Do You Understand Arabica Coffee Beans? Is Catuai Coffee One of Its Varieties?

Arabica Coffee Beans: Is Catuai One of Its Varieties?

Arabica (Coffea arabica) is the most widely cultivated coffee species on earth, accounting for roughly 70% of global coffee production. It is also the oldest and most traditional of the coffee species, with its origins in Ethiopia. From there it spread through the Arab world, reached Europe by way of the Ottoman Empire, and was eventually carried to the Americas and the rest of the world during the colonial era.

Compared with other coffee species, Arabica is prized for its more intense aroma, smoother mouthfeel, and the gentle sweetness-and-acidity that often lingers in the finish. Among the three main coffee species, its flavor is by far the most expressive, which explains why specialty coffee drinkers around the world favor it.

The Caturra Variety

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon, itself a genetic descendant of Arabica. It was first discovered in Brazil and entered commercial cultivation in Minas Gerais in 1937. In the cup, Caturra typically shows lemon or citrus-like acidity. Its sweetness, however, rarely matches Typica or Bourbon, because Caturra's sweetness depends heavily on how often and how heavily growers fertilize.

Caturra is a dwarf variety: the trees stay short and carry many branches, and yields are high — so high that World Coffee Research uses "Caturra-like yield" as a benchmark reference. Maintaining that productivity, though, requires constant fertilization and pruning. The trees also need about 2 years before their first harvest, and upkeep costs are considerable, which keeps overall production somewhat limited. Caturra is susceptible to leaf rust and common pests, yet it remains widely planted in Brazil and throughout Latin America simply because it is so common and well understood in the market.

In short: Arabica varieties trace their roots to Ethiopia, Yemen, and other parts of Africa before being transplanted across the coffee-growing world — and Caturra, as a compact, high-yielding Bourbon mutation, is one of the variety names you will encounter most often.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you want to taste a classic Arabica variety in the cup, FrontStreet Coffee suggests Brazil Queen Estate (Fazenda Rainha) Yellow Bourbon. Bourbon is an old Arabica variety just like Typica, named after the island of Réunion (le Bourbon) where it was first planted; Bourbon trees have broader, denser foliage and yield about 30% more than Typica, with short, round beans. Yellow Bourbon is an early-discovered mutation whose ripe cherries turn orange-yellow instead of red. FrontStreet's Queen Estate lot offers notes of cream, peanut, toasted bread, and sugarcane — full-bodied and cleanly sweet — and it works beautifully as a pour-over, in a moka pot, or through an espresso machine.