Characteristics of Arabica Coffee and Exploring the Relationship Between Catimor and Arabica

Introduction to Arabica and Catimor Coffee

Arabica

Growing Regions:

Arabica coffee beans are primarily cultivated in South America, Central America, Africa, and Asia.

Production:

Arabica beans account for approximately 70% of the world's coffee production.

Altitude Requirements:

Arabica is grown at altitudes above 800 meters and requires demanding growing conditions. It has weak resistance to pests and diseases.

Flavor Profile:

Arabica coffee has lower caffeine content, typically between 0.9% and 1.2%, with rich fat and sugar content. This results in a gentle, non-irritating aroma with a fresh, slightly sweet taste and sometimes a pleasant, refreshing acidity. Arabica is primarily used for single-origin or specialty coffees and is favored by the vast majority of coffee enthusiasts.

Although most coffee varieties originate from "Typica" or "Bourbon," coffee initially came from Ethiopia, and the Royal Botanic Gardens has confirmed that 95% of coffee genetic material comes from Ethiopia. When you see coffee bags labeled "Ethiopia heirloom," it indicates that the coffee may be wild or from farms with minimal human intervention.

Timor Hybrid

The Timor Hybrid is a controversial coffee variety because it's a natural hybrid between Arabica and Robusta, with a higher proportion of Robusta. This characteristic gives the Timor Hybrid cold resistance and resistance to leaf rust, at the cost of inferior flavor and aroma.

For this reason, this unique coffee has been used to graft many cultivated varieties, particularly "Catimor" and "Sarchimor." "Catimor" is classified as a hybrid between "Caturra" and "Timor," while "Sarchimor" belongs to the hybrid between "Villa Sarchi" and "Timor." Examples of these varieties include "Castillo," "Colombia," and "Marsellesa."

Specialty coffee buyers often avoid coffees related to the Timor Hybrid, but some producers, particularly those in low-altitude areas where leaf rust is more prevalent, believe that reducing disease risk is more important than coffee quality and price.

Catimor

Catimor is a hybrid between the Caturra branch of the Bourbon lineage (Arabica species) and the Robusta species. The reason for cultivating this variety is that Catimor possesses Robusta genes, making it more disease-resistant than older varieties, with good yields as well. Compared to delicate older varieties with poor disease resistance and low yields, farmers naturally prefer growing Catimor, which has created a Catimor trend in Yunnan. Catimor beans are round and thick, while Typica beans are thin and long. The center line of Catimor is irregular. Under the same conditions, Typica quality is superior to Catimor, and its price is also higher.

Knowledge Extension:

Arabica coffee bean varieties originally came from Ethiopia and Yemen in Africa, and were later transplanted to various parts of the world.

Conclusion

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee discount events because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473