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Coffee Bean Varieties and Origins: Typica - One of the Oldest Coffee Varieties

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Typica Coffee Variety Introduction. Typica and Bourbon, these two ancient varieties, have flourished in the new world's different soils for three hundred years, creating countless variants and hybrid varieties. Intraspecific hybridization: new varieties created by mixing two Arabica varieties. Interspecific hybridization: A

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Typica Coffee Varieties

Typica and Bourbon, these two ancient varieties, have been cultivated for three hundred years in the New World, creating thousands of variants and hybrid breeds.

Intraspecific Hybrids

New varieties resulting from the cross-breeding of two different Arabica varieties.

Interspecific Hybrids

New varieties resulting from the cross-breeding of Arabica with other species such as Canephora and Liberica.

Characteristics of Typica and Its Variants

Typica, meaning "typical," is the representative variety of the Arabica species. It was also the earliest variety to be transplanted from Yemen to India, Indonesia, and Central and South America, where it flourished.

The ancient Typica is characterized by larger beans that are relatively sharp and elongated. However, after being transplanted to the New World, it has evolved into many different forms, including more oval and smaller-sized Typica varieties.

Typica coffee beans offer a very balanced flavor profile, with mild smoothness being their most prominent characteristic. The acidic aroma of Typica is not overpowering or overly complex, making it suitable for those who are sensitive to acidity. However, when Typica is grown at altitudes below 1,000 meters or in high temperatures, it can develop woody flavors.

Poor disease resistance and low productivity are its biggest weaknesses.

Common Typica Variants:

Elephant Bean: Discovered as a Typica variant in Brazil, the beans are three times larger than regular coffee beans. Elephant beans yield fewer fruits, have oversized beans, and are troublesome to process in the later stages. Therefore, not many countries cultivate them, with Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador having small-scale cultivation.

Kona Typica: The Typica from the Big Island of Hawaii originates from Guatemala. The Big Island is located in the subtropical zone at 20 degrees north latitude, with relatively cooler temperatures and fertile volcanic soil. Despite being grown at lower altitudes, it produces clean acidic aromas and sweetness that surpass even the higher-altitude Blue Mountain coffee.

Blue Mountain Typica: In the 1720s, Typica was transplanted from Martinique to Jamaica's Blue Mountains. After more than 200 years, Blue Mountain Typica has evolved with improved disease resistance, particularly better resistance to fruit rot diseases compared to typical Typica. However, when Blue Mountain Typica is grown outside Jamaica, it cannot replicate its characteristic sweet and delicate fragrance.

Knowledge Point: Pacamara is a hybrid variety discovered in El Salvador in 1950, resulting from the cross-breeding of Pacas and Maragogype.

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