What Does Arabica Mean? Coffee Bean Varieties from These Three Major Branches

Introduction to Coffee Varieties by FrontStreet Coffee

The quality of a cup of coffee ultimately depends on the coffee beans, and the quality of beans is inseparable from their variety. Currently, there are hundreds of coffee varieties used for commercial purposes, but they all originate from three main varieties:

Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica.

Arabica Coffee

Arabica beans originate from the Ethiopian highlands and are distributed in tropical regions, with major growing areas in South America, Central America, Africa, and Asia. They are currently the world's primary coffee bean variety, with excellent flavor and quality. However, the better the quality, the more demanding the requirements. Arabica coffee beans are extremely particular about their growing environment, requiring cultivation in regions with specific altitude, temperature, and humidity conditions, annual rainfall of no less than 1,400 millimeters, fertile soil, and appropriate sunlight and shade conditions. They can be considered the nobility of coffee.

Growing in such environments, Arabica coffee trees grow at a very slow pace and have poor resistance to pests and diseases, making them susceptible to cold winds and droughts. Compared to the other two coffee varieties, Arabica is slightly more difficult to cultivate, resulting in lower annual production. However, their caffeine content is only 1% of the bean weight.

Robusta Coffee

Robusta coffee beans naturally lack the unique special aroma of Arabica beans but have a rich, mellow taste with slight bitterness and low acidity. Robusta coffee trees originate from the Congo region of Africa, with major production areas in Indonesia and Vietnam. Their production accounts for the majority of the world's coffee supply. Robusta coffee trees have low environmental requirements and strong adaptability, able to resist harsh climates and pest infestations. They don't require much attention during cultivation and are relatively easy to grow coffee trees.

However, Robusta coffee beans are more bitter than Arabica beans and are of much lower quality, so they are mostly used to make instant coffee. Coffee sold in convenience stores typically uses Robusta beans.

Liberica Coffee

Liberica coffee trees originate from Liberia, Africa. They have a shorter cultivation history than the other two varieties, so they are grown only in a few places such as Liberia in West Africa, Suriname, and Guyana. As a result, their production accounts for less than 5% of the world's total. Liberica coffee trees are suitable for cultivation in lowlands, and the beans they produce have extremely strong aroma and bitterness. They are rarely mentioned due to their poor quality and low production.

The coffee beans sold on the market today are mainly Arabica and Robusta varieties. The production of Liberica coffee beans in Malaysia and the Philippines is relatively low and is rarely exported.

About FrontStreet Coffee

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a specialty coffee shop dedicated to sharing knowledge about coffee with everyone. We share our expertise without reservation to help more people fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to offer the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473