All you need to know about the varieties of coffee beans

While there is a wide assortment of coffee available in the consumer market, only two major species of the plant are actually prevalent and highly used.
These two are Robusta and Arabica. Many of the coffee drinkers are aware that the Arabica is more costly among these two renowned varieties. While very few coffee fanatics know that actually there are a number of coffee species apart from them, a few of them outside these two are harvested and grown for the purpose of a beverage.
Let us study more about them:
Arabica
You might have probably heard about this popular coffee bean as it accounts for more than 60% of the production of coffee in the world. The beans of Arabica are grown in regions that are at high altitudes, receiving plenty of shade and high rainfall. Arabica trees are comparatively tiny, hence they are easy to manage and be cared. Since normally they are not more than 6’ in height, their tiny stature also leads to convenient harvesting.
Commonly known species of coffee are Robusta and Arabica, however, there are two less popular coffee bean species known as Excelsa and Liberica. Out of these 4, Arabica is highly delicate. The environment can easily impact it due to which, it is also prone to several diseases. Hence, great care is really indispensable while farming Arabica coffee beans.
It can take twice the efforts to maintain the Arabica plants in proper health if they are being developed in a type of climate where it is not supported for growth. Since Arabica is highly popular, it is usually grown and developed in higher amounts which bring a likeliness of issues arising out of the plant production. The Arabica trees are more likely to be prone to a huge disease outbreak, like blight, since these are disease prone and are grown in huge groups. One disease can easily contaminate the whole crop, and if one plant goes, it is quite possible that a giant segment of the crop will go with it.
Arabica beans that are of supreme quality have a good acidity amount, a bright body and tend to have a multiple layered sophistication of aromas and flavors. When you are purchasing this kind of coffee for brewing at home, ensure that you buy the one that has lower acidity and a whole body so that you get the best results.
It must be noted that there is a reduction in the Arabica bean quality when it is served with creamer or is served cold. It shows the best results when it is hot or brewed with the dip coffee or pours over methodology.
Some of the common varietals of this kind of coffee are: Blue Mountain, Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon.
Robusta
Robusta comes at the second position after Arabica in the most produced coffees of the world. The name of the coffee depicts its nature. This variety is highly environmental tolerant and is immune from a number of diseases. Robusta can bear several altitudes, however, for ideal growth and cultivation, it requires a certain climate that has irregular rainfall and is extremely hot.
The coffee beans of Robusta have twice the caffeine quantity than what Arabica has. This is due to the reason that caffeine is just like a medium of self-defense which depicts that Robusta is highly resistant to several sorts of diseases.
This type of coffee is sampled best at the back palate, providing it with a strong body. Robusta beans that are of supreme quality have a low acidity and a smooth texture. They also usually have chocolate hints linked with the profile of their flavor. It is better to buy Robusta that includes the information on how it is developed so that you get the best experience. You can get such information on the single origin coffee bags, and this is important to check as sometimes farmers try to take benefit from the popularity of this coffee bean and grow it in unsuitable climatic conditions. This ultimately results in a below standard product. To check this, you can have a look at your Robusta. If it has a rubbery taste or a flat smell, your coffee might have suffered from such practices.
Robusta is simply an ideal coffee for the sugar and cream fanatics! Robusta that has been produced in good quality will retain its original flavor when added with sugar or milk. This makes it a good choice for your Iced coffee and Vietnamese coffee.
Now that you have come to know about the popular coffee variants let us find out some more interesting information on the less popular variants.
Liberica
Might be this coffee bean is harder to come across in the present time, it had a vital place in the coffee history.
The beans of Liberica are the largest amongst the other variants of coffee and are the sole beans in the entire world that includes an irregular shape. With a distinctive aroma, these coffee beans include fruity and floral notes and have a full body with a smoky palate.
People who have tasted this kind of coffee say that it is the most unique coffee, different from any other flavor in the world. While many even say that it has a woody palate and does not even give a taste like someone is drinking a coffee.
Excelsa
Classified as a Liberica family member, this coffee bean is similar to Liberica. This is because it grows on alike altitudes of Liberica and has a similar shape, just like an almond.
It is known to have a fruity and a tart body with dark roasty notes due to which many coffee drinkers from across the globe are lured to try this out.
Hope this guide will help you with the information on the type of coffee beans. Enjoy brewing your favorite coffee!