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Are Arabica Coffee Beans Sour? The Mild Fruity Acidity and Sweetness of Arabica Coffee Beans

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 - Arabica Variety Introduction Arabica coffee, also known as small-fruited coffee, originates from wild coffee produced in Africa. It was later introduced to Europe through Arabia and became widely known, hence its name. Arabica coffee beans account for 70% of the world's coffee production

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Arabica Varieties

Arabica coffee, also known as small fruit coffee, originates from wild coffee produced in Africa. It was later introduced to Europe through Arab countries and became widely known, hence its name. Arabica coffee beans account for more than 70% of the world's coffee production.

Why is Arabica Coffee the Most Popular?

Arabica coffee plants are typically not tall, with slightly slender green leaves and smaller oval-shaped fruits, also known as small-grain coffee. Arabica coffee possesses outstanding flavor, captivating aroma, and bright fruit acidity, characteristics that are vividly expressed in high-altitude regions. However, Arabica also has disadvantages: it has weaker vitality, poor disease resistance, and higher cultivation costs.

Arabica beans have lower caffeine content, better aligning with most people's health pursuits. The aftertaste also has a unique burnt flavor.

The uniqueness of Arabica coffee lies in the fact that it is the only plant in its genus containing 44 chromosomes. Because it prefers higher altitudes and tropical regions, it blooms when the rainy season arrives. These flowers are beautiful, aromatic, and pure white, creating a breathtaking sight when they bloom throughout the forest.

The fruit needs about 9 months to mature after flowering. This is when harvesting begins. Because each plant still has unripe beans—green "cherries"—that need to wait for maturity, precise picking is required. After harvesting, the coffee beans are processed and sent for dehydration, sun-drying, or washing processes, finally roasted into brown coffee beans.

The Flavor of Arabica Coffee

The reason why single-origin coffees worldwide are Arabica varieties lies in the diverse flavors of these coffee beans. When you prepare a cup of specialty coffee at home, you'll discover the sweet aroma, slightly acidic taste, and finally caramel and chocolate notes of Arabica coffee.

This coffee has very little bitterness, and even if you prefer espresso, you'll see a layer of reddish-brown crema—truly an enticing flavor. After dark roasting, caffeine content by volume is less than 2%. This means you can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee in the morning with almost no palpitations.

About 40% of the coffee consumed daily worldwide is Robusta coffee. When combined with Arabica beans, these two varieties account for 95%-99% of annual coffee consumption. This is an impressive achievement, and currently there are over 100 different coffee varieties growing worldwide.

Knowledge Point

Ethiopia holds the ancestral position in the coffee world, being the birthplace of Arabica beans and currently Africa's largest Arabica-producing country. The Kaffa Forest in Ethiopia is even known as the "coffee gene bank."

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a research-focused coffee establishment, happy to share knowledge about coffee with everyone. Our sharing without reservation aims to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we have three coffee discount events each month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest price—this has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!