There are at least hundreds of varieties under the genus Coffea, but those that truly qualify as specialty coffee are mainly carefully cultivated high-altitude Arabica. Arabica's origins can be traced back to Ethiopia's Typica and Yemen's Bourbon; thereafter, through natural mutation, intraspecific hybridization, and interspecific hybridization between Arabica and Robusta, numerous lines have emerged. This article will sort out the origins, bean characteristics, flavor profiles, and suitable growing regions of ancient heirloom varieties, genetic mutants, and various hybrid varieties, helping coffee enthusiasts build a clear framework for understanding varieties.
In plant taxonomy, coffee belongs to the genus Coffea in the family Rubiaceae, which contains at least one hundred varieties.
I once published a post titled "Falling in Love with Specialty Coffee" in "Healthy Life," in which I mentioned: the most common coffees on the market can be grouped into two major categories—Arabica (elegant in flavor, the mainstay of specialty coffee) and Robusta (also called robusta bean, coarse in flavor, higher in caffeine, and not considered specialty coffee).
Besides these two major categories, there are also two minor categories—Liberica (tall trees, mainly distributed in Malaysia and West Africa) and Excelsa; however, they are extremely rare on the market, and even their official Chinese translations are difficult to find.
Under Arabica there are still many subspecies, all derived from Ethiopia's oldest Typica and Yemen's Bourbon after being introduced to Central and South America or Asia and then undergoing mutation; there are so many varieties that it is difficult to list them one by one. But specialty coffee mainly refers to carefully cultivated high-altitude Arabica, and the types are relatively limited. They can roughly be classified as follows.
Ancient heirloom varieties:
Typica: This is Ethiopia's oldest native variety, and all Arabica originates from Typica. Typica's top leaves are bronze-colored, and the beans are oval or slender-pointed; the flavor is elegant, but the tree is relatively weak, has poor disease resistance, and produces little fruit. High-quality estate beans such as Jamaica Blue Mountain, Sumatra Mandheling, and Hawaii Kona all belong to Typica.
Bourbon: A variant produced when Typica was transplanted to Yemen in early years (in coffee's prehistoric period), with the bean shape changing from slender-pointed to round. In 1715, the French introduced the round-bodied beans of Yemen Mocha to Bourbon Island off the east coast of Africa (renamed Reunion Island after the French Revolution), and only afterward did it get the name Bourbon. Bourbon's round-bodied beans were then introduced to Brazil and Central and South America in 1727; in 1732 the British also transplanted Yemen Mocha to the island of Saint Helena (where Napoleon was later imprisoned), which likewise belonged to Bourbon round-bodied beans. Bourbon repeatedly wins championships in American specialty coffee cupping.
Typica's top leaves are bronze-colored, which is one of its characteristics.
Genetic mutants:
Bourbon Pointu: Discovered on Bourbon Island in 1810, its beans changed from round to pointed, and its caffeine content is only half; however, its yield is low and the tree is weak, making it extremely precious (mostly cultivated in laboratories).
Maragogype (or Elephant Bean): This is Typica's best-known variant bean, first discovered in 1870 in the Maragogype bean-producing area of Bahia state in northeastern Brazil. Its beans are at least three times larger than ordinary Arabica, hence the name. Maragogype has poor flavor at low altitudes, but performs better at high altitudes, with mild acidity and pleasant sweet aroma.
Geisha: A derivative variety belonging to the Typica family, exported in 1931 from Geisha Mountain in southern Ethiopia (Geisha sounds the same as the Japanese word "geisha"). It remained unknown in many countries, was transplanted to Panama in the 1960s, and only began frequently winning cupping competitions in 2005.
Kenya's "SL28" and "SL34": In the early twentieth century, French and British missionaries and researchers selected and bred these direct Bourbon lines in Kenya. Over the past century they have adapted to Kenya's highly concentrated phosphoric acid soil and given birth to Kenya's characteristic acidic aroma; top Kenyan coffees all come from these two varieties, but they lose their flavor when transplanted elsewhere.
Bourbon Amarello (or Yellow Bourbon): This is a Bourbon variant unique to São Paulo state in Brazil; after ripening, the coffee cherries do not turn red but orange-yellow. It was later found that other local Bourbon-derived varieties also had yellow fruit skins.
Caturra: A single-gene mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1950s. Its growth vigor and disease resistance are both better than Bourbon's, and it does not need shade trees; its flavor is on par with Bourbon, or slightly inferior.
Pacas: A Bourbon variant discovered in El Salvador. In 1935, Salvadoran coffee farmer Pacas transplanted the famous Bourbon variety, and by 1956 found that its yield was higher than other coffee trees of the same type; after expert appraisal, it was confirmed that a genetic mutation had occurred.
Villa Sarchi: A Bourbon variant first discovered in Costa Rica in the 1960s, and in recent years it often appears on excellent cupping lists.
From left to right: Kenya Peaberry, Maragogype, Kenya AA
Intraspecific Hybrid (within Arabica):
Mundo Novo: A variety naturally hybridized from Bourbon and Sumatra Typica, first discovered in Brazil. It has high yield and resistance to pests and diseases, and was planted in large quantities in Brazil in the 1950s, hailed as the new hope of Brazil's coffee industry; however, the tree is relatively tall and difficult to harvest.
Catuai: A cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra; the tree is short and wind-resistant, but the flavor is relatively monotonous.
Pacamara: A hybrid of Pacas and Maragogype, with huge beans second only to Maragogype; it is an excellent variety bred in El Salvador in the 1950s, and has performed well in cupping in recent years.
Kent: A Typica hybrid variety discovered in India, with high yield and strong disease resistance, but it has never achieved good results in cupping.
Interspecific Hybrid (Arabica × Robusta):
Timor: A natural hybrid variety discovered in East Timor, with 44 chromosomes, closer to Arabica; however, its flavor is bland and unremarkable.
Catimor: In 1959, the Portuguese crossed Brazil's Caturra with Timor to breed the highly disease-resistant Catimor. But its flavor is also relatively poor, and it is currently an important variety for commercial beans.
Icatu: A variety improved through multiple generations of hybridization in Brazil, and it once entered the top ten of Brazil's "Cup of Excellence."
Ruiru 11: A hybrid variety developed in Kenya in 1985 that emphasizes yield over quality.
Among varieties hybridized from Arabica and Robusta, none so far can be considered specialty coffee; therefore many suppliers specializing in freshly roasted specialty coffee, such as Front Street Coffee and others, do not carry these types. However, many suppliers, even those importing famous coffees, will also mix such hybrid beans into blends to reduce costs.
In addition, judging from the above genetic mutants (whether naturally occurring or products of research), their flavors are closely related to specific regional conditions. Even within the same country, coffee beans from different estates may differ greatly. For example: Jamaica's national treasure, Wallenford Estate Blue Mountain, is more than twice as expensive as Jamaica Prime High Mountain Blue Mountain.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
