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Understanding Arabica Coffee Beans: The Delicate Noble Bean

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 In many media advertisements, the term "100% Arabica" often appears, which has led many uninformed observers to believe that Arabica equals high-quality coffee. This has also become a longstanding topic among many coffee practitioners

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

FrontStreet Coffee - Arabica Variety Introduction

In many media advertisements, the term "100% Arabica" often appears. This has led many uninformed consumers to believe that Arabica equals high-quality coffee, which has become a recurring joke among coffee professionals over the years.

Originally from Ethiopia, Africa, Arabica features prominent fruit flavors with a delicate and elegant taste. It is the primary source of specialty coffee and has a lower caffeine content, only 0.9-1.5% of the coffee's weight. With the highest quality and value, it is now the main species in the coffee consumption market, accounting for about 60-70% of global production and sales.

Specifically, Arabica's scientific classification is: Plant Kingdom - Angiospermae - Magnoliopsida - Gentianales - Rubiaceae - Coffea - Coffea subg. Coffea - Coffea sect. Brevicollis - Coffea arabica.

However, Arabica is the most special among the 103 species under the Coffea genus. It is the only tetraploid plant species (with four sets of chromosomes) and is self-pollinating. Its advantages include lower caffeine content, a refined and clean flavor profile. The other 102 coffee species are all diploid plants (with two sets of chromosomes) and are cross-pollinating. Therefore, Arabica is a more precious species in the Coffea genus.

Arabica originates from Ethiopia and is also produced in South Africa, African countries, and Asian nations, accounting for 70% of the world's coffee production. Arabica has relatively weak resistance to pests and diseases, making highland areas more suitable for cultivation. Arabica coffee beans grown at altitudes above 1,500 meters have the best quality.

Only such carefully produced high-quality coffee with balanced taste and aroma can be considered premium coffee beans, mainly used for single-origin or specialty coffee. The three famous coffee varieties - Hawaiian Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Yemen Mocha - all belong to the Arabica variety. Arabica green beans have a dark, narrow appearance and are characterized by rich flavors including sweetness, acidity, and aroma.

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

In Brief: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research workshop dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unconditional sharing is aimed at helping more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three low-discount coffee events because FrontStreet Coffee wants to enable more friends to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!