What Are the Two Main Coffee Varieties and How Do Vietnamese Robusta Coffee Beans Differ?

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Robusta Coffee Beans

The two most important coffee trees in production are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica coffee beans originated in the mountains of Yemen and account for about two-thirds of global production. The highlands of southwestern Ethiopia, southeastern Sudan, various parts of Latin America, India and Indonesia also produce Arabica.

Arabica trees grow in high-altitude climates, which is why they are also called "mountain coffee." Arabica beans can produce coffee with complex flavours, superior to Robusta, which is why so many coffee recipes are eager to claim their beans are "100% Arabica."

Vietnamese coffee was introduced to Vietnam around 1860 by French Jesuit missionaries, and in 1888 Vietnam established its first coffee plantation. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the country's coffee industry entered a period of rapid development. In 1978, East Germany began supporting Vietnamese coffee cultivation. Over the 35 years from 1975 to 2010, Vietnam's coffee area expanded from 13,400 hectares to 513,000 hectares, an increase of 37 times.

Today Vietnam has more than 640,000 hectares of coffee, mainly concentrated in the Central Highlands. Of that, 10-15% belongs to state-owned enterprises and farms, while 85-90% belongs to individual farmers and estate owners. Vietnamese coffee is exported to 60 countries and regions, and among the country's exported agricultural products coffee ranks second only to rice.

Vietnam's geography is highly favourable for coffee. The south has a humid tropical climate, and the country's low altitude, flat terrain, high-density planting, extensive irrigation, heavy fertilisation and absence of shade trees all maximise yield and perfectly exploit the productive capacity of Robusta.

This is why Robusta, which offers the best economic return, is the most widely planted coffee in Vietnam. For Vietnam, the economic value of coffee matters far more than its standing in the specialty industry. Many plantations in Daklak, Gia Lai, Kontum and Dong Nai reach yields of 3-4 tons per hectare, and some even 8-9 tons, while Arabica yields only a few hundred kilograms per hectare.

Knowledge point: most coffee grows in the equatorial zone between 25 degrees north and south of the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The cultivation belt and the country of origin have a significant impact on flavour.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Vietnam's high-yield Robusta is one end of the coffee spectrum, Ethiopia is the other. Arabica originated in Ethiopia, and its highlands remain the most diverse source of the species. FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe is the classic entry point: clear jasmine florals and a bright citrus acidity, light and elegant with a tea-like body, like a clean, refreshing lemon tea.

Much of Ethiopia's coffee is grown in a garden model, with smallholders sending their cherries to village-level washing stations for processing and then selling under the name of the producer group. That is why so many cooperatives appear on the market. FrontStreet Coffee's Gedingding Cooperative sits in the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe and was originally part of the Worka cooperative under the YCFCU. As demand for traceability grew, such single-origin lots were unearthed one by one; in 2012 Gedingding, with around 300 member farmers, became an independent cooperative. Because the pulp is removed before drying, its inherent aromatics come through even more clearly, with citrus and lemon character and elegant white florals in a bright, refined cup.

For a natural-process contrast, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Cherry uses only sound, fully ripe fruit, dried in the sun for about two weeks until moisture falls to 12%, then hulled and screened for density and colour before hand sorting. The result is a clean, captivating cup with prominent fruit aroma: peach, cocoa, honey and lemon.