Coffee is technically a fruit not a bean

The term 'coffee bean' persists despite the botanical reality that coffee is a fruit. The coffee plant produces berries called coffee cherries, each containing two seeds surrounded by pulpy fruit flesh. These seeds—called coffee beans—are the parts dried, roasted, and ground for coffee. The surrounding fruit, traditionally discarded, is edible and contains sugars and bioactive compounds. Coffee fruit has recently gained attention from specialty producers, leading to coffee fruit tea and juice products. The pulp and skin, traditionally considered waste causing environmental problems, are now valorized as food ingredients. This represents a return to older traditions in some coffee-producing regions where the entire fruit was utilized. Understanding coffee as a fruit provides insight into coffee plant biology and environmental impact.