Freshly-roasted beans are the heartbeat of every great coffee experience. Below is a complete primer you can publish on Sewapoint.com to help Nepali consumers understand how beans travel from Himalayan farms to their morning moka-pot—and why Sewapoint is the easiest place to order them online.
1. What exactly is a “coffee bean”?
Despite the name, coffee beans aren’t true beans; they’re the seeds inside the red or yellow cherries of the Coffea plant. Once the fruit is removed, the green seeds can be shipped, roasted and brewed.
2. Journey from Plant to Green Bean
| Stage | Key Steps | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest | Hand-pick ripe cherries at 900–2,000 m altitude (Gulmi, Palpa, Kavre, Sindhupalchok) | Select highest-sugar fruit for sweetness |
| Pulping & Fermentation | Remove skin/pulp → ferment 12–48 h → wash | Break down mucilage and develop flavor precursors |
| Drying | Sun-dry on raised beds to ~11 % moisture | Prevent mold; concentrate sugars |
| Hulling & Grading | Remove parchment → size & density sort | Ensure uniform roasting |
| Export/Storage | Bagged as “green coffee” | Stable up to 12 months |
In small farms across Nepal, most of these steps are done manually, yielding fully washed Arabica prized for clean, tea-like clarity.
3. Roasting – Where Green Turns to Gold
Roasters heat beans to 180 – 240 °C, driving Maillard reactions and caramelisation:
- Light roast (City, Cinnamon) – higher acidity, floral notes
- Medium roast (Full City) – balanced sweetness & body (Nepali cafés’ default)
- Dark roast (French, Italian) – oily surface, bold bittersweet cocoa
Local craft roasters such as Himalayan Java and Red Cherry Coffee publish their roast profiles so you can match your taste.
4. Popular Coffee-Bean Varieties
| Variety | Global Share | Flavour Hallmarks | Nepal Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabica | ≈ 60 % | Sweet, aromatic, complex acids | Primary crop (high-altitude districts) |
| Robusta | ≈ 38 % | Earthy, high caffeine, crema in espresso | Grown sparingly at < 800 m |
| Liberica / Excelsa | < 2 % | Smoky, jackfruit-like | Not commercially cultivated in Nepal |
5. Brewing: Café vs. Home
| Method | Where You’ll See It | Taste Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | Restaurants, specialty cafés | Intense, syrupy; base for cappuccino/latte |
| Pour-over (V60, Kalita) | Third-wave cafés, home hobbyists | Clean, tea-like clarity |
| French press | Homes & guesthouses | Full-bodied, rich oils |
| Cold brew | Summer menus | Smooth, low-acid, chocolatey |
Tip: freshly-ground beans (ideally < 4 weeks off roast) outperform pre-ground or instant coffee in aroma retention.
6. Benefits & Downsides of Freshly-Roasted Beans
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Higher antioxidants & chlorogenic acids | More equipment needed (grinder, brewer) |
| Better flavour complexity; brew control | Shorter shelf life—use within 4–6 weeks |
| Traceable origin & fair-trade options | Higher caffeine if brewed strong |
| Health perks: lower diabetes & Parkinson’s risk† | Can aggravate acidity/heartburn |
Compared to instant coffee, whole beans deliver 40–60 % more volatile aroma compounds but demand more TLC.
7. Nepal’s Coffee Sector in Numbers
- 4,000–5,000 MT green coffee produced annually by ~31,000 farmers across 32 districts.
- FY 2023/24: 443 t imported vs. 89 t exported; Rs 270 M trade deficit.
- Foreign demand for organic Nepali Arabica > 15,000 t; production still lags.
- Domestic consumption projected at 2,400 t by 2028 (CAGR 2.7 %).
8. Brands to Watch (All Available on Sewapoint)
| Brand | USP | Formats |
|---|---|---|
| Himalayan Java Coffee | Nepal’s first specialty café chain | Whole beans, drip bags |
| Lekali Coffee Estate | Single-estate micro-lots from Nuwakot & Kavre | Light-to-medium roast beans |
| Himalaya Coffee Company | Direct-trade, shade-grown Arabica | Espresso & filter roasts |
| Red Cherry Coffee | Women-led roastery in Kathmandu | Medium-dark roasts, cold-brew concentrate |
| Nepalese Coffee Project® | Export-quality washed Arabica | Green & roasted beans |
Click the “Coffee” category on Sewapoint to compare roast dates, grind sizes, and delivery times in one place.
9. Why Buy Beans on Sewapoint?
- Freshness first – sellers list roast-date transparently
- One-stop checkout – combine beans, filters, French-presses in a single cart
- Nationwide delivery – Kathmandu Valley same-day; other districts in 2–3 days
- Reward points – earn credits toward your next caffeine fix