Inside a coffee cherry , you'll find two seeds, with their flat fronts facing inward and their rounded backs facing outward. What is extracted, processed, and roasted for consumers to enjoy are the seeds of the coffee cherry—the coffee beans.

It is estimated that snails make up about 5 to 10% of a coffee harvest. They occur as a result of a natural mutation, or a defect within a coffee cherry, where an ovule fails to be pollinated. This results in extra space for the single developing seed. Within this space, a larger, rounder seed grows. This is a snail.

Not all single-seeded cherries can be defined as snail cherries, as it is possible for only one regular, flat-sided seed to develop inside a cherry.

Snails are usually sorted and separated during the post-harvest process. They are separated by size using a sieve or, alternatively, sophisticated machinery that quickly classifies them according to weight and size.

SHOULD SNAILS BE CONSIDERED SUPERIOR?

Peat peaberries are interesting, that much is undeniable. However, whether they are superior to regular coffee beans is debatable. The quality of a peat peaberry is affected by the same variables that affect regular coffee beans, such as variety , processing, and altitude. Producers need to ensure that their overall farming practices are of high quality, which, in turn, will produce high-quality peat peaberries. This should be the priority, and to ensure this quality, producers should strive for consistency throughout the entire process.