Woman drying coffee beans in the sun. A coffee bean is the seed of the coffee plant (Coffea sp.). The plants are native to subtropical Africa and southern Asia. The seeds of the plant are the source of the beverage coffee. After they are picked, the beans are pulped to remove most of the soft flesh, then fermented, washed in water and finally dried in the sun. At this stage the seeds are known as milled beans. Photographed in Champasak, Laos.