Types of coffee species

If you will see a coffee plant, you will be as far away from recognizing it as possible. Those coffee beans that you see, are not only already roasted, but they are just the seeds of the coffee fruit. The fruit of this tree is in fact called a coffee cherry and it is red and greatly resembles the cherry. It is stone fruit similar to plums or cherries. The interesting fact is that this fruit is never eaten because it is mostly made up of the seed, the coffee bean, so there nothing else you can use.

Coffee comes from anywhere in the world, Africa or Middle East or Latin America, but no matter the country it comes from the beans are just of a few known types, and until recently they were just two.

The Arabica beans

These beans make up 75% of the worldwide production of coffee beans. There is a very simple explanation for its popularity, and that is the fact that, this is the only coffee plant that is self-pollinated. Most specialty coffee comes from the Arabica variety. This plant is smaller, a shrub, not a tree, and it has less branches, it looks very delicate. Having less branches then the other varieties, its cherries get more oxygen and nutrients, so they are superior to any other kind of beans. Therefore, Arabica is able to develop various type of flavors. The coffee that comes from Arabica has less caffeine, they have a lower acidity, therefore this results in a sweet, soft and fruity taste in your coffee cup. Usually the Arabica bean varieties get their name from the region they come from. Depending on their origin, the Arabica bean varieties can get a myriad of flavors. Real coffee lovers consider the Colombian Arabica to be one of the best, with a walnut aftertaste and a strong flavor profile. Arabica grown in Brazil is light and has a pungent taste, whilst the varieties grown in Kenya have a bitter taste.

Interestingly enough is the fact that Arabica originates in Ethiopia, but Ethiopians never used to drink it or eat in any way. Those who discovered that the seeds of this particular plant can be concocted into a wonderful drink were the Arabs. Arab scholars brewed it into a drink to help them work more. That is why even if the beans were not produced in Arabia, they bear the name of their first “marketer”.

The Robusta beans

Not as cherished and praised as the Arabica is her partner for life, the Robusta, because both were here from the beginning of coffee times. Robusta beans come from a tree, meaning their production is larger, they can be grown on lower elevations and they are more resistant to pests then the Arabica. This specific resistance is in great part due to its specific bitterness. Due to its capacity of growing more fruit, it lacks in quality and flavor, because among hundred cherries there will be some rotten ones that weren’t able to get any of the minerals they needed to grow into a good piece of fruit. The level of caffeine contained in the Robusta variety is double then in the Arabica. Robusta, also known under the name of Canephora, is the bean from which instant coffee comes. It is cheaper and less risky to grow then the Arabica, therefore, even if it lacks in taste, it gains in efficiency for mass production. Robusta has around 20% of the coffee market in its pocket, and that is surprising considering that this bean is much more resistant than Arabica. This simple fact speaks to the sophistication of the today’s coffee consumer, that is ready to give a rather bigger amount out of their pocket just to get a better flavor.

The Liberica bean

Even if it is widely consumed in the Philippines, the Liberica was recently added to the worldwide coffee bean database. Still, it is only found in coffee shops in Asia and it is considered very rare. It is similar to Robusta, but it is more intense and pungent. It keeps the bitter and strong taste of Robusta, but it gets a certain earthy flavor that sets it apart. These beans are only produced in the Philippines or Malaysia.

Some would say there is a fourth coffee species in the world, the Excelsa bean. Until recently this was considered to be a separate species, but in the end, specialists classified it as a subspecies of Liberica bean. It is a versatile bean because it grows at medium altitudes and it is able to tolerate many diseases. It has a very specific taste that is not really to the liking of many people, therefore it is mostly used in blends.