Arabica Coffee Science and Arabica Coffee Characteristics

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Understanding Coffee Varieties

Let's start with some basic knowledge. Today, many coffee merchants have embarked on new journeys with their coffee beverages, with Arabica often being used for brand promotion. They all claim to use "100% Arabica," even advertising with statements like "Freshly ground black coffee made with 100% Arabica!"

Dear reader, Arabica coffee is a variety of coffee bean, not a type of coffee.

Coffee Varieties

The three major native species are Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Arabica ranks first in production, accounting for approximately 60-70% of the world's coffee total. It has sub-varieties such as Bourbon and Typica. Robusta accounts for about 30-40% of the world's total coffee production. Liberica only accounts for 3% of the total and is mostly cultivated in the Asia-Pacific region.

Liberica, also known as large-bean coffee, has extremely strong vitality but simultaneously weak flavor and leaf rust resistance. Its cultivation is less than 1%, and it has basically withdrawn from the commercial market, only being preserved for scientific research. Therefore, today we will focus on Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica

Also known as small-bean coffee, it originates from Ethiopia. Arabica coffee trees mostly grow at altitudes between 1,000-2,000 meters; they are relatively cold-resistant, with suitable growing temperatures between 15-24°C. They require high humidity with annual rainfall not less than 1,500 milliliters, while also having higher requirements for cultivation techniques. Arabica coffee trees belong to the larger shrub category, with oval-shaped, dark green leaves, and oval-shaped fruits that typically contain two slightly flat beans. The front side presents a long oval shape with a narrow, curved crack in the middle forming an S-shape, while the back side of the bean has a relatively smooth arc. The caffeine content is approximately 0.8%-1.5%.

The excellent flavor and aroma of Arabica coffee make it the only coffee among these native species that can be directly and individually consumed. Single-origin coffees like Jamaican Blue Mountain, Indonesian Mandheling, Yirgacheffe, and Brazilian coffee all belong to this category. However, it has weak resistance to drought, frost damage, pests, and diseases, especially being vulnerable to coffee's greatest enemy—leaf rust disease. Therefore, coffee-producing countries are all committed to improving varieties.

Arabica coffee from different regions, altitudes, and climates exhibits distinct characteristics, showcasing completely different personality profiles. When unroasted, it smells like fresh grass, but after proper roasting, it reveals "fruity aromas" (light to medium roast) and "caramel flavors" (dark roast). It is suitable for single-origin and various blended beans, and can be brewed using various extraction techniques.

Robusta

Also known as medium-bean coffee, it originates from the Congo in Africa. Robusta coffee trees are mostly planted in lowlands at altitudes of 200-800 meters, preferring warm climates with temperatures between 24-29°C, and do not have high requirements for rainfall. However, this variety relies on insects or wind for pollination, so the time from pollination to fruiting takes 9-11 months, relatively longer than Arabica.

Robusta coffee trees are a species between shrubs and tall trees, with longer leaves and bright green color. The trees can reach up to 10 meters in height but have shallow roots. The fruit shape is fuller than Arabica beans, with the central line cracking vertically. From the side view, they are usually flat or raised in the middle, feeling harder than Arabica beans, like small stones.

The Value of Robusta

Robusta coffee flavor is generally inferior to Arabica.

As a very important variety in the coffee world, Robusta plays an indispensable role in the commercial world. The value of Robusta is not to serve as a negative example to highlight how superior Arabica's flavor is—it has an unshakable position in espresso blends. Italian blends add small amounts of Robusta to increase the body of coffee, creating Espresso with richer crema.

After Espresso blends with milk, it presents a rich, full-bodied texture. Milk coffee becomes more intense and aromatic due to the complementary relationship between Robusta and Arabica, with Robusta compensating for Arabica's lack of body.

Robusta Applications

Mainly used in espresso blends to increase body and obtain rich crema. Although Robusta's flavor cannot be compared with Arabica, it has its own value.

Beginner Questions

1. What's the difference between 10 yuan and 30 yuan coffee?

From the coffee market perspective, coffee beans are mainly divided into two categories: commercial beans and specialty coffee beans. In terms of price, Robusta international futures are about $1,686 per ton, which calculates to approximately 11.5 RMB per kilogram at today's exchange rate. Specialty coffee beans are several times more expensive than commercial beans. From a cost perspective, choosing commercial beans offers greater profit margins, but the coffee flavor from commercial beans is much inferior to specialty coffee beans. They can be used for espresso drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.

Between commercial coffee and specialty coffee, 10 yuan and 30 yuan indeed represent a quality gap. Simply put, specialty coffee beans are high-quality green beans that have been roasted with exquisite techniques, restoring the unique flavors inherent in the coffee beans—flavors that belong exclusively to that particular coffee bean. Specialty coffee beans are processed using refined methods. Careful washing and sun-drying, along with various refined green bean processing techniques, give coffee "layered," "fruity acidic," "sweet," and "mellow" flavors.

Specialty coffee beans are several times more expensive than commercial beans. From a cost perspective, choosing commercial beans naturally offers greater profit margins. Large-scale batch-produced and packaged coffee is generally commercial grade.

In terms of individual bean flavor, commercial beans are generally chosen for blending. These commercial coffee beans are typically cheaper, and both the green beans and roasting techniques can only be described as following mass-produced standards. The biggest difference between specialty coffee and commercial coffee beans lies in quality and price. Specialty coffee beans might cost 90 yuan per pound, while commercial beans might reach as low as 40-50 yuan per pound.

However, in reality, blended beans can also produce coffee with excellent taste—it mainly depends on what beans are used in the blend.

2. "Blue Mountain Coffee" and "Kopi Luwak" are coffee beverages, while "Arabica" refers to coffee bean varieties

Most people have heard of "Blue Mountain Coffee" and "Kopi Luwak"—these are coffee beverages.

Whereas the "coffee" called "Arabica" refers to coffee varieties.

◆ "Blue Mountain Coffee" refers to coffee brewed from beans grown in Jamaica's Blue Mountains.

◆ "Kopi Luwak" is made from coffee beans that have been eaten and excreted intact by an animal called the civet cat, with people extracting the coffee beans from its feces for processing.

Therefore, the "Arabica" we often see today is actually categorized based on coffee bean varieties.

Coffee bean varieties can be mainly divided into three types: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Arabica is further divided into Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and more.

In fact, not all coffee made from Arabica beans is specialty coffee. Unfortunately, many people don't understand this point, and many brands take advantage of this by using "100% Arabica coffee beans" as a gimmick to make consumers think their coffee is excellent.

In "relatively professional" coffee shops when ordering single-origin coffee, you hardly see promotions like "Arabica coffee beans." For example, at FrontStreet Coffee, you'll see terms like "Kenya," "Colombia," "Yirgacheffe," etc. Tasting "single-origin coffee" allows you to understand the characteristics and flavors of coffee from specific countries or regions.

Related recommendation: Understanding coffee starts with a single Arabica coffee bean.

Important Notice :

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