Is Coffee a Fruit? The Truth Revealed

crazy by Editorial Staff | Updated on August 9th, 2022

It’s as simple as this: coffee comes from coffee beans, and coffee beans are fruits. Thus, coffee is a fruit!


In its simplest definition, a fruit is the mature ovary of a plant. It is specifically the part that bears seeds. These, however, are the botanical definitions of fruits, and others come as exceptions, such as nuts, avocados, tomatoes, and yes… our beloved coffee beans.

Coffee plant

Coffee plant

Coffee plant

Coffee plants have leaves and roots. They also undergo processes plants do, such as photosynthesis. A coffee plant that’s ready for harvesting has purple or red cherries popping out.

They are typically compared to fruits such as watermelon, only less sweet. Inside the cherries are the green coffee beans. Since these are seeds, they function to multiply and procreate. But once harvested, they will be roasted so we can enjoy them as our coffee. 

Is coffee a vegetable?

If you think about it, why can’t coffee beans be classified as a vegetable when other beans are? Well.. here’s a quick answer: it’s because beans aren’t vegetables! Beans are legumes.

To make things even more complicated, coffee beans aren’t even technically beans; they are seeds. The coffee cherries are the fruits, and inside them are the coffee beans, which are the seeds of the coffee cherries. 

Thus, coffee is not a vegetable! Also, while we can call coffee a fruit, calling it a seed would be more accurate.

From fruit to drink

coffee on white ceramic mug

Coffee beans are planted on sloping terrains in tropical and subtropical regions at 1.2 km above sea level. After a few years, you will see white and fragrant flowers grow. After that, cherries will form. If the cherries become too many for the coffee tree, they will also start growing in the branches.

Since all these cherries will have to share resources from one tree to survive, there will be a high chance that your coffee may come out weaker if there are too many cherries. To prevent this, they need to undergo regular pruning.

Once the cherries turn bright deep red, they are then harvested and dried to find access to the beans. The beans at this stage should be green in color. Typically, a single cherry houses a couple of beans. The beans are then roasted to various degrees.

Once roasted, it is either packaged or ground to produce coffee beans. Either way, these beans will turn into your beloved coffee beverage in no time, depending on how you prepare your coffee. Roasted beans are best consumed no more than 3-4 weeks after the roasting process.

Fruity taste in coffee

Coffee can taste fruity if processed a certain way or the traditional way. Specifically, this is when cherries are picked and left under the sun to dry up. Fermented ripe and juicy cherries keep the natural sugars giving the resultant coffee a sweeter and fruitier taste.

Coffee beans are then removed from the dried cherries at the end of the drying process. The dried skins are fertilizers for the coffee plant or special teas. 

Now, how about if a non-traditional method is used? This is beating the beans out of the cherries and washing the pulp away without allowing much fermentation. This method produces a cleaner flavor. 

Another thing to consider in terms of the flavors is the type of coffee. There are coffee types that are fruity in taste even if they’re not fermented. Robusta has a faint fruity taste despite being strong and bitter, while Arabica beans generally house more sugar content.

Benefits of Coffee

  • Packed with antioxidants
  • Keeps your mind alert and fresh
  • Houses vitamins
  • Packed with fiber

Click here for more health benefits of coffee.

Are coffee cherries edible?

Coffee plant

If you are asking if you can eat coffee cherries, we’d say that go ahead and do so! But, you will surely notice that there’s not much in there. Mostly, it’s just skin and the beans, which may not be too tasty. 

But if you want to try, ripe coffee cherries will taste better. It’s nothing to be disgusted about. It’s quite pleasant to taste. Some say that it’s like watermelon with apricot. 

FAQs

  1. Can I eat coffee grounds?

Yes, you can! Eating coffee grounds or brewing them into a coffee beverage will give you caffeine and its effects. Eating it is more efficient!

  1. Can I chew on coffee beans?

Yes, you can chew on coffee beans. Just note that light roast and unroasted beans can be solid hard, so be careful. Darker beans are easier to chew.

Final words

Now, if you ever find yourself in this debate again, you can confidently say that coffee is a fruit. Sound smarter by following that up with the fact that classifying it as a fruit seed is even more precise!

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Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.