Arabica Vs Robusta

Arabica Vs Robusta

Maybe some people still have no idea if I ask them, what are the differences between Arabica and Robusta?

The two most important species of coffee economically are Coffea arabica (Arabica coffee) - which accounts for over 70% of world production - and Coffea canephora (Robusta coffee). Two other species which are grown on a much smaller scale are Coffea liberica (Liberica coffee) and Coffea dewevrei (Excelsa coffee).

Coffea arabica - Arabica coffee

Arabica is grown high up in the mountains, and it requires a lot of tender loving care to keep it happy. That, of course, makes it more expensive to grow, and thus drink. Coffea arabica was first described by Linnaeus in 1753. The best known varieties are ‘Typica’ and ‘Bourbon’ but from these many different strains and cultivars have been developed, such as caturra (Brazil, Colombia), Mundo Novo (Brazil), Tico (Central America), the dwarf San Ramon and the Jamaican Blue Mountain. The average arabica plant is a large bush with dark-green oval leaves. It is genetically different from other coffee species, having four sets of chromosomes rather than two. The fruits are oval and mature in 7 to 9 months; they usually contain two flat seeds (the coffee beans) - when only one bean develops it is called a peaberry. Arabica coffee is often susceptible to attack by pests and diseases, therefore resistance is a major goal of plant breeding programmes. Arabica coffee is grown throughout Latin America, in Central and East Africa, in India and to some extent in Indonesia.

Coffea canephora - Robusta coffeeThe term ‘robusta’ is actually the name of a widely grown variety of this species. It is a robust shrub or small tree growing up to 10 metres in height, but with a shallow root system. The fruits are rounded and take up to 11 months to mature; the seeds are oval in shape and smaller than those of C. arabica. The Arabica, with twice as many chromosomes as the Robusta, has great complexity to it, which makes it a great home choice, but the Robusta is really the bean that has made low-cost coffee drinking possible. If you can take its slightly more bitter taste (and many prefer it), it’s a great inexpensive option. Robusta coffee is grown in West and Central Africa, throughout South-East Asia and to some extent in Brazil, where it is known as Conillon.

Arabica Vs Robusta