How Many Major Types of Coffee Beans Are There? Understanding Arabica Coffee Bean Characteristics

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to the Three Major Coffee Varieties

Arabica

Originally from Ethiopia, with the scientific name Coffea arabica Linnaeus. Arabica beans have small fruits and seeds, so they are also called the small-grain variety. They are self-pollinating crops, relatively cold and drought tolerant, and account for about 76% of global commercial cultivation. They are mostly grown at high altitude (1300-1900m). Arabica beans have a fragrant aroma and a rich, delicate taste, strong without bitterness and aromatic without being harsh, with a slight fruity acidity. Of good quality, they are the premium variety among coffees and have always been favored on the international market.

Robusta

Also known as medium-grain coffee, originally from the tropical rainforests of Congo and Uganda. Robusta beans are cross-pollinating crops, their offspring vary widely, and excellent varieties are generally propagated by cutting or grafting. Their fruits are round and oblate, and they tolerate neither strong light nor wind and cold, growing mostly at low altitude (≤900m) and accounting for about 23% of global commercial cultivation. Although Robusta has a rich coffee flavor, it is highly stimulating and of medium quality, and many coffee lovers cannot accept its intense flavor.

So if Arabica beans are so delicious, why do we still need Robusta? First, Arabica is easily infected by coffee leaf rust and attacked by borer pests, while Robusta resists leaf rust, is rarely harmed by borers, and is far easier to cultivate. If Arabica is the delicate, sickly Lin Daiyu, then Robusta is the soldier among coffee beans. Second, Robusta's caffeine and oil content are much higher than Arabica's, making it a very important component of blends and espresso.

Liberica

Originating from Liberia in West Africa. Belonging to the Liberica species, it is also called the "large-grain variety," and is now widely cultivated across tropical regions. It generally grows on slopes at around 200 meters, tolerates both high and low temperatures and both humid and dry conditions, and reproduces vigorously, making it a tougher, rougher variety than Robusta. Liberica coffee trees stand only about 10-20 feet high (approximately 3.3-6.6 meters), with larger leaves than other coffee species. Because its demands on altitude and temperature are relatively low, it also works well as an ornamental plant.

Although Liberica fruits are very large, their thick skin is difficult to remove and requires a very complex process to yield coffee beans, which has limited its economic development.

Most importantly, its taste is not good. Liberica carries a heavy bitterness, low aroma, and low body. It is difficult to obtain and expensive, so it naturally has little commercial value. Yet as a bean that is both costly and unappetizing, its research value far exceeds its commercial value.

Knowledge Point

High-altitude growing areas sit at 4,000 to 6,000 feet. Growing temperatures need to be between 15-25 degrees Celsius, annual rainfall must reach 1,500-2,000 millimeters, and the timing of that rainfall must align with the flowering cycle of the coffee trees.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

There is no better way to understand Arabica than to taste the variety that started it all. The FrontStreet washed Yirgacheffe, from Ethiopia, is the classic entry into specialty coffee: clear jasmine florals, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a light, elegant body with a clean tea-like finish.

Yirgacheffe is a small town in southern Ethiopia's Sidamo province, at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, where cool, misty, humid conditions and thousands of coffee trees give the cup its signature blend of florals and fruit. If you want a single bottle of Arabica to see what all the fuss is about, this is the one.