Different kinds of coffee
There are many, many different species of the coffee shrub but the world uses the beans of only three varieties to make coffee. Of these three, three-quarters of the coffee that is sold all over the world is made from the shrub Coffea Arabica, more commonly referred to as Arabica. The other two varieties used are Coffea Canephora, commonly called Robusta and Liberica which is rarely used.
It was only in the eighteenth century that coffee was classified by botanists. It is a member of the Rubiaceous family and is a shrub found growing in areas where there is moderate rainfall and the climate is neither hot nor cold. It grows best between the latitudes 28°N and 30°S, in the higher altitude places and though it originated in Africa, the main coffee-growing areas today besides East and West Africa are Brazil, Central America, Indonesia, India, the Caribbean, Yemen and Vietnam. The soil on which coffee grows determines its taste as well – whether sandy, alluvial, volcanic, peat or siliceous clay.
The beans or berries or cherries are green initially, then turn yellow, red, deep red and then almost black. The beans are plucked, dried and roasted when they are red. Roasting also gives it different flavors depending on the temperatures and the time. Milder coffee needs a light roasting while the medium and stronger coffees are roasted for longer at greater temperatures.
The oldest known species is Arabica which comes originally from Ethiopia. It grows in high altitudes and has a concentrated flavor and most of the world’s coffee is made from these coffee beans. This species needs a lot of care as the plants are easily susceptible to frost, drought and disease. The beans have a delicate, refined flavor and they yield 1% caffeine by weight.
Robusta can be traced back to the Congo region. This shrub grows at lower altitudes and it is much more hardy than the Arabica. The caffeine content is 2% and each plant has a lot more coffee beans on them. The shrubs are very resistant to disease as well and though the flavor is a bit harsh, it is used in the manufacture of certain instant coffees and blends.
The last of the three, Liberica is hardly used. It grows in the low altitude areas and is a hardy shrub. In the coffee trade, it doesn’t have any standing.
As people drink more coffee, you’ll find they get more discerning. Let’s face it, it is an acquired taste and once you know the difference between a good cup of coffee and a mediocre one, you’ll try for ‘good’ every time!