Where Does Coffee Come From?

If you were to ask a child where coffee comes from, you might get an answer like Starbucks, Dunkin,' or... my personal favorite place... Tim Hortons.  But... if you were to follow up that question and ask where the coffee comes before it gets to Starbucks, Dunkin', or Tim Hortons... you may get a blank stare.  Have you ever wondered where coffee comes from?  Keep reading to find out!

The inspiration for this blog post came from the children's book Slothee Wants Coffee by Nikki Pezzopane and her son Cameron Fica.  Slothee Wants Coffee is about a sloth named Slothee who travels the world in search of the perfect cup of coffee.  

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

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Where Does Coffee Come From?

Coffee beans grow best in tropical climates in the equatorial zone... between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer... where there is no frost, ample sunshine, and plenty of water.  They thrive in moist, fertile, volcanic soil and in areas that receive a healthy dose of indirect sunlight each day.  Coffee beans do not grow well in climates with too much direct sunlight or too much rain.

In Slothee Wants Coffee, we learn about coffee beans from Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Hawaii.  Here are some fun facts about the coffee beans from these countries.

Costa Rica (South America)

Slothee's adventures start at home in Costa Rica where the coffee beans are picked by hand.  Costa Rica is well known for its commitment to using ethical and sustainable techniques to grow and harvest its coffee beans.  Its coffee beans are some of the most eco-friendly... and delicious... coffee beans in the world. 

Colombia (South America)

The first place Slothee travels to after leaving Costa Rica is Columbia.  Colombia is known for the wide variety of coffee beans that grow there.  Several varieties of Arabica, Colombian, and Robusta coffee beans are grown in Colombia. 

Ethiopia (Africa)

After visiting Colombia, Slothee travels to Ethiopia.  Ethiopia is considered to be the birthplace of coffee.  Hundreds and hundreds of years ago... possibly as early as 850 A.D... the first Arabica coffee beans were harvested in Ethiopia.  Now, Arabica coffee beans are grown around the world.   

Brazil (South America)

Brazil is the next country Slothee visits.  Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of coffee beans in the world.  Roughly 60% of the world's coffee beans come from Brazil.  If you or someone you know drinks coffee, there's a good chance that the coffee came from Brazil.  Brazilian coffee beans are the only beans on the list that are not grown in volcanic soil.

Indonesia (Asia)

Slothee visits Indonesia next.  Dutch settlers smuggled Arabica coffee beans to the Indonesian island of Java in the 1600s.  (Have you ever heard someone talk about craving a cup of Java?)  The most expensive coffee beans in the world come from Indonesia.  These expensive coffee beans are unique because they are harvested from monkey poop!  Would you drink coffee that came from monkey poop?

Hawaii (North America)

Before heading home, Slothee makes his last stop in Hawaii.  Hawaii is the only state in the United States that produces coffee beans.  All of the Hawaiian islands are volcanic and their soil is perfect for growing them.  Kona coffee beans are the most popular coffee beans from Hawaii.

Of course, these are only a few of the countries that grow coffee beans.  Other countries like Vietnam, Guatemala, Kenya, India, China, Venezuela, and Jamaica grow coffee beans as well.  There are more than 50 countries worldwide that grow and export coffee beans.  Where does your favorite coffee come from?

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About Slothee Wants Coffee

Author's Summary: In Slothee Wants Coffee, Slothee travels from Costa Rica to Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Hawaii in search of the perfect cup of coffee. On the way, he meets new friends and learns about coffee and culture. Will Slothee find the best cup of coffee?

After traveling domestically and internationally, the inspiration behind Slothee Wants Coffee comes from the love of exploration (and coffee)!  Throughout this book, both children and adults have the ability to explore cultures outside of the norm.  Not only will you meet Slothee's friends, but you will learn about coffee and traditions in this colorful adventure.  Travel the world with Slothee!  Slothee Wants Coffee was written by an 8-year-old and his mom and was featured on Yahoo News, MSN, The Patch, and Oncenoticias.

☕🍎 Title: Slothee Wants Coffee

☕🍎 Authors: Nikki Pezzopane and Cameron Fica

☕🍎 Illustrator: Yury Borgen

☕🍎 Publisher: self-published

☕🍎 Date: March 18, 2021

☕🍎 Pages: 32

To learn more about Slothee Wants Coffee, please visit the official Slothee Wants Coffee website.  You can also watch this video trailer by Cameron himself!

Did you enjoy reading about Slothee and where coffee comes from? If so, check out blog posts about related topics:

• Factoids: Fun Facts About Sloths
• Book: It Smells Like Tuesday by Amy Provinzono-Thomas
• Book + Printable: All People Are Beautiful by Vincent Kelly
• Book + Printable: Incredible Animals by Dunia Rahwan
• Book: The Cat That Changed America by Tony Lee Moral
• Book + Recipe: A World of Cookies for Santa by M.E. Furman