Types of Arabica Coffee Beans

Arabica coffee is not, as is implied by the name, just from Arab regions. It was the first coffee bean cultivated, and it remains the most popular coffee bean in the world. It is categorized by its rich flavor, in contrast with Robusta, the other main type of coffee bean, which is categorized by its bitter flavor. While the makeup of Arabica beans is identical the world over, the way they are cultivated, much like wine, makes all the difference in how the beans taste.

History

Arabica coffee originated in Ethiopia and Yemen. It was first cultivated on the Arab peninsula in approximately 1100 A.D., where it was used to make a rough version of what we now think of as coffee. As the Arab world expanded into Asia and Africa, so did coffee. By the time coffee was introduced to Europe around 1600 A.D., it was well known throughout much of the rest of the world. European coffee houses, or "penny universities," became very popular throughout the second half of the seventeenth century, and coffee's place in history was assured.

South America

Thanks to branding, including Juan Valdez' Colombian Coffee, South America is probably the country most associated with producing coffee. However, all the coffee plants in South America and the Caribbean are descendants of a single plant, smuggled out of Louis the XIV's garden to Martinique. Brazil is probably the most famous coffee producer. Its typical Arabica beans are mild and almost bland by comparison to many other coffees, and are used as the backbone of coffee blends. Brazil's Bourbon Santos coffee, however, is prized for its fine, smooth flavor. Colombia is best known for small batch coffee, including Vintage Colombian, which is aged for eight years, producing a thick, syrupy coffee. Venezuela is less well known, but the Merida and Caracas beans are both becoming popular in Europe.

The Caribbean

Caribbean coffees are also descendants of the single plant brought to Martinique, as noted above. Some of the most famous coffees from the Caribbean come from Jamaica and Costa Rica. The widely-recognized Jamaican Blue Mountain beans are grown in at altitudes typically higher than most coffee plants, and produce a full-bodied coffee that is only lightly acidic. Costa Rican coffees are also grown in the mountains, but are much more acidic than those from Jamaica. They are also full-bodied, but the coffee is much less approachable.

Africa

Even though it is the country where coffee originated, Africa was a late comer to the coffee party. Much of its output remains Robusto beans, not Arabica, because they are hardier and more resistant to weather and pests. Coffee still grows wild in Ethiopia. One of the rarer beans is called Harrar. It creates a dark-red coffee with wine-like overtones. Yemen's most well-known coffee is Moka, which has an odd-looking bean that produces a spicy bittersweet coffee that is quite unique. Tanzania also produces some Arabica coffee that is drank black and as is, never blended. One of the most recognized Tanzanian coffees is Kilimanjaro, named for the mountain near where it grows.

Asia

While Asia's coffee production is not equal to that of South America, many of its coffees are widely recognized, including Kona, Hawaii's full-flavored sweet and spicy coffee, and Java, grown on the island of the same name, which is considered one of the best coffees in the world. Java is full-bodied, smooth and has a spicy scent. The English were responsible for planting coffee in India when it was a colony, and India still supplies England with a lot of coffee, notably Mysore, which is dark and acidic. Finally, the island nation of Sumatra also produces coffee, the most popular of which is Mandheling, which is rich and thick.

References

• Coffee Bean Varieties
• Talk About Coffee
• Coffee Varieties