Every variety of coffee beans has different bean appearance (bean外貌) characteristics. In this article, Front Street will guide everyone through coffee bean appearance to identify coffee bean varieties, and what flavor characteristics do different coffee varieties have? ~| Typica (Typica) Typica originated in Ethiopia and southeastern Sudan. [more…]

It is often said that delicious coffee is inseparable from its variety, and currently the most common are Arabica coffee beans and Robusta coffee beans, which are the two most common bean types. The Arabica variety is considered the best among all varieties, mostly appearing as specialty coffee, and its overall flavor is also relatively good. Our famous Blue Mountain Coffee [more…]

Ethiopia is a genetic treasure trove of coffee, with a vast array of native varieties and unique flavors. From Yirgacheffe to Sidamo, from washed to natural, every bean is full of surprises. This article takes you deep into Ethiopia's coffee variety classifications, flavor characteristics, processing method differences, the Red Cherry Project, and its unique grading system, and shares Front Street Coffee's cupping and brewing experience to help you gain a comprehensive understanding of this major African coffee country. [more…]

Arabica refers 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, its caffeine content [more…]

"Boss, why are the beans in this bag so uneven in size? Every bean looks so unique..." This is the question customers ask our customer service most often after receiving Ethiopian coffee beans ordered from Front Street's Taobao store. From the picture, we can see that, just as our friends have reported, [more…]

The emergence of specialty coffee has not only drawn attention to coffee flavors, but the differences between varieties have also become a key point of discussion. As a major coffee species, Arabica is widely recognized as the representative of excellent coffee varieties, and its many sub-varieties, depending on different growing regions and processing methods, can exhibit [more…]

Although there are a great many varieties of coffee beans, when coffee beans on the market are classified by species, they can be divided into three types: Arabica, Robusta, and the relatively rare Liberica. If the numerous coffee beans are further classified by region, [more…]

Is Arabica a coffee brand from some country? Arabica is the name of a coffee variety, and it is a very common coffee variety name. "Made with 100% Arabica coffee beans," "selected Arabica coffee beans"... In our daily lives, when we buy all kinds of coffee products, the packaging always says " [more…]

The popularity of specialty coffee has led more and more people to pay attention to the differences between coffee bean varieties. As a recognized representative of high-quality coffee, Arabica encompasses numerous sub-varieties, which present ever-changing flavors under the influence of different origins and processing methods. Faced with an overwhelming array of choices, beginners who have just stepped into the world of specialty coffee often do not know where to start. This article will systematically sort out the main classifications of Arabica and provide three practical screening approaches, while also listing eight single-origin Arabica beans suitable for beginners to try, covering varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Geisha, Ethiopian heirloom varieties, the SL series, and Catimor, to help you find your own cup in the vast world of coffee. [more…]

(Top left) Among the thousands of different coffee varieties, it's inevitable that some beans have rather unusual names! Unlike most beans such as Bourbon and Typica, which have conventional names, these are like secret agents, each with their own code number. For example, varieties named with letters plus numbers. [more…]

The Coffea genus encompasses a vast number of species, yet the specialty coffee stage is dominated primarily by high-altitude Arabica. From Ethiopia's ancient Typica and Yemen's Bourbon to the spontaneously mutated Bourbon Pointu, Maragogype, and Geisha, and on to deliberately bred varieties such as Caturra and Pacas as well as interspecific hybrids, behind every name lies a story of migration and flavor. This article systematically sorts through the main varieties of specialty Arabica, their origins and lineage, and their cupping performance, and explains why hybrids rarely appear in the product lines of specialty coffee suppliers such as Front Street Coffee. Whether you are a newcomer or a seasoned enthusiast, this variety map will help you understand more clearly where the flavors in your cup come from. [more…]

Specialty coffee is centered on carefully cultivated high-altitude Arabica, and its varietal system originates from two ancient bloodlines: Typica from Ethiopia and Bourbon from Yemen. This article systematically outlines the definition of specialty coffee and provides a detailed classification of major Arabica varieties, including Typica, Bourbon and their genetic mutations, intraspecific hybrids, and interspecific hybrids. It covers varieties such as Bourbon Pointu, Maragogipe, Geisha, SL28, Caturra, and Pacamara, while also explaining the position of hybrid varieties in specialty coffee and the key influence of producing estates on flavor differences. [more…]

Coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family, with over a hundred known species, but commercial cultivation is dominated by three major types: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Among them, Arabica, with its outstanding aroma and flavor, accounts for over seventy percent of global production and is the core raw material for single-origin and specialty coffee. This article will systematically review the varietal characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and sub-varieties of Arabica, and introduce one by one the cultivated varieties, processing methods, grading standards, and flavor profiles of representative producing countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Indonesia. It will also incorporate Front Street Coffee's sourcing experience and recommendations to help coffee enthusiasts build a complete framework for understanding origins. [more…]

"Variety" is another consideration some friends use when selecting coffee beans, in addition to flavor and origin. Sidra, transliterated from "Sidra," also known as "Sydra" or "Bourbon Sidra." In Spanish, Sidra means "apple juice." [more…]

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean sharing, please follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). In plant taxonomy, coffee belongs to the Rubiaceae family, under which there are at least over a hundred coffee species, with about eighty confirmed varieties of coffee trees, among which those used for drinking coffee [more…]

For coffee lovers, among the coffees they've tried, there's always at least one African coffee bean. Among them, the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans, originating from the birthplace of Arabica, are highly renowned for their excellent flavor and are much loved by many. In recent years, domestic specialty coffee has developed rapidly, and this coffee, which enjoys great fame in the international coffee circle, [more…]

Yunnan, as the core coffee-growing region in China, nurtures small-bean coffee that is rich but not bitter, aromatic but not harsh, with a slight fruity note, thanks to its low latitude, high altitude, and abundant rainfall. The most common variety on the market is Catimor, but a small amount of Typica is still grown—for example, Front Street Coffee's estate in Lincang cultivates Typica. This article systematically reviews the variety classification, morphological characteristics, main producing regions, processing methods, and brewing parameters of Yunnan coffee, and includes flavor descriptions of Front Street Coffee's washed Yunnan small-bean, natural Catimor, and 2013 natural Typica, helping enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of Yunnan coffee's past and present. [more…]

With the development of specialty coffee, more and more people are falling in love with single-origin coffee. Two types of coffee have emerged on the market: single-origin coffee beans and blended coffee beans. Single-origin coffee beans are generally used for making pour-over coffee, though many specialty coffee shops also use single-origin coffee beans to make espresso. Blended coffee beans [more…]

Holding an espresso bean list in your hand, names like Mandheling, Typica, and SL28 often dazzle the eyes. In fact, they all belong to the same bean species—Arabica—just with different variety lineages. Following the lineage down, the story of each bean becomes clear. The lineage starts with two wild ancestors: E [more…]

If a customer is looking for the most cost-effective coffee beans, then Huakui is definitely one of Front Street's top recommendations. But whenever Front Street mentions Huakui, some customers will say something like: "Oh, I know Huakui—it's a variant of Geisha / a variety of Geisha!" As you can see, even today there are still many people [more…]