Coffee
is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee
has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also
commercially available. There are also various coffee substitutes.
Coffee
production begins when the seeds from coffee cherries (the Coffea plant's fruits) are separated to
produce unroasted green coffee beans. The "beans" are roasted and then ground into fine particles. Coffee is
brewed
from the ground roasted beans, which are typically steeped in hot water before being filtered out. It is
usually
served hot, although chilled or iced coffee is common. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of
ways (e.g.,
espresso, French press, caffè latte, or already-brewed canned coffee). Sugar, sugar substitutes, milk, and
cream are
often added to mask the bitter taste or enhance the flavor.