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The Difference Between Male and Female Coffee Beans: Which is More Expensive and the Patriarchy in Coffee World

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 official account cafe_style) FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Male Coffee Beans Since they are hermaphroditic, there are no so-called male trees and female trees, naturally there should be no difference between male beans and female beans. Furthermore, the original English term for male beans is Peaberry or abbreviation PB, and they are not called Male Beans, male beans one

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Peaberry Coffee Beans

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

Since coffee plants are monoecious (having both male and female reproductive organs), there are no so-called male trees or female trees, naturally there shouldn't be differences between male beans and female beans. Furthermore, the English term for "公豆" is "Peaberry" or the abbreviation "PB," and it's not called "Male Beans." The term "male bean" is just a Chinese colloquial name; actually, it has another name called "round bean."

There are three forms of seeds in coffee cherries. Besides the extremely rare triangular beans, a normal coffee cherry typically contains spherical coffee seeds composed of two coffee beans joined together, with their flat sides facing inward and curved sides facing outward. This common form of coffee bean is called "Flat Berry," which is what people refer to as "female beans." Meanwhile, a small number of seeds don't split but instead present as complete oval-shaped round beans, which are called "male beans" (Peaberry).

Peaberry is a variant of coffee bean, primarily referring to Peaberry or caracoli, while "male bean" is just the Chinese colloquial name. Botanically speaking, peaberry can be considered a defect, with two possible causes: one is insect damage to the coffee before it forms fruit, and another could be factors like prolonged drought or nutrient imbalance affecting the coffee tree. Additionally, coffee beans growing at the end of coffee tree branches may also exhibit this phenomenon.

Are Peaberries or Flat Beans Better Tasting?

Some people believe that if peaberries form because they grow at the tips of coffee trees, they receive more adequate sunlight and heat, and their nutrient supply is exclusive, making their flavor naturally more outstanding than flat beans growing on the same tree. Another theory suggests that because of their shape characteristics, peaberries roll more easily than flat beans, which is greatly beneficial for improving baking uniformity.

Because peaberries are relatively large in size, brew into coffee with continuous fragrance and lingering sweet aftertaste, are relatively rare, and are known as "dream coffee." It is precisely because of these characteristics of round beans that they are now sold as tourist products in a certain Southeast Asian tourist country, and their price is quite high.

Knowledge Point:

There are two ovules in the ovary of a coffee flower. Because it is self-pollinating, the pollination rate is extremely high. Usually, both ovules are successfully pollinated and develop into coffee berries containing two seeds (flat beans).

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