What Does 100% Arabica Coffee Beans Mean? Flavor, Taste, Form, Characteristics, Growing Regions, and Quality Level of Arabica Beans

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Coffee beginners who are new to specialty coffee have certainly heard of 100% pure Arabica coffee, but at the time, they didn't know what it meant. It sounded like a country name. So what is Arabica coffee? Is Arabica actually a country? In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will explain the relevant knowledge about Arabica coffee.

What is Arabica?

Arabica actually refers to a coffee variety. According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, there are currently three major coffee varieties in the world: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Among these, the Arabica variety has the best flavor performance, which is why it's used for specialty coffee. Meanwhile, its caffeine content only accounts for 0.8%-1.5%. It is also currently the most major coffee bean variety in the world, with production in countries in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and other regions.

It is precisely because its flavor is the highest quality among the three major coffee varieties that its total production accounts for 75% of the world's coffee, followed by Robusta which accounts for about 20% of the world's total coffee production. Liberica only accounts for 2% of the total.

Although Arabica coffee beans seem to have advantages everywhere, in fact, they are very delicate and can only be grown in high-altitude areas. While tolerant to low temperatures, they cannot withstand frost, have weak drought resistance, and are easily affected by pests and diseases. For example, "coffee leaf rust" has caused great suffering to coffee farmers, which is why hybrid varieties of Arabica and Robusta were later developed. Moreover, Arabica is just a general term for a variety. For example, the common coffee varieties in FrontStreet Coffee's store are actually sub-varieties derived from Arabica, such as Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, etc., all of which are pure Arabica variety coffee beans.

100% pure Arabica coffee beans refer to high-quality coffee beans and are also synonymous with specialty coffee, because only coffee bean varieties derived from Arabica can score 80 or above in cupping, which the flavor of Robusta variety coffee beans cannot achieve.

How did Arabica coffee beans get their name?

The name Arabica coffee beans originated from the Arab world. Coffee lovers familiar with coffee history all know that coffee originated in Africa, where local tribes first chewed coffee leaves for refreshment. Later, through research by Arab scholars, they switched to roasting seeds to make beverages. For religious reasons, coffee once replaced the prohibited alcohol, so it became widely popular in the Arab world, which is also the source of the name "Arabica."

Later, coffee was introduced from the Arab world to Europe through the Ottoman Empire, and then to the New World of America, spreading along the routes of trade and colonial expansion. Therefore, in Western countries, coffee is called the coffee bean that came from the Arab world, so over time it became known as Arabica coffee beans.

The above is the relevant knowledge about Arabica coffee beans compiled by FrontStreet Coffee. So what are the common Arabica-derived coffee varieties on the market today? Which coffee bean brands are the most famous? Below, FrontStreet Coffee will answer for you the most common Arabica variety coffee beans on the market.

Typica

According to FrontStreet Coffee's understanding, Typica is the oldest variety in the Arabica lineage and also the oldest native variety in Ethiopia. Almost all current Arabica coffee bean varieties are derived from Typica. Typica has an elegant flavor but a weak constitution, low disease resistance, and is easily infected with leaf rust. Therefore, coffee bean production is low and cannot meet economic benefits. In recent years, Typica in Central and South America has gradually been replaced by Caturra and Catuai. As a result, Typica is becoming increasingly rare. Although Typica has an elegant flavor, it is not as popular as Bourbon.

Typica coffee variety representative - FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee beans

Country: Jamaica

Region: Blue Mountain

Altitude: 1310m

Variety: Typica

Processing Method: Natural

Flavor: Berries, dark cocoa, cream, nuts, brown sugar

Bourbon

Bourbon is a sub-variety produced by Typica mutation, discovered on Bourbon Island, hence the name Bourbon variety coffee. Along with Typica, it belongs to the oldest existing coffee varieties. When green fruits mature, they present bright red. Compared to Typica, Bourbon leaves are broader and grow more densely. Although the fruit yield is higher than Typica, the harvest period is also 2 years, making it a low-yield variety. However, it has high-quality taste, with wine-like acidity and sweet aftertaste.

Bourbon variety coffee bean representative - FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Farm Yellow Bourbon coffee beans

Country: Brazil

Region: São Paulo State (Queen Farm)

Altitude: 1400-1950m

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing Method: Pulped Natural/Natural

Flavor: Nuts, cream, peanuts, fermented fruits, sugarcane sugar

Caturra

Caturra is a single-gene mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its production capacity and disease resistance are both better than Bourbon, and the plant is shorter, making it convenient for harvesting. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it has the problem of biennial production cycles. However, its flavor is comparable to or slightly worse than Bourbon beans. More importantly, it has extremely strong adaptability, not needing shade trees and thriving directly under the scorching sun, commonly known as sun coffee. It can adapt to high-density planting but requires more fertilizer, increasing costs, so initially, coffee farmers had low acceptance.

Caturra coffee variety representative - FrontStreet Coffee's Panama La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain coffee beans

Country: Panama

Region: Boquete, La Esmeralda Estate

Estate: La Esmeralda

Altitude: 1400-1700m

Variety: Catuai, Caturra

Processing Method: Natural processing

Flavor: Citrus, bright acidity, nuts, honey, fermentation notes, cocoa

Catuai

Catuai is an Arabica hybrid variety, a cross between Mundo Novo (New World) and Caturra. It has better resistance to natural disasters, especially wind and rain. It inherits the advantage of Caturra's short plant height, changing the shortcomings of Mundo Novo. Another advantage is that the fruit is solid and not easily detached by strong winds, compensating for the fragile nature of Arabica fruit. However, its overall flavor performance is more monotonous than Caturra, and also more monotonous than Mundo Novo and lacks body, which is the biggest regret. Additionally, its fruit growth and harvesting lifespan is only about ten years, making its short lifespan another weakness.

Catuai coffee variety representative - FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Beethoven coffee beans

Country: Costa Rica

Region: Tarrazú region (Café Militar estate)

Altitude: 1900m

Variety: Catuai

Processing Method: Washed processing

Flavor: Citrus, berries, floral notes, light fermented wine aroma

The above are some Arabica bean varieties commonly found on the market. We hope this helps coffee enthusiasts understand what Arabica variety coffee beans are, so they can choose coffee beans that suit their taste preferences.

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