The Three Major Types of Coffee Beans You Must Know: Robusta Coffee Beans are Like a Tough Man

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to the Three Major Coffee Varieties

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Arabica and Robusta are two very important varieties in the commercial coffee industry. Arabica beans grow best at an altitude of 3,000 feet, offering superior coffee quality with intense aroma. However, their caffeine content is only half that of Robusta beans. Arabica beans account for 80% of global coffee trade value. Their excellent flavor and aroma make them the only coffee that can be consumed directly on its own. The world-renowned Blue Mountain coffee is made from Arabica coffee beans.

Robusta beans grow in lower altitude areas, are easy to cultivate, have high yields, and are resistant to pests and diseases, but they have a woody, pungent smell. They can be chosen when inexpensive coffee is needed or when higher caffeine content is required. Robusta coffee beans have a unique fragrance and bitterness, with caffeine content far exceeding that of Arabica.

The main producing countries of Robusta include Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, India, and Uganda. Among these, Vietnam is the world's largest exporter of Robusta coffee. Vietnamese coffee, often brought back as a souvenir by tourists to Vietnam and also known as Vietnamese-style au lait coffee, uses Vietnamese-grown Robusta beans. To mask the strong bitterness, a large amount of condensed milk is added. One wonders if it's because Vietnam was once a French colony that Robusta coffee became popular for cultivation to supply French dark roast needs.

Because coffee extracted from Robusta beans has an aroma similar to burnt wheat and tastes strongly bitter, earthy, and moldy, it has been nicknamed the "Robu" flavor. Combined with its relatively low price and strong bitterness—characteristics indispensable to commercial coffee—its widespread use in "instant coffee" has further damaged its reputation.

Components of Robusta Green Beans:

① High caffeine content (more than twice that of Arabica);

② High chlorogenic acid content;

③ Low sugar content such as sucrose;

④ Slightly higher protein and amino acid content;

⑤ Low lipid content.

Knowledge Point:

Robusta coffee beans can not only serve as a "price adjustment" role but also enhance the body of coffee.

In Summary:

FrontStreet Coffee is a specialty coffee research house that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unrestrained sharing is solely to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee promotional events with significant discounts because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price—this has been our mission for the past six years!

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