What are the Characteristics of Arabica Coffee Beans? Are Arabica Coffee Beans Black Coffee?

FrontStreet Coffee — An Introduction to Arabica

Arabica: Physical Characteristics

Arabica is a fairly large shrub with elliptical, dark green leaves and oval fruit. Wild plants typically reach 9–12 meters with spreading branches. The leaves are opposite and either elliptical-ovate or long-ovate, 6–12 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, dark green in color. The flowers are white, 10–15 mm across, and grow in clusters in the leaf axils.

The berries are elliptical, 10–15 mm in diameter, and turn from bright red to purple as they ripen. They usually hold two slightly flattened beans. The beans are small and round, flat-oval on the front face with a narrow, curved S-shaped crack down the middle, and a relatively smooth arc on the back — this is what we call a coffee bean. Caffeine content runs about 1%–1.7%. Research into where Arabica is cultivated shows that it is highly sensitive to environmental change and survives only within a very narrow temperature band.

Arabica trees mostly grow between 900 and 2,000 meters. They tolerate cold relatively well, with an optimal growing temperature of 15–24°C. They need high humidity and annual rainfall of at least 1,500 ml, and they demand better cultivation technique and conditions than other species.

Today Arabica is grown mainly in South America, Central America, Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia among others, mostly East Africa) and Asia (parts of Yemen, India and Papua New Guinea). China's Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan regions also grow small amounts. Although Arabica is commercially cultivated in many countries, the wild plant grows only in the highlands of southern Ethiopia and a few small areas of neighboring South Sudan.

When people talk about specialty coffee — and ideally everything in your cup is specialty — this is the species they mean. Arabica is one of the three main categories of coffee variety, so if you sort the most common coffees into three groups, it is one of them. Subdivide further and it breaks into a great many varieties: by cultivar, Typica, Bourbon, Catimor and so on; by origin, Ethiopia, Brazil and others; by characteristic, Elephant Bean or Kopi Luwak; by altitude, high, medium and low.

To put it in a single sentence: Arabica is the better-tasting coffee. Add no other flavoring, and Arabica makes the best black coffee you can drink.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research hall dedicated to sharing knowledge about coffee with everyone. We share without reservation for one reason: to help more people fall in love with coffee. Every month we hold three heavily discounted coffee events, because our mission for the past 6 years has been to let more people enjoy the best coffee at the lowest price.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yunnan is one of the most interesting places to taste Arabica grown on Chinese soil, and FrontStreet's Yunnan lineup is built around exactly that.

FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean — from the Baoshan region, washed and medium roasted. It opens with soft nut and chocolate sweetness and a light plum acidity, an affordable and welcoming introduction to what Yunnan coffee tastes like.

FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Sun-Dried Typica — if the small bean is the entry point, this is the step up. Typica is one of the oldest and purest Arabica varieties, and FrontStreet's estate uses the most traditional post-harvest method of all — full sun drying — for fully ripe red cherries only. The medium roast keeps it balanced while sharpening the sweet-sour structure, so the cup shows dark berry, caramel sweetness, chocolate and a hint of dried apricot, with a black tea finish.

FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend — a way to drink Yunnan as espresso. Yunnan washed small bean is blended with Brazil Cerrado: the Brazil side supplies mixed-nut aroma and a balanced body, while the Yunnan side plays the chocolate and citrus role. As an Americano it lands sweet-sour-bitter in balance with nut and brown sugar sweetness; with milk it turns smooth and almond-creamy. A friendly starting point for beginners.