Which arabica coffee bean varieties are grown for drinking?

Botanically, coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family with over a hundred species and roughly eighty confirmed tree varieties, but only three groups are cultivated for drinking: Arabica (small-seeded), Robusta (medium-seeded), and Liberica (large-seeded). Bean size is the basis for this division, and each group has its own plant traits, growing conditions, flavor, yield, and commercial value.

Liberica, also called large-seeded coffee, is an evergreen tree that can exceed 10 meters, with thick diagonal branches, elliptical or round glossy leaves, and large oblong fruit with a protruding navel. It tolerates drought well but is highly prone to rust, and per-tree yields are high while yield per area is low. Yunnan coffee is classified as small-seed Arabica.

The coffee world is vast and complex, with over a hundred species under botanical classification alone, while the cultivated varieties actually used for drinking are mainly divided into three major categories: Arabica (small-seeded), Robusta (medium-seeded), and Liberica (large-seeded). Each possesses unique botanical characteristics, growing conditions, and flavor profiles, with vastly different yields and commercial values. Yunnan, as China's representative coffee-producing region, which category does its coffee belong to? Why is it called "Yunnan small-seed coffee"? This article will systematically outline the key distinctions among the three major coffee varieties, provide an in-depth answer to the variety classification of Yunnan small-seed coffee, and also bring you Front Street Coffee's Yunnan Typica and espresso blend recommendations.

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In plant taxonomy, coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which contains at least over a hundred species, with approximately eighty confirmed coffee tree varieties. However, those actually cultivated for making beverage coffee are mainly concentrated in three varieties: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica.

According to bean size, coffee beans are divided into three major categories: small-seeded Arabica, medium-seeded Robusta, and large-seeded Liberica.

Large-Seeded Coffee

Large-seeded coffee, also known as Liberica, is an evergreen tree. The plant is relatively tall, capable of growing over 10 meters, with thick, hard branches growing diagonally upward, and the branches undergo suberization the fastest. The leaves are elliptical or round, with glossy leathery surfaces, pointed tips, and smooth, waveless margins. The fruit is large, oblong, with thick, hard skin and pulp, and a large, protruding navel. This variety has deep taproots, strong drought tolerance, moderate wind and cold resistance, prefers light, but is most susceptible to rust disease. Per-tree yield is relatively high, but yield per unit area is low. The flavor is intense and pungent.

Large-seeded: leaves elliptical or round

Liberica was first discovered in Liberia, West Africa. Liberica coffee trees are taller than both Arabica and Robusta, and their disease resistance and environmental adaptability are also stronger. In appearance, Liberica's leaves are larger than those of general coffee tree varieties; in terms of fruit shape, it is also considerably larger than ordinary coffee beans, and with its thick skin, removing the skin and pulp is not easy, making post-processing relatively troublesome.

Currently, the vast majority of coffee trade is dominated by Arabica and Robusta, with Liberica accounting for only 1% of the world's economically cultivated coffee production. It is extremely scarce, with small-scale cultivation almost only in Malaysia. Due to low commercial value, it is rarely specifically discussed, and is virtually unseen in circulation on the market.

Large-seeded: fruit large, oblong

Medium-Seeded Coffee

Medium-seeded coffee refers to Canephora, which accounts for less than 30% of total world production, but has relatively few sub-varieties, the most representative being Robusta. Robusta originated in the Congo region of central Africa and belongs to the Canephora species.

Just as the Geisha we often hear about belongs to the Arabica species, within the Canephora species only Robusta has been commercially cultivated and promoted, so Robusta has almost become synonymous with the Canephora species. Varieties derived from natural hybridization between Robusta and Arabica, such as Tim and Catimor, are now also widely cultivated and are classified under the broader Arabica category.

From a cultivation perspective, Robusta coffee trees can tolerate high temperatures, cold, drought, and moisture, with extremely high survival rates, and have high caffeine content (1.7%~3.0%), about twice that of Arabica. Caffeine, as a plant's natural pesticide, protects Robusta from most insect damage. A single Robusta plant produces a high yield of fruit; the fruit is slightly rounder and smaller than Arabica, with flat-round beans and straight center cuts.

Because Robusta has strong vitality, high yield, fast maturation, and strong environmental adaptability, it can generally be planted in low-altitude plains and directly managed and harvested by machine uniformly. Therefore, the production cost required for Robusta cultivation is lower, making it more suitable for commercial mass production, and naturally the selling price is cheaper. Robusta's greatest advantage lies in its rich crema, making it very suitable for espresso bean formulas. Front Street Commercial Espresso Blend and Front Street Classic Espresso Blend are recommended.

Small-Seeded Coffee

Small-seeded coffee, namely Arabica, accounts for about 70% of total world production. Arabica has impeccable pedigree and is the most famous category, originating from Ethiopia, belonging to small-seed coffee, and is one of the synonyms for "premium coffee" in the market.

Initially, after Ethiopians discovered coffee, they would pick coffee leaves to chew for refreshment, and the fruit was also once used as medicine. Later, through research by Arab scholars, people developed the habit of roasting and drinking it. In the sixteenth century, Arabs spread it through trade to various parts of the world, and it gradually developed into today's popular beverage. Many specialty coffee beans we know well belong to the Arabica variety, such as Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee beans, Front Street Panama Geisha coffee beans, Front Street Yirgacheffe coffee beans, and so on, all classified within this variety category.

However, to express diverse flavors, Arabica needs to be planted in frost-free highlands at 800~2200 meters. The higher the altitude, the more significant the temperature difference formed, thereby delaying the maturation of coffee fruit, which is more conducive to coffee accumulating flavor compounds and developing fuller aroma. The microclimates of various coffee-producing regions provide Arabica with diverse growing conditions, forming unique flavor profiles. At the same time, the higher the altitude, the more susceptible coffee is to pests and climate effects; generally, when planted at higher altitudes, the fruit produced is fewer and matures more slowly. High-quality Arabica coffee requires more manual management and harvesting, and production costs are also higher.

Is Yunnan small-seed a small-seeded coffee variety?

Most coffee planted in Yunnan consists of Arabica and its variants, introduced or cultivated varieties. In terms of lineage, Arabica accounts for the majority of these coffees, so they are collectively referred to as "Arabica" coffee beans.

Arabica coffee, also known as small-fruit coffee, is also called "small-seed coffee." It originated from wild coffee produced in Africa, and later became widely known after being introduced to Europe through Arabia, hence the name. Arabica coffee beans account for over 70% of world coffee production. As the "face" of China's coffee industry, Yunnan coffee also belongs to the Arabica species. To distinguish it from Hainan's medium-seed coffee, farmers call it "small-seed coffee," and with the place name added, it becomes exactly "Yunnan small-seed coffee."

Front Street. Yunnan Small-Seed Coffee Beans

Region: Baoshan, Yunnan, China Altitude: 1200m Variety: Catimor Processing method: Washed

Flavor: Nutty notes, herbal, chocolate, caramel, with a faint fruity acidity in the finish

In fact, the earliest Yunnan small-seed referred to the ancient Ethiopian native variety — Typica. It can be said that all Arabica coffee bean varieties are derived from Typica. Typica has bronze-colored new leaves, and bean shapes that are elliptical or slender and pointed; the flavor is elegant, but disease resistance is poor, and fruit yield is low, so its planting range is not widespread. To taste authentic Yunnan small-seed, it is recommended to purchase Front Street 2013 Yunnan Typica. It comes from Lincang, Yunnan, and uses sun-dried processing, giving the coffee higher sweetness.

When November arrives, the coffee fruits grown by Front Street also mature one after another. Front Street arranges workers to pick the red coffee cherries one by one, and spreads the fresh coffee fruit under the sun for natural drying, turning them at irregular intervals to ensure even dehydration, avoiding negative flavors from excessive fermentation.

Front Street 2013 Yunnan Sun-Dried Typica

Origin: Lincang, Yunnan

Estate: Front Street Coffee

Variety: Typica

Processing method: Sun-dried

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.