Uganda Robusta Coffee Beans vs. Arabica Beans_ Uganda Coffee Bean Classification

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"Arabica" vs "Robusta"

Arabica v.s Robusta

Arabica beans are relatively long and oval-shaped, with a narrow and curved crack in the middle.

Robusta beans are more round in shape, with a straight crack in the middle.

Robusta (Coffea canephora) is quite different, originating from West Africa. It has a stronger constitution, growing to over 10 meters tall with deeper roots. It prefers low altitudes and can produce more beans than Arabica in the same growing area. It has twice the caffeine content of Arabica. Interestingly, however, Arabica has twice the cholesterol content of Robusta.

Robusta

Robusta, also known as large-leaf coffee, originates from Congo, Africa. It has strong disease and pest resistance, can tolerate high temperatures in lowlands, making it easy to cultivate as lowland coffee. Its taste is bitter but not acidic, suitable for making blended coffee, accounting for 30% of global production and has been widely cultivated in recent years.

Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner - robusta coffee), also known as Canephora coffee and Congo coffee tree, originates from West Africa. The plant characteristics are similar to Arabica coffee, with pointed leaves, leaf length 15-30 × 5-15 cm, and 6 petals. Main producing regions include Ugandan coffee beans and Indonesian Java. It is more heat-tolerant, pest and disease resistant, suitable for lowland cultivation.

Arabica

Arabica, also known as Arabian coffee.

Originating from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), there are now many improved varieties worldwide. This variety accounts for about two-thirds of coffee production, characterized by rich aroma and excellent taste, but its growing environment is more stringent and not suitable for areas with high temperatures, low temperatures, heavy rainfall, or drought. Its economic value is extremely high.

When people hear about Robusta, many reject it before even tasting its flavor. Primarily, everyone wonders "does it have that value when paying?"

Many years ago, it had already faced off against Arabica, which created factions. Even if not openly acknowledged, distinctions exist.

The reason we're discussing Robusta here is to hope everyone can understand its characteristics, not just the quality of the beans. It can certainly give you "something," but you must first understand it!

What are its differences? From the beginning, its origin and tree species have been different - they've always been different systems. For example, it's like apples and pears - they're both fruits but different. This analogy might not be perfect but makes the distinction clear: Arabica coffee has 44 chromosomes, while Robusta coffee has 22 chromosomes. They cannot hybridize, but they are both members of the coffee family.

Coffee Arabica comes from Ethiopia. Arabica also has many branches, the most famous being Catuai and Caturra. Their hybrid is Bourbon/Pacas and Maragogype. Because it's delicate, it needs more nutrients, soil, sunlight, and shade. However, its growing environment is more stringent and not suitable for areas with high temperatures, low temperatures, heavy rainfall, or drought. Its economic value is higher, and it also requires more care.

Coffee trees are perennial evergreen trees with well-developed root systems. Arabica coffee can reach 5 meters in height when unpruned. Branches grow opposite each other, extending sideways. Leaves grow opposite on short-stemmed branches, with short petioles, oval-pointed shape, bright glossy green color. Leaves are 10-15 cm long, oval-shaped, about 6 cm wide, with wavy bulges and pointed tips. Flowers are white with jasmine fragrance, corolla 1 cm long, 5 petals, 5 stamens and 1 pistil, stigma divided into two. After pollination, flowers wither in 3-4 days. Fruit is dark green when unripe, turning deep red when mature, hence called "coffee cherries."

Coffee fruit consists of outer skin, pulp, mucilage, parchment, silver skin, and the coffee bean inside. Seeds are the central part of the fruit. Each fruit contains a pair of semi-circular seeds, which is the part we use. It matures 7-9 months after flowering. When the fruit skin dries, it turns black. Seeds are 8.5-12.5 mm long, with deep grooves on the surface, containing green keratinized endosperm and embryo, showing polyembryony. Each kilogram of dry weight contains about 2,500 seeds.

In Asia, coffee trees aged 4-5 years will flower, with flowering periods around February-March each year. Coffee flowers are similar in appearance and smell to jasmine, growing in clusters on coffee tree branches during flowering. White petals and light jasmine fragrance, with a very short flowering period of about 3-5 days. Unripe coffee fruit is green, and after 6-7 months of maturation, the mature fruit skin turns red. When coffee fruit ripens, it must be harvested immediately. From initial harvest to complete harvesting, the period lasts 4-5 months. In a year, a typical Arabica coffee tree produces less than 5 kg of fruit, which can be made into about 1 kg of coffee beans.

Other coffee tree varieties include Liberica coffee (Coffea liberica), also known as large coffee tree, discovered in Libya in 1843, accounting for about 1% of commercial cultivation; Dewevrei coffee (Coffea dewevrei), or more famously Excelsa coffee (Coffea excelsa). Both have Robusta characteristics but usually don't taste as good. Additionally, wild coffee varieties include Coffea fadenii and Coffea mongensis.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

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