine for espresso, medium for pour-over, coarse for French press.

  • Brewing Method: French press gives body, pour-over gives clarity, cold brew gives smoothness.

  • Water Quality: Often overlooked, but filtered water brings out the best in coffee.

Every choice you make as a brewer shapes the final experience.

Why This Journey Matters

The journey from seed to cup can take years, involve hundreds of hands, and require deep knowledge at every step. By choosing specialty coffee from Caarabi, you:

  • Support sustainable farming and fair practices.

  • Celebrate estates that prioritize quality over volume.

  • Taste coffee that reflects its origin, process, and story.

Final Sip

Coffee is never just a drink. It’s the product of soil, rain, sun, and human care. From the farmer who picks cherries at dawn to the roaster who fine-tunes every batch, and finally to you — the one who brews it with intention — coffee is a journey of connection.

Caarabi Coffee — From Seed to Cup, Crafted With Care.