Get to Know Your Beans!
Coffee bean selection is a very important part of your coffee. So without further ado ***drumroll*** let's get straight to the beans! >:)
Beans Simplified: Arabica vs. Robusta
In simplest terms, there are 2 “species” of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta (Canephora).
Coffee Arabica
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makes up about 60% of the world market
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regarded as higher value taste AKA “Fancy”
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found mostly in specialty coffee shops
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grown in steep terrain
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therefore has to be hand-picked
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results in better quality beans overall
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originated in the highlands of Ethiopia
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fragrant, round, less bitter taste
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taste and aromas range from fruity, floral, to dark-chocolate-like
Coffee Robusta (Canephora)
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known for high caffeine content
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makes up about 30% of the world market
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cheaper to produce
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lower quality profile
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often used for instant coffee
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produced primarily in Indonesia, West Africa, Brazil, and Vietnam
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tastes full-bodied and intense
These are the two main “species” of coffee consumed all around the world, but of course, there are multiple cultivars developed from these species in an effort to boost production volumes, increase disease resistance, and of course, to improve cup quality. To know more, you can see here for more different types of coffee beans.
For Coffee Arabica, the most well known cultivar are “Typica” and “Bourbon.”….and the list goes on and on!
There’s simply a lifetime of coffee cups, beans, and variations to explore! Well, we hope you don’t get too wild with all this information. Till next time!
PS: Feel free to drop us a line! Questions, concerns, comments, or a simple hi is always appreciated :)
References:
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-different-types-of-coffee-beans
http://piogastrobistro.com/pratikbilgiler/arabica-versus-robusta/