Are robusta coffee beans used in specialty coffee?

Robusta coffee beans rarely appear in specialty coffee because their flavor tends toward wheat, grain and sometimes a pungent smell, rather than the aromatic profile of Arabica. Robusta is a variety within the Canephora species, and the name is commonly used for Canephora as a whole. It usually ends up in commercial blends or instant coffee.

Robusta carries more caffeine than Arabica and a large amount of chlorogenic acid, which breaks down into caffeic acid and quinic acid, releasing sourness and bitterness that shape its mouthfeel. Arabica coffee bean varieties contain roughly half the caffeine and related compounds, which is one reason specialty shops build their menus around them.

Front Street believes that whether a coffee has good prospects depends largely on its flavor. If a coffee has a potato taste, then this coffee definitely has no market. Therefore, the reason Robusta coffee is often used in commercial beans or appears as instant coffee is that Robusta coffee usually does not have the aromatic scent of Arabica beans, but instead has more characteristics of wheat, grains, and even sometimes a pungent smell. This is also one of the reasons why Robusta coffee rarely appears in the specialty coffee world.

According to what Front Street has learned, Robusta has a higher caffeine content than Arabica varieties. However, there is another point worth noting: Robusta coffee also contains a large amount of chlorogenic acid. You may not be very familiar with chlorogenic acid, so Front Street will give a brief introduction.

Chlorogenic acid is one of the sources of sourness and bitterness in coffee. Chlorogenic acid breaks down into caffeic acid and quinic acid, especially when the temperature is below 80 degrees or above 85 degrees. After chlorogenic acid decomposes, quinic acid immediately releases a distinct bitterness, while caffeic acid releases a distinct sourness. The combination of sourness and bitterness forms the sour-bitter mouthfeel of Robusta coffee and the flavor of aged coffee.

Many friends immediately think it is "something bad" as soon as they hear about Robusta beans. Front Street believes that the emergence of Robusta coffee also has its own value. For example, in espresso blends, Robusta coffee holds an unshakable position.

In Italy, some regions pursue coffee with a darker roast and a thicker mouthfeel. They add a small amount of Robusta coffee to their blend to enhance the coffee's body and produce an Espresso with richer crema.

After Espresso blends with cream, it presents a rich and full mouthfeel. In milk coffee, Robusta and Arabica coffee beans complement each other, making it more intense and aromatic. Front Street believes thatRobusta coffee beansfill in the richness that Arabica lacks, while Arabica coffee enhances the aroma of Robusta coffee beans. The formula formed by combining the two kinds of coffee beans is elevated into an art. However, it should be noted that too much Robusta cannot be added, otherwise it easily overpowers the flavor.

In addition, Robusta has also made a certain contribution to research on new coffee varieties. Arabica coffee has a very rich aroma, and its mouthfeel is also, to a certain extent, more delicate than Robusta. But Front Street has found that Robusta is stronger than Arabica in drought tolerance, disease resistance, and yield. Therefore, some researchers have crossed Robusta and Arabica to select the best genes and cultivate a new variety that has both high-quality flavor and strong disease resistance with high yield.

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