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Although there are more than twenty species within the genus Coffee, only two accounts for the vast bulk of the coffee drunk worldwide. Coffee Arabica is the original coffee– (“discovered” by the goatherd Kaldi)–and is native to the highlands of Ethiopia. Coffee Robusta (also known as Canephora) is native to the hotter, wetter lowland forests of West Africa, and it entered the general commercial market only relatively recently, after World War II.
Of the worldwide coffee market, Arabica beans account for 75 to 80 percent; Robusta beans, for the remaining 20 to 25 percent. Following is a brief review ofthe world’s two largest coffee-produced and sold (Arabica and Robusta Coffee beans).
Arabica: A specific variety of coffee. One of the two main coffee species, Arabica beans are considered to be the best variety of coffee. It is still the most widely grown. Arabica beans produce the best flavors because they are grown mainly at high altitudes in semitropical climates near the equator. They naturally contain about 1.1 percent caffeine; Robusta beans have about 2.2 percent caffeine, double that of the Arabica.
Arabica, the “aristocrats” of coffee beans, are grown at the highest altitudes. These are the most prized beans, demanding the highest prices in the world. They are the only beans used by the finest specialty coffee roasters and are responsible for brewed coffee’s aroma, body, and smoothness. Arabica is the most widely cultivated coffee bean, constituting 75 percent of the world’s coffee production. Arabica beans do best at altitudes of 3,000 to 6,500 feet (900 to 2,000 meters), where the slower growing process gives them a richer, more refined body flavor. The higher the altitude where the beans are grown, the finer the quality of the harvest will be.
These beans need soil that is rich in minerals, and a constant temperature of about68°F (20°C). They require very careful cultivation, with just the right climatic conditions, and are susceptible to disease, frost, and drought. Arabica shrubs yield 1 to 11/2 pounds (500 to 700 g) of green coffee per shrub each year. Arabica coffee beans contain about 1 percent caffeine by weight.
The moment of flowering, followed by the first growth of the tiny berry, is crucial for coffee growers. A heavy wind or hail can destroy an entire crop. Arabica coffee (the only type known until the end of the nineteenth century) grows best between 3,000 and 6,000 feet in areas with a mean annual temperature around 70°F, never straying below freezing, never going much above 80°F. The high-grown coffee bean, developing slowly, is generally more dense and flavorful than lower growths.
Of the worldwide coffee market, Arabica beans account for 75 to 80 percent; Robusta beans, for the remaining 20 to 25 percent. Following is a brief review ofthe world’s two largest coffee-produced and sold (Arabica and Robusta Coffee beans).
Arabica: A specific variety of coffee. One of the two main coffee species, Arabica beans are considered to be the best variety of coffee. It is still the most widely grown. Arabica beans produce the best flavors because they are grown mainly at high altitudes in semitropical climates near the equator. They naturally contain about 1.1 percent caffeine; Robusta beans have about 2.2 percent caffeine, double that of the Arabica.
Arabica, the “aristocrats” of coffee beans, are grown at the highest altitudes. These are the most prized beans, demanding the highest prices in the world. They are the only beans used by the finest specialty coffee roasters and are responsible for brewed coffee’s aroma, body, and smoothness. Arabica is the most widely cultivated coffee bean, constituting 75 percent of the world’s coffee production. Arabica beans do best at altitudes of 3,000 to 6,500 feet (900 to 2,000 meters), where the slower growing process gives them a richer, more refined body flavor. The higher the altitude where the beans are grown, the finer the quality of the harvest will be.
These beans need soil that is rich in minerals, and a constant temperature of about68°F (20°C). They require very careful cultivation, with just the right climatic conditions, and are susceptible to disease, frost, and drought. Arabica shrubs yield 1 to 11/2 pounds (500 to 700 g) of green coffee per shrub each year. Arabica coffee beans contain about 1 percent caffeine by weight.
The moment of flowering, followed by the first growth of the tiny berry, is crucial for coffee growers. A heavy wind or hail can destroy an entire crop. Arabica coffee (the only type known until the end of the nineteenth century) grows best between 3,000 and 6,000 feet in areas with a mean annual temperature around 70°F, never straying below freezing, never going much above 80°F. The high-grown coffee bean, developing slowly, is generally more dense and flavorful than lower growths.
