Coffee Growing, Processing, Flavor Profiles, Grind Settings, and Regional Origins

FrontStreet Coffee · Coffee Growing and Processing Flavor Descriptions Processing Method Grind Settings Production Region Introduction

Coffee Varieties

Coffee trees can be divided mainly into two major varieties: Arabica and Robusta.

There are also minor varieties such as Liberica and Arabusta, but these are rarely found in the market.

Although Arabica and Robusta are both widely cultivated, they differ significantly. The beans are different, the tree species that produce them are different, and their uses are therefore different as well. Arabica accounts for approximately 70% of world coffee production, while Robusta and others make up 30%.

Arabica

Arabica offers diverse flavors and acidity, with higher acidity and less caffeine. The beans are red with a lower oil content and can only grow at altitudes above 800 meters. Arabica has strong aromas and a wide range of flavors, with a purer taste and smooth mouthfeel, featuring chocolate, vanilla, and nutty notes. The world's best coffee shops use this type, and experts believe its quality depends on proper blending. Brazil is the largest growing country for Arabica, followed by Colombia and India.

Robusta

Robusta tastes more bitter and astringent than Arabica and is inferior in quality, so it is mostly used for instant coffee. Coffee sold in fast-food restaurants is primarily made from Robusta. Since it originated in Africa, most Africans drink Robusta. It has stronger disease resistance and higher yields, accounting for less than 30% of world coffee production. Robusta has low acidity, high caffeine, a brown color, and thick oil. Compared with Arabica it has fewer flavor notes, but it can increase body and create a gelatinous mouthfeel.

Liberica accounts for less than 5% of world production. Liberica trees are suited to lowlands, and the beans they produce have extremely strong aromas and bitterness.

Second Process: Green Bean Processing

Coffee green bean processing methods can be roughly divided into the natural sun-dried method, the washed method, the semi-washed (pulped natural) method, and the honey processing method. Different processing methods affect the flavor of coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste how processing shapes flavor, FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a classic example of the semi-washed approach: roasted medium, it brings creamy peanut, toasted bread, caramel, and hazelnut aromas with a rounded, low-acid cup. FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon, grown in Mogiana on fertile red volcanic soil, is naturally processed and shows the variety's rare sugarcane sweetness alongside fruit and chocolate notes.