Sipping a well-made espresso at a nice café can be a highly pleasurable experience. When you drink coffee that is made right, it has a way of momentarily making you forget the rest of the world to appreciate its divine taste and the underrated art of making a great cuppa.
But the nice feeling you get nearly each time you drink any form of coffee starts several processes away; not just the simple process we see at a bar or café. As most coffee enthusiasts or lovers know, the essence of any great coffee comes from the source of coffees themselves, those tiny little coffee beans, or berries.
Of course, while the type of coffee itself is largely responsible for its taste, the process of making the coffee is equally as important. That is why enthusiasts turn to coffee experts to teach them. You can go to colonyclubdc to learn more about the art of making it and other coffee-related information.
Because these beans are the most essential ingredient to a great espresso, this article is dedicated to exploring two common types of coffee beans and their characteristics.
Types of Coffee beans
There are about 60 different coffee plants that exist in the world today and each of them produces different beans. However, there are only 20 of these trees that produce beans that can be used for making coffee, sad right? But you may be fascinated to know that despite the existence of 20 different coffee beans, only one account for over 60% of commercially sold beans across the globe!
Going over all 20 types of beans will be exhausting, so we’ll only look at the two most used ones. These are:
- Arabica
- Robusta
Arabica
Earlier, we mentioned that there was one bean that had the largest share of the coffee market, well, that bean is Arabica. It is the most common and heavily marketed type of bean in the United States and all over the world. This is because it has a more pleasant flavor, and its taste is a lot sweeter than others. Also, the fact that it tends to be less acidic contributes to its worldwide appeal.
Arabica is mostly grown in areas that are elevated above sea level, specifically those places with high annual rainfall, an in fact, Brazil fits this geographic description so well that it’s no surprise that they are the world’s number one exporter of the bean. Talk about being blessed by nature!
The Arabica tree itself is a delicate one that requires a lot of work and attention for them to survive different environmental factors. The specie is prone to disease, which makes growing them in large quantities a true challenge, and as you may have suspected, this farming challenge considerably influences the price of the bean in the global market. However, many coffee drinkers don’t mind paying more just to get that sweeter taste. Click here to learn more about the cost of coffee in major cities around the world.
Another thing you should know about the Arabica bean is that the taste of beverages made from it has a reputation of diminishing a little when it is mixed with cream or milk, or when served cold. In its defense however, it is also worth mentioning that the difference may not even be noticed when an additional flavor is added to the drink.
Robusta
Robusta beans are popular in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa and are the second most common, and largest produced coffee beans in the world. The bean has a strong, harsh flavor, which people argue is the inspiration behind its name-Robusta.
Robusta coffees are known to have notably high levels of caffeine, making it a far more resilient plant than Arabica. As you may know, caffeine is a natural insect repellant and Robusta having a large supply of it, has been able to eliminate a major threat to the survival of coffee trees.
This specie is known to have a rubbery or burnt taste, which makes it a not so popular choice, except for places with a culture of drinking coffees with a strong taste. That said, because growing this plant is a lot easier than growing and harvesting Arabica beans, a lot of farmers make huge profits whenever they can sell Robusta.
While these beans are known for their strong harsh taste, there are, and have been instances when sweet Robusta coffees appear on the market; these uncommon types often originate from one place, with small-batch roasters. When it comes to taste and flavor of Robusta beans, the best will almost always have a hint of rum and chocolate, but truth be told, these high-quality ones aren’t readily found.
Coffees offer much more than just a pleasant taste. In fact, there are several health benefits to drinking coffee. Visit: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-reasons-why-the-right-amount-of-coffee-is-good-for-you to learn more.
Conclusion
Behind Arabica and Robusta on the list of commonly consumed coffee are Liberica and Excelsa. Liberica only grows in specific climates, making them a rare treat. Technically, Excelsa is a part of the Liberica family, which means it is also not easy to come by. Excelsa is known to have a unique fruitier flavor.