Arabica vs Robusta

About Arabica coffee

Arabica coffee is the world's most popular type of coffee. In this post, we're going to talk about all things arabica – then you can decide if it's actually better than robusta. Arabica coffee is a type of coffee made from the beans of the Coffea arabica plant.Arabica originated in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and is the most popular kind of coffee worldwide – making up 60% or more of coffee production in the world.it's called arabica coffee because in the 7th century the beans went from Ethiopia to lower Arabia.In Ethiopia, the beans were being crushed and mixed with fat to be eaten as a stimulant by the Oromo tribe. But once they arrived in Arabia “coffee” was born. It was written about as a brewed beverage for the first time by Arab scholars who said it helped them prolong their work hours. From there coffee spread around the world. High quality arabica coffee should have a slightly sweet flavor, with hints of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. You may also notice hints for fruit and berries. There will be a slight/pleasant acidity, and a little bitterness. If coffee beans were brewed into a delicious beverage for the first time in Arabia, it's easy to see why it's called arabica coffee, and why it's also known as Arabian coffee. Second to arabica in popularity is robusta coffee which is made from the beans of the Coffea canephora plant. it's called arabica coffee because in the 7th century the beans went from Ethiopia to lower Arabia. In Ethiopia, the beans were being crushed and mixed with fat to be eaten as a stimulant by the Oromo tribe. But once they arrived in Arabia “coffee” was born. It was written about as a brewed beverage for the first time by Arab scholars who said it helped them prolong their work hours. From there coffee spread around the world. If coffee beans were brewed into a delicious beverage for the first time in Arabia, it's easy to see why it's called arabica coffee, and why it's also known as Arabian coffee. High quality arabica coffee should have a slightly sweet flavor, with hints of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. You may also notice hints for fruit and berries. There will be a slight/pleasant acidity, and a little bitterness. The roast you choose will affect the degree to which you notice the flavors. The area and soil composition the beans are grown in can also affect the balance of the above flavors.Most of the coffee you see at the grocery store, market, coffee shop, and cafe – is arabica coffee. Some brands will mix arabica and robusta coffee beans, especially espresso blends. But the majority is arabica coffee.

How Arabica coffee is grown

The Coffea arabica, or arabica coffee plant does not like harsh climates; it likes humidity and can't handle frost. It prefers temperatures between 15°C and 24°C (59°F and 75°F) and likes to be grown in the shade. Think: subtropical. It's usually grown at elevations of around 1,900+ feet (600+ meters) above sea level. It likes to be grown on hillsides and matures at about 7 years of age.where is arabica coffee grown.The plant grows to around 9-12 meters in the wild. When grown for commercial use, it can reach about 5 meters tall, but is usually kept at about 2 meters to help with harvesting.The flowers are small and white, they smell like jasmine flowers, sweet and pretty. The beans (which are actually seeds) are found inside of the berries that grow on this shrub-like plant. The berries are harvested when they are “cherry” or deep-red/dark-purple, there are usually 2 beans in each berry. Much like blueberries, the fruit of the arabica coffee plant does not ripen at the same time, so the berries are best when picked by hand. If they are harvested before they are fully ripe the result is an inferior coffee. When the arabica coffee beans are removed from the berries there is also a “parchment coat” and a “silver skin” that have to be removed.

Where Arabica coffee is grown

Arabica coffee grows best in tropical climates around the equator. Some of the best coffee comes from South America, and Africa.
High quality arabica can be found in the following countries:

Kenya, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Columbia, Ethiopia, Burundi, Brazil

The above list is just a short list of some of the countries growing the arabica coffee bean. Brazil is the largest producer of arabica coffee in the world

About Robusta Coffee

Robusta coffee is a type of coffee made from the beans (seeds) of the Coffea canephora plant and it's the second most popular coffee in the world. Robusta originated in central and western sub-Saharan Africa. It is the second most popular coffee in the world, making up 40% of the worlds coffee production. It comes second only to arabica (from the Coffea arabica plant) which makes up the remaining 60% (or more) of coffee production worldwide.

Where Robusta coffee is grown

Robusta coffee is largely grown in the Eastern Hemisphere, mainly in Africa and Indonesia. The largest producer is Vietnam Robusta coffee growing in Viet Nam. Top 13 Producers of Robusta Coffee:

Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Uganda, Malaysia, Cote DiVoire, Thailand, Cameroon, Phillipines, Madagascar, Guinea, Guatemala

If you see the above countries listed as the source of beans on a bag of coffee (especially countries in Africa and Asia) there may be some robusta in the mix (unless it says that it's 100% arabica coffee) especially if it has a bitter/smoky flavor going on.

Coffea robusta has become a synonym of Coffea canephora which has two main varieties, C. c. robusta, and C. c. nganda. These varieties are commonly referred to as robusta coffee.It's often used in instant coffee, and espresso blends. Robusta coffee tastes earthy and is often said to have a bitter, rubbery/grain-like flavor, with a peanutty aftertaste. Robusta coffee beans contain more caffeine and less sugar than arabica beans, and therefore taste stronger and harsher than arabica. high quality robusta is said to add depth of flavor to an arabica/robusta blend, and a nice crema to espresso blends. But inferior robusta is often described as tasting kinda like burnt rubber. In espresso land (yes – I mean Italy) high quality robusta is desired because of the crema and flavor it adds to the espresso. So if you like harsher, more earthy flavor notes, you may like a little robusta in your blend. Or, if you're after a nice thick crema on your espresso, then a high quality robusta might just do the trick. little plant. It can withstand hot temperatures (30°C and over) and full sun. It likes to stay hydrated and requires a lot of water to be happy & healthy. It grows at low altitudes – sea level to 600 meters, and is resistant to insects and disease. In the wild it grows to around ten meters tall, but when grown for commercial use is pruned to a height which makes harvesting easier, around five meters.

Robusta Coffee Plants

The flowers are white and smell sweet like jasmine.The fruit of the robusta coffee plant turns deep red as it ripens, and takes around 6 to 8 months to do so. The fruit does not all ripen at the same time, much like blueberries – there can be ripe and unripe fruit on the same branch.There are usually two coffee beans (seeds) inside each “cherry”, or ripe berry.

How much more caffeine is in Robusta?

If you've heard that there's more caffeine in robusta than arabica, you've heard right. There's around twice as much caffeine in robusta. Robusta vs Arabica Caffeine Content: The robusta bean is around 2.2- 2.7% caffeine, and the arabica bean is around 1.2 – 1.5%. That higher caffeine content is one of the things that makes the robusta coffee plant less susceptible to pests and disease. The pests don't like the bitter flavor, and the disease doesn't like its antimicrobial properties. The higher caffeine in robusta also lends to a bitter flavor in brewed coffee. A cup of brewed robusta contains around twice as much caffeine as a cup of arabica.