What are the Characteristics of Arabica Coffee Beans and What Does Coffee Bean Protein Content Determine?

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Introduction to Arabica Varieties and Protein Components

Arabica and Robusta coffee beans have significantly different growing environments. Arabica is better suited to be cultivated on hills and mountains above 600 to 2,000 meters, while Robusta is grown on plains and hills below 600 meters. Arabica coffee, therefore, is mostly distributed above 600 meters and may reach up to 1,000 meters.

Because of the terrain, harvesting methods are also limited. Harvesting on plains can be mechanized, allowing for rapid reduction of labor costs. However, harvesting on hills or mountains can only rely on manual collection, which significantly increases labor costs. This is also one of the main reasons why Taiwan coffee is very expensive.

Those grown in the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia are named after Yirgacheffe, while the variety cultivated near the Geisha mountain area in Panama is called "Geisha" coffee beans because its name is the same as the Japanese word for geisha. Panama's Geisha coffee beans are highest quality from Hacienda La Esmeralda (commonly known as Jade Estate). Arabica coffee beans exhibit more fruit acidity and floral aromas.

Protein and Amino Acids

In terms of crude protein, raw coffee beans contain about 13%~16%.

If we subtract nitrogen-containing compounds such as caffeine and trigonelline, the actual protein content is about 8.8%~9.7%.

Raw coffee beans also contain various enzymes, such as lipase, protease, carbohydrase, galactosidase, and peroxidase.

Raw coffee beans contain approximately 0.15%~0.25% of free amino acids.

Robusta has higher content than Arabica. These free amino acids have a greater impact on coffee flavor and less impact on taste.

Knowledge Extension

Caffeine accounts for 0.9%-1.4% in Arabica varieties, while Canephora usually accounts for 2%, sometimes exceeding 3%.

In Summary

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