Why Are Arabica Coffee Beans Better How to Brew Delicious Arabica Coffee

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Understanding Coffee Varieties: Beyond the "100% Arabica" Marketing

Let's start with some science. Today, many coffee merchants have embarked on new journeys with their coffee beverages, with Arabica coffee often being used for brand promotion. They all claim to use "100% Arabica," with advertisements even stating: "Freshly ground black coffee is made entirely from Arabica!"

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

Coffee Varieties

The three major native species are Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Arabica ranks first in production, accounting for about 60-70% of the world's total coffee production, with 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% and is mostly grown in the Asia-Pacific region.

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 Its cultivation is less than 1%, and it has basically withdrawn from the commercial market, only preserved for scientific research purposes.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

Arabica

Also known as small-bean coffee, originating from Ethiopia. Arabica coffee trees mostly grow at altitudes between 1,000-2,000 meters above sea level; they are relatively cold-resistant, with suitable growing temperatures between 15-24°C. They require high humidity, with annual rainfall not less than 1,500mm, and have 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 flattened beans. The front view shows a long oval shape, with a narrow, curved crack in the middle forming an S-shape, while the back of the bean has a relatively smooth arc. 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 consumed directly and individually. Single-origin coffees like Jamaica Blue Mountain, Indonesia Mandheling, Yirgacheffe, and Brazilian coffee all belong to this category. However, its resistance to drought, frost damage, pests, and diseases is weak, particularly its vulnerability to coffee's greatest enemy—leaf rust disease. Therefore, producing countries are all committed to improving varieties.

Arabica coffee produced in different regions, at different altitudes, and under different climates exhibits unique characteristics and can display completely distinct personality flavors. Before roasting, it smells like fresh grass. After appropriate 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 prepared using various extraction techniques.

Robusta

Also known as medium-bean coffee, originating from Congo, 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 have lower rainfall requirements. However, this variety relies on insects or wind for pollination, so the time from pollination to fruiting is 9-11 months, longer than Arabica.

Robusta coffee trees are a species between shrubs and tall trees, with longer, bright green leaves. 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 protruding in the middle, feeling harder than Arabica beans, like small stones.

Robusta coffee flavors are generally inferior to Arabica.

The Value of Robusta

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 holds an unshakable position in espresso blends. Italian blends typically add small amounts of Robusta to increase the coffee's body and produce Espresso with richer crema.

When Espresso blends with milk, it presents a rich, full-bodied口感. 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

Mainly used in espresso blends to increase body and obtain rich crema. Although Robusta's flavor cannot compare 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. Specialty coffee beans are several times more expensive than commercial beans. From a cost perspective, choosing commercial beans certainly offers greater profit margins, but the taste of coffee from commercial beans is much inferior to specialty coffee beans. They can be used to make lattes, cappuccinos, and other espresso-based drinks.

Between commercial coffee and specialty coffee, 10 yuan and 30 yuan indeed represent quality differences. Simply put, specialty coffee beans use high-quality green beans, are roasted through exquisite techniques, and restore the unique flavors inherent in the coffee beans—flavors that belong exclusively to that type of 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 certainly offers greater profit margins. Large-scale batch-produced and packaged coffees are typically commercial beans.

In terms of single bean flavor, commercial beans are generally chosen for blending. These commercial coffee beans are usually cheaper, and both the green beans and roasting techniques can only be described as meeting mass production standards. The biggest difference between specialty and commercial coffee beans lies in quality and price. Specialty coffee beans might cost 90 yuan per pound, while commercial beans could be 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 is a coffee bean variety.

Most people have heard of "Blue Mountain Coffee" and "Kopi Luwak"—these are coffee beverages, while "Arabica" coffee refers to the variety of coffee.

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

◆ "Kopi Luwak" is made when an animal called the Asian palm civet eats coffee cherries and excretes the coffee beans unchanged. People extract the coffee beans from its feces and process them.

Therefore, what we often see as "Arabica" today is actually classified 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 others.

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 by using "100% Arabica coffee beans" as a gimmick, making consumers think their coffee is excellent.

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

Important Notice :

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