Types of Arabica Coffee Beans: Is Typica the Ancestor of All Coffee Varieties?

FrontStreet Coffee - Typica Variety Introduction

Typica is the most famous variety among Arabica coffees. It is a high-quality, low-yield variety that is highly sensitive to pests and diseases.

Like other Arabica coffees, the Typica variety originally originated in southwestern Ethiopia. At some point between the 15th and 16th centuries, it was brought to Yemen by the Ethiopian army. By the 16th century, Yemen's coffee seeds had already spread to India. Historical records show that in 1696 and 1699, two batches of coffee seeds were shipped from India's Malabar Coast to Batavia Island (today's Java, Indonesia). These few seeds are what we now call the Typica variety. In 1706, a Typica coffee seedling was moved from Java to Amsterdam, Netherlands, and found its home in the botanical garden. Later in 1714, the Netherlands shared some seeds with France.

In 1719, Typica was sent from the Netherlands to Dutch Guiana (now Suriname) via colonial trade routes, then reached Cayenne (French Guiana) in 1722, and from there spread to northern Brazil in 1727; between 1760-1770, it reached southern Brazil. In 1723, the French sent Typica from Paris to Martinique in the West Indies, and subsequently the British introduced Typica coffee from Martinique to Jamaica, which reached Santo Domingo in 1730. In 1735, Typica seeds were sent from Santo Domingo to Cuba. Later, Costa Rica (1779) and El Salvador (1840) respectively obtained seeds from Cuba.

In the late 18th century, the Typica variety spread to the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo), Mexico, and Colombia, and from there across Central America. Until the 1940s, most coffee plantations in South and Central America grew Typica. Due to Typica's relatively low yield and high sensitivity to major coffee pests and diseases, it was gradually replaced by other varieties in most parts of the Americas, but it is still widely cultivated in Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Our most familiar Jamaica Blue Mountain belongs to the Typica variety.

Characteristics of Typica Coffee Beans

The characteristic feature of Typica is that the coffee tree is quite tall, with bronze-colored leaves at the top, and the coffee beans are relatively large and elongated, pointed at both ends, somewhat resembling eggs. Typica coffee beans often have citrus acidity with a sweet aftertaste, and are praised by many as elegant and clear-tasting coffee beans. Unfortunately, Typica trees are tall and inconvenient to harvest, have poor disease resistance, and cannot resist common pests and diseases such as leaf rust, berry disease, Coffee berry disease, and nematodes, resulting in very scarce yields.

If Typica grows within 5 degrees north or south latitude, it is recommended to plant it at altitudes above 1600 meters for the best flavor; if within the range of 5-15 degrees north or south latitude, it's also best to plant it above 1300 meters; for latitudes exceeding 15 degrees, it's recommended to plant at least above 1000 meters.

Knowledge Point: Robusta is cultivated at altitudes below 800 meters. Robusta has extremely strong adaptability and relatively strong resistance to pests and diseases.

About FrontStreet Coffee

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