Arabica ArabicaRefers to a coffee variety. According to Front Street Coffee, there are currently three major coffee varieties in the world: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Among them, Arabica coffee beans have the best flavor performance, so they are used to make specialty coffee. At the same time, their caffeine content is only 0.8%-1.5%; it is also the most important coffee bean variety in the world today. Arabica coffee beans are produced in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and other regions.
 

It is precisely because its flavor is the best among the three major coffee varieties that its total production also accounts for 75% of the world's coffee. Next, Robusta accounts for about 20% of total world coffee production. Liberica accounts for only 2% of the total.
 
In addition, although Arabica coffee beans seem to have advantages everywhere, in fact they are very delicate and can only be grown in high-altitude areas. Although they can tolerate low temperatures, they cannot withstand frost. They are not very drought-resistant and are susceptible to damage from pests and diseases. Diseases such as coffee tree "leaf rust" have caused coffee farmers great suffering, which is why hybrids of Arabica and Robusta were later developed. Moreover, Arabica is only a general term for a species. For example, the common coffee varieties in Front Street Coffee stores are in fact all sub-varieties derived from Arabica. For example, Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and so on are all pure Arabica coffee beans.
 

And 100% pure Arabica coffee beans refer to high-quality coffee beans and are also synonymous with specialty coffee, because only coffee bean varieties derived from Arabica can score 80 or above in cupping. The flavor of Robusta coffee beans is far from reaching that.
 
So how did the name Arabica coffee beans come about?
 
The name Arabica coffee beans originated in the Arab world. Coffee enthusiasts familiar with coffee history know that the origin of coffee is Africa. Local tribes first chewed coffee leaves to refresh themselves. Later, after research by Arab scholars, the seeds were roasted and made into a beverage. For religious reasons, coffee once replaced the prohibited alcohol, so it became widely popular in the Arab world. This is also the source of the name "Arabica."
 

Later, coffee spread from the Arab world to Europe through the Ottoman Empire, and then to the New World of the Americas. It continued to spread along the routes of trade and colonial expansion. Therefore, in Western countries, coffee was called coffee beans passed down from the Arab world, and over time it became known as Arabica coffee beans.
 
The above is the relevant knowledge about Arabica coffee beans compiled by Front Street Coffee. So what are the common coffee varieties derived from Arabica currently on the market? Which coffee bean brands are more famous? Below, Front Street Coffee will explain the most common Arabica coffee bean varieties on the market.
 
Typica
 

According to Front Street, Typica is the oldest variety in the Arabica branch and also the oldest native variety in Ethiopia. Almost all coffee bean varieties currently belonging to Arabica are derived from Typica. Typica has an elegant flavor, but it is weak and has low disease resistance, making it susceptible to leaf rust. Therefore, coffee bean production is low and cannot meet economic benefits. In recent years, Typica in Central and South America has gradually been replaced by Caturra and Catuai. As a result, Typica is seen less and less. To taste the elegant flavor of Typica, Front Street Yunnan Small Seed Typica, Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain, and Front Street Bird of Paradise are recommended.

Representative Typica coffee variety --- Front Street Bird of Paradise Coffee Beans
 Country: Papua New Guinea

Region: Sigri Estate
Altitude: 1600~1800m
Variety: Typica
Processing Method: Washed
Flavor : Nuts, dark cocoa, cream, citrus, balanced
  

Bourbon

Bourbon is a sub-variety produced by a mutation of Typica. It was discovered on Bourbon Island, so it is called Bourbon coffee. Together with Typica, it is one of the oldest existing coffee varieties. When the green fruit matures, it turns bright red. Compared with Typica, Bourbon has broader leaves and denser growth. Although its yield is higher than Typica, its harvest cycle is also 2 years. It is also considered a low-yield variety, but it has a high-quality mouthfeel, an acidity reminiscent of red wine, and a sweet aftertaste.

  
Representative Bourbon variety coffee beans --- Front Street Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon Coffee Beans

Country: Brazil
Region: Sao Paulo State (Queen Estate)
Altitude: 1400-1950m
Variety: Yellow Bourbon
Processing Method: Semi-washed/Natural
Flavor: Nuts, cream, peanuts, fermented fruit, sucrose 

Caturra
   

Caturra is a single-gene mutation of Bourbon. It was discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its productivity and disease resistance are both better than Bourbon, and the tree is shorter, making harvesting easier. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it has the problem of a production cycle that fluctuates every two years. However, its flavor is comparable to or slightly inferior to Bourbon beans. More importantly, it has extremely strong adaptability and does not need shade trees. It can thrive even under direct exposure to bright sunlight, commonly known as sun-grown coffee. It can adapt to high-density planting, but it must be fertilized more, increasing costs, so in the early period coffee farmers were not very accepting of it.

  
Representative Caturra coffee variety --- Front Street Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Diamond Mountain Coffee Beans

Country: Panama
Region: Boquete
Estate: Hacienda La Esmeralda
Altitude: 1400-1700m
Variety: Catuai, Caturra
Processing Method: Natural process
Flavor: Citrus, bright acidity, nuts, honey, fermented notes, cocoa

Catuai
 

Catuai is a mixed Arabica variety, a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra. It has relatively good resistance to natural disasters, especially wind and rain. It inherits the advantage of Caturra's low tree height and changes the shortcomings of Mundo Novo; another advantage is that the fruit is firm and not easy to fall off when blown by strong winds, making up for the weakness of Arabica fruit being fragile. However, its overall flavor performance is more monotonous than Caturra, and also more monotonous than Mundo Novo and lacking in body, which is the greatest regret. In addition, its fruit growth and harvest lifespan is only about ten years, and its short lifespan is also one of its weaknesses.

   
Representative Catuai coffee variety --- Front Street Costa Rica Beethoven Coffee Beans

Country: Costa Rica　　
Region: Tarrazu Region (Canet Estate)
Altitude: 1900m　　
Variety: Catuai　
Processing Method: Washed process
Flavor: Citrus, berries, floral fragrance, light fermented wine aroma

 
The above are some of the Arabica bean varieties commonly seen on the market. We hope this can help coffee fans understand what Arabica coffee beans are, so they can choose coffee beans that suit their own taste.

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