What's the Difference Between Male and Female Coffee Beans? Does Male Bean Coffee Have Hormonal Notes?

FrontStreet Coffee - Male and Female Coffee Beans

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1. The Difference Between Male and Female Beans

The center of a coffee fruit contains a pair of symmetrical seeds that embrace each other to form an elliptical shape. Seeds with a flat contact surface are called "Flat beans," which are the so-called female beans. When there's only one round seed in the fruit, it's called a "Peaberry," or male bean. Its round shape makes it very convenient for roasting.

2. The Formation of Male Beans

1) Male beans generally form at the tips of coffee trees. Due to their different positions, the absorption of nutrients, light, and water is not balanced.

2) Originally, there were two coffee beans, but during the growth process, one absorbed most of the nutrients, becoming dominant at one end and forming a round bean. Because of sufficient nutrients, the size is slightly larger than normal beans, the color is brighter, and both aroma and body are slightly superior.

3) If the fruit is invaded by pests and diseases during its formation and development, it may also lead to incomplete internal development of the seeds, similarly causing one seed to "eat" another seed and form a male bean.

3. Are Male Beans Definitely Better Tasting Than Female Beans?

According to most legends, if male beans form because they grow at the tips of coffee tree branches, then compared to the female beans on the same coffee tree, male beans receive more light and absorb more nutrients, so the flavor is naturally more outstanding. Others also believe that because male beans are elliptical in shape, they roll more easily during roasting, resulting in more even heat distribution and relatively better roasting results.

Whether male or female beans taste better should be a matter of personal preference. If you usually can't drink very bitter coffee and need to add sugar and milk, you might find it difficult to distinguish between male and female beans. If you don't drink pure coffee, choosing female beans is fine. However, if you like to drink single-origin pure coffee, the more aromatic and slightly acidic male beans are a good choice.

Generally, coffee farmers don't select male beans to sell separately; they sell them mixed together. However, in Indonesia, some coffee farmers see the business opportunity in male beans' preferred taste and low production, allowing them to sell at higher prices.

The distinction between male and female beans may be more of a marketing hype. Although theoretically male beans might roast slightly better than female beans, this doesn't necessarily mean their internal compounds are definitely better. If you must study the difference between male and female beans, you should do so on the basis of the same Arabica variety and precious single-origin beans, such as Jamaica Blue Mountain male beans, Tanzania male beans... but these rare varieties are certainly expensive.

In Summary

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center that loves to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation just to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three discounted coffee events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices, which has been our principle for the past six years!

Important Notice :

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