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If you are a coffee drinker, you might wonder the varieties of coffee. We are glad to share our research on this topic in today’s article. Today, there are four primary types of coffee beans, including Robusta, Arabica, Excelsa, and Liberica. The most popular ones are Robusta and Arabica.
Keep scrolling down to discover all about them, along with some useful buying tips before going to coffee shops and buying one.
Types of coffee beans
1. Arabica
Arabica is the most common kind of coffee bean in the world. They make up around 60 percent of the total coffee globally. This type of coffee bean originated various years ago in the Ethiopia highlands. Additionally, it is the first type of coffee beans ever consumed. The name of this coffee comes from the popularity of the beans in seventh-century Arabia.
Another highlight is that the bitter taste of this common but sensitive coffee bean is known for being diminished a bit when it is served cold or blended with creamer or milk.
High-quality Arabica coffee roasters own bright bodies and possess an ideal amount of acidity. Also, they tend to feature multi-layered intricacy of aromas and flavors. It can be said that the roasted beans can be perfectly sampled on the front palate. To gain the best results, you should seek the roasted coffee beans that have lower acidity and full body when brewing the coffee at home.
The drawback of Arabia is that it is hard to grow. Thus, these coffee beans are more expensive than other kinds of coffee beans. All of the beans grow in the Bean Belt, a region between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, in around fifty countries in the world. These coffee trees are susceptible to diseases and have to be planted at an altitude of 2,000 feet, at least.
2. Robusta
This type is the second most-produced roast coffee in the world. This kind of coffee beans is tolerant of the environment and immune practically to diseases. Robusta can bear any altitudes yet requires a hot climate in which the rainfall is not regular.
Also, the beans have merely double the level of caffeine content in comparison with Arabica coffee beans. That’s why the Robusta plants are quite robust! You know, caffeine is the self-defence of the coffee plant against diseases.
Another thing to note is that these coffee beans are best sampled on the back palate, giving them heavier-bodied. High-quality Robusta coffee beans provide low acidity and smooth texture. Plus, they come with hints of chocolate in association with their flavors.
When buying this kind of coffee bean, you should choose the one that provides the information on the bag of single-origin coffee. Why? Because today, some farmers try to grow the beans in unfavorable climates, which provides sub-standard products.
Besides, the Robusta beans are perfect coffee for mixing with sugar and cream. And high-quality products won’t lose their flavors when you add sugar or milk.
3. Liberica
It seems that we hardly find this kind of coffee bean in the world of coffee today. That said, it still holds a crucial spot in coffee history.
In the year 1890, the coffee rust decimated more than 90 percent of the Arabia stock in the world. To solve this issue, governments and farmers turned to Liberica coffee plants. The Philippines was the first nation to try it. The decision significantly helped the economy of this country since they were the exclusive coffee supplier at that time.
Nevertheless, the spat between the Philippines and the U.S broke out, leading the U.S to cut supplies off. It was not until the year of 1995 that Liberica came back to the world again. It was reported that the conservationists salvaged the remaining plants by growing them in Filipino, which was ideal for Liberica beans to thrive. Unfortunately, the effort was too late because Arabica beans wore the crown as the world’s reigning coffee variety. We can easily see that it becomes less popular today because it grows grader to come by pure coffee beans.
Another feature to say is that the Liberica coffee beans are much larger than other beans. Moreover, they are the only bean coming with irregular shapes. Plus, its aroma is said to be unique, including fruity and floral notes with full body and smoky taste. Some say that the beans taste too woody.
4. Excelsa
Though liberica and excelsa have been reclassified in the same family, excelsa coffee roasters are quite different but the almond-like shape. The Excelsa beans are grown widely in Southeast Asia and take up nearly 7 percent of the coffee circulation in the world.
It is used mostly in the coffee blends to add flavors and complexity to the coffee. This is better sampled in the middle or back palate. This type of coffee beans have a fruity and tart body, along with dark and roast notes. This is also an ideal choice for iced coffee.
What to Look for when buying coffee beans?
If you want to buy the coffee beans with the best flavor, you should go for completely Arabica. It would be better to choose Robusta or a blend of Arabica, Robusta regarding extra caffeine.
In case you like something unusual, seek Excelsa and Liberica beans. That said, these beans are difficult to find. And we highly recommend you to buy whole beans and grind them before brewing. This effort is worth it because you will get much better freshness and flavor, irrespective of the type of coffee beans you go for.
Final Thoughts
So you have known four main types of coffee beans in the world today. In which, Arabica and Robusta are the most popular types and specialty coffee. If you are coffee lovers, you should choose these two coffee beans.
We hope our article is helpful for you in the search of types of coffee beans. If you have any further questions, please feel free to let us know in the comment box below.
Thank you for reading!
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