Coffee Bean

plants · seeds · food

Seeds, not beans. Coffee beans are actually seeds from the Coffea plant, not true beans like peanuts or kidney beans. People call them beans because of their shape, which is kind of funny when you think about it.

Hidden in cherries. These seeds grow inside a fruit called a coffee cherry. Unlike a real cherry that has one pit, a coffee cherry usually holds two seeds pressed flat against each other.

Rare peaberries. About 10 to 15 percent of coffee cherries contain just one seed instead of two, and these special ones are called peaberries. Some people think they taste better, but scientists haven't proven this is actually true.

Mostly endosperm. Coffee beans are made up mostly of a part called endosperm, the same way that Brazil nuts and white rice are. This part stores energy for the seed.