SPECIALTY COFFEE – COMMON QUESTIONS

In this block every week I am answering 3 of the most popular questions about specialty coffee.

Last weeks questions – answered here. And the week before that – here.

This weeks questions are gonna be 5 instead of 3 and will be all about Arabica!

What are the 4 types of coffee beans?

Last week I talked a bit about arabica and robusta, and what it actually means when you hear “100% arabica”. Coffea arabica, being a coffee specie, belongs to the family Rubiaceae, and at the moment there are more than 120 coffea species. The 4 most popular, or best known are coffea arabica, coffea canephora (robusta), coffea Liberica and coffea Excelsa. All of them are very different in terms of taste.

Is Arabica coffee the same as Colombian coffee?

It is not. But the opposite actually is true. Colombia is one of the few coffee producing countries that grows only coffea arabica. Yes, it is right – it doesn’t produce robusta. So all the Colombian coffee is arabica, but not all arabica is Colombian coffee.

What does Arabica coffee taste like?

Arabica beans, due to the higher sucrose content and lower caffeine, tend to have more delicate taste than Robusta. The taste of arabica, although always depending on where it was grown, the variety itself, and processing, resembles  fruits, berries, caramel, sometimes hints of chocolate and spices or flowers. It tends to have more pronounced, sometimes even bright and winy acidity. The taste of Robusta, on the other side, is harsher and tends to have woody and peanuty notes.

Why is Arabica coffee the best?

It is actually you who decide – what’s the best for you. It is all about the preferences. Arabica is prized among the professionals for its complexity and the quality of acidity.

Does Coffea arabica have caffeine?

Yes, it does. According to the coffeechemistry.com , arabica bean is considered to have 1,2% caffeine, while robusta – 2,2% Which means that a regular arabica espresso shot contains approximately 40 milligrams of caffeine, while a regular cup of drip coffee contains something between 100 and 200 milligrams of caffeine.