What Coffee Drinkers Should Know Before Buying Arabica Coffee

If you are in a coffee shop, you will most likely see many Handmade Leather Collar bearing 100% Arabica. At first, you may assume that it refers to the coffee’s origin. Well, it actually tells you the type of beans used in making it. The coffee plant, Coffea, is a genus with over 120 plant species but only 2 species are popularly used to produce coffee – Coffea canephora (Robusta) and Coffea arabica.

Although Robusta is more popular, you will still find coffee lovers, roasters, and baristas getting attracted to Arabica. Why is that so? To feed your curiosity, you may want to click here to find out more about Robusta. But first, let’s find out about Arabica.

What Exactly is Arabica?

Whether it is brewed or in form of a plant or bean, it refers to the coffee that Coffea arabica produces. About sixty percent of coffee in the universe is gotten from Arabica species. A peep into history will help us appreciate its existence.

Coffee plants reached French Guinea, one of the regions in South America, in the 1700s. Those days, the growers guarded their seeds but were willing to sell their beans. The governor at the time was also unwilling to sell seeds to other nations, but his wife thought differently.

She got entangled with a Brazil ambassador, Francisco Palheta. He convinced her to gift him some seeds, which she did. She hid them in a flower bouquet, and then he took them to Brazil. They were cultivated and the yield inspired the establishment of the world’s largest coffee industry. The seeds also spread to the rest of South America and produced most of the Coffea Arabica that the world still consumes.

Today, the world is in love with the species. We consume it in different ways – cold-brewed, iced, hot, or packed with plenty of milk and sugar to form ice cream. Well, if it wasn’t for a love affair, the species would have been peculiar with just a small fraction of the world.

How Coffea Arabica Grows

The shrubs grow in the wild and can reach a height of about 40 feet. The branching system is an open one such that the leaves are opposite and oblong with a glossy, bright green color. The flowers are small, with a diameter of 10 millimeters, and they grow in clusters. The plants attain full maturity after 7 years and grow best in areas that get about 60” of rainfall every year.

Unlike other species of the Coffea genus, Arabica is self-pollinating. This implies that there won’t be much difference in the size of bean each fruit produces every year. This also explains the consistency consumers enjoy from the product. Additionally, the beans are larger, so coffee drinkers can process more grounds for their morning brew.

Although the shrubs were popular in Ethiopia, it is now rare to find them growing wildly. Most of the local beans are from hybrid trees. Some shrubs were spotted in Kenya; however, they are now grown in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

How Are the Beans Roasted?

There are different types of Arabica coffee because of the variety in roasts. The light roast is roasted for a short time. Its flavor is mild, and people believe that it contains more caffeine compared to the darker roast.

There is the medium roast, which is also known as the American roast because it is popular in America. It has a darker color and a stronger flavor. The dark and medium-dark roasts seem to possess a very bitter flavor compared to others. However, they produce a smooth feel in the mouth because of the amount of oil they release during roasting.

The flavor you will enjoy from your brew is dependent on the way the beans were roasted. Therefore, you need to choose your preferred roast wisely. In addition, knowing how to brew your coffee properly ensures that you get the benefits from consuming a piping hot cup of Joe.

The Proper Way to Brew Coffea Arabica

Like everything related to coffee, the way you brew will determine the taste of the drink. To ensure that your drink tastes good, you should get beans that were roasted within a maximum of 14 days to your brew date. When beans stay for a long time after roasting, the flavor diminishes.

This also applies to coffee grinding. Whether you prefer grinding the beans at home or the store, you need to use Bench Blaser soon enough because they deteriorate faster.

Arabica vs Robusta – What’s the Difference?

Robusta, Coffea canephora was not recognized as one of the species of Coffea until 1800. So, part of the popularity that Arabica enjoys comes from the fact that it arrived at the scene early enough. However, Robusta’s arrival did not help matters with its taste that drinkers describe as “burnt rubber”.

For people who want more caffeine, Robusta may look like a good choice because it contains 2.7% caffeine while Arabica contains just 1.5%. Also, Robusta is not difficult to cultivate as it does not require a high altitude. Unlike Arabica that requires 5 to 7 years to attain maturity, Robusta matures within 2 to 3 years. Due to its high levels of Chlorogenic acid and caffeine, Robusta is resistant to pests and insects.

From all we have noted about Robusta, it would be more economical to produce more of it. But the market will be repelled by the high chlorogenic acid and caffeine, which makes the product taste bitter. Therefore, producers package it mostly as fillers blended with Arabica, instant coffee, and espresso blends. You can check out https://www.eatingwell.com/article/41595/9-rules-for-how-to-make-a-perfect-cup-of-coffee/ to learn how to brew like a pro at home.

Arabica beans contain more lipids and natural sugars. These factors are responsible for their slightly sweeter, smoother, and less bitter taste. The brewing method and the type of roast you choose determines the kind of flavor you will get.

Conclusion

Coffee drinkers have priorities regarding the way they like their brew. Most of the coffee available in the world today is Arabica. While some are pure, others have a blend of Robusta. There are different roasts available, and you can make your choice based on the kind of outcome you expect.