What Are the Different Types of Coffee Beans and Are Premium Arabica Coffee Beans Expensive?

FrontStreet Coffee: Introduction to the Three Major Coffee Bean Varieties

Coffee trees are only suitable for cultivation in tropical or subtropical regions. Today, there are three main native coffee species: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica.

Arabica

Originating from Ethiopia, Arabica accounts for about 70% of the world's total production. It belongs to the high-altitude crops in tropical and subtropical regions, making it intolerant to high temperatures, dryness, excessive humidity, or low-temperature frost damage. It has a long growth period, firm beans, and small particles.

Robusta

Robusta is a variety discovered in the Congo, Africa, suitable for low-altitude growth. It has disease resistance, tolerates high temperatures, and thrives in rainy and humid conditions. Moreover, it has distinctive "three high" characteristics: high bitterness, high caffeine content, and high aroma. However, its aroma carries a slightly musty note, but after deep roasting, Robusta presents a special burnt fragrance.

Most coffee businesses use Robusta, which is why iced coffee with its high bitterness is often mixed with sugar and creamer. However, the high caffeine content cannot be removed, which may be related to the high content of chlorogenic acid. As a result, many people experience palpitations, discomfort, and sleep difficulties after drinking it.

Liberica

Liberica is a tree species from Liberia in West Africa, capable of withstanding various environments including high and low temperatures, humidity, or dryness. It has strong reproductive ability but poor flavor quality. Another disadvantage is its susceptibility to leaf rust disease, making it difficult to survive in the market. It is generally used more for research and less for large-scale cultivation and production. Liberica coffee beans can utilize deeper roasting methods to mask their flavor quality issues.

The Excellence of Arabica

The excellent flavor and aroma of Arabica coffee make it the only coffee among these native species that can be consumed directly and individually. Coffee varieties such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, Indonesian Mandheling, Yirgacheffe, and Brazilian coffee all belong to single-origin coffees. However, its resistance to drought, frost damage, and pests is weak, particularly to coffee's greatest enemy—leaf rust disease. Therefore, all producing countries are committed to improving varieties.

The cultivation conditions for "Arabica" coffee are extremely stringent. First, it requires high-altitude geographical locations above 600 to 2000 meters; second, it needs fertile soil, sufficient humidity, annual rainfall of not less than 1500ml, and suitable growth temperatures. Additionally, the "Arabica" coffee tree species has poor resistance to pests and diseases, making it vulnerable to damage. Consequently, the annual yield of coffee trees per unit area is lower than other coffee varieties. This is why high-quality Arabica prices are never low!

Knowledge Extension

"Arabica" coffee beans are oval-shaped fruits, generally containing two slightly flat beans. The beans are small and round, with an oval front face and narrow, curved S-shaped cracks in the middle. The back arc of the beans is relatively flat.

Conclusion

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a research center dedicated to coffee, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unreserved sharing is only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee activities every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's principle for the past 6 years!

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473