green coffee

/ɡriːn ˈkɒfi/

Green coffee means unroasted coffee beans, and its German translation shifts depending on context: 'Rohkaffee' is the standard trade and roasting term, while 'grüner Kaffee' belongs almost exclusively to the supplement and wellness world.

1. Rohkaffee [technical] · coffee trade, roasting industry

The standard technical term for unroasted beans used in trade, import, and the roasting industry.

The cooperative exports green coffee directly to specialty roasters in Germany.
Die Kooperative exportiert Rohkaffee direkt an Spezialröstereien in Deutschland.
Green coffee loses between 15 and 20 percent of its weight during roasting.
Rohkaffee verliert beim Röstprozess zwischen 15 und 20 Prozent seines Gewichts.
The buyer inspected the green coffee for moisture content before signing the contract.
Der Käufer prüfte den Rohkaffee auf seinen Feuchtigkeitsgehalt, bevor er den Vertrag unterzeichnete.

2. grüner Kaffee · health supplements, wellness

Common in the wellness and dietary supplement sector, typically referring to extracts made from unroasted beans.

Green coffee extract became popular as a supposed weight-loss supplement.
Extrakt aus grünem Kaffee wurde als vermeintliches Mittel zur Gewichtsreduktion populär.
She switched from her morning espresso to a green coffee capsule.
Sie ersetzte ihren Morgenespresso durch eine Kapsel mit grünem Kaffee.

Notes

In German, 'Rohkaffee' and 'grüner Kaffee' might look interchangeable, but they belong to different registers: 'Rohkaffee' signals trade and production, 'grüner Kaffee' almost always signals the supplement aisle. Health claims surrounding green coffee extract, particularly weight-loss promises, are not supported by robust scientific evidence.

Synonyms

raw coffee unroasted coffee

Related phrases

coffee bean roasted coffee coffee extract arabica robusta caffeine espresso