Varieties and characteristics of Arabica Coffee

Varieties and characteristics of Arabica Coffee

Tibica (Typica)

This is the closest Arabica species to the original species, and almost all Arabica coffee varieties are derived from this. Used to be widely cultivated in Central and South America, the bean shape is long and has excellent sour taste and aroma, but it is not resistant to leaf rust and requires a considerable number of sheltered trees, resulting in low yield (sweet with bourbon, harvested only once every two years). Colombia planted Tibica until 1967, and now 80% to 90% of them have switched to Kaddura, which is highly productive and resistant to direct sunlight, or a variant of Colombia. At present, there are very few pure Tibica in the coffee market in Colombia.

Bourbon (Boubon)

Tibica is the best secondary species closest to the original species of Arabica, while bourbon is the second species caused by Tibica mutation. These two are the oldest varieties of coffee in existence. Bourbon was transplanted from Yemen to the eastern part of Madagascar in East Africa, then to the island of Bourbon in the Indian Ocean (now known as Reunion), and then into Brazil with French colonists. It is characterized by small and round beans, most of which are dense and gregarious, so the central line is S-shaped.

The harvest is 20% and 30% higher than that of Tibika, but it is still too small compared with other high-yield varieties, and it is only harvested once every two years, so it is gradually replaced by other varieties. Bourbon hybrids and mutants such as Mundo Novo and Catuai are of high quality in aroma and alcohol thickness, and all have the characteristics of Tibica.

Kaddura (Caturra)

This is a bourbon mutant found in Brazil with low tree height, small bean grains, high yield and resistance to leaf rust. The disadvantage is that it will only bear fruit in the coming year, that is, it can only be harvested once every two years. Although the quality is high, the cost of care and fertilization is quite high, so it is suitable to be cultivated in the middle and high land with an altitude of 450-1700m and annual rainfall 2500~3500mm. It is characterized by sour taste and slightly stronger astringency.

Mondo Norwood (Mundo Nove)

A natural hybrid of bourbon and Sumatra found in Brazil. Strong environmental adaptability and resistance to diseases and insect pests, although it is a high-yield variety, but the growth rate is slow, and the bean grain is too large. The book height of more than 3 meters is its disadvantage (this height has exceeded the height of the harvester, so it is not suitable for the mechanization of coffee harvesting), it is necessary to trim the top branches and leaves of the coffee tree every year. It was planted in Brazil around 1950 and is now the main variety in Brazil along with Kaddura and Kaduai. Mondonovu has a good balance of sour and bitter taste, and its taste is close to the inherent variety, so it was sought after by the public as soon as it was launched, and it was named "Mundo Nove" (New World).

Kaduai (Catuai)

A hybrid of Mondo Novo and Kaddura. The yield is high and the environment is adaptable, and the tree is high and high (because the tree of Montanovu is too high, it is difficult to harvest, so it is crossed with Kaddura of tree height). Unlike Kaddura, Kaduai bears fruit year after year. Although it must be fully fertilized, it is resistant to diseases and insect pests, and the fruit is not easy to fall in the face of strong wind and rain. However, its fruit growth and harvest life is only about 10 years, too much life is its weakness. It is mainly cultivated in the vast area from Colombia to Central America. The taste of Kaduai is more monotonous and less mellow than Montanovo.

Marago Gippe (Maragogype)

This is a mutant of Tibica found in Brazil. The beans are large and need to be filtered with a sieve of more than 19 sizes (the mesh diameter of the sieve is 19 + 64 inches, 1 inch = 25.4 mm). The taste is a little poor, but the appearance is good, so it is favored by some markets. The height of the tree is high, so the yield is low.

Kent (Kent)

Indian breed. It has high yield and strong resistance to diseases, especially leaf rust. It is thought to be a hybrid of Tibica and other varieties.

Amaret O (Amarello)

Generally speaking, the fruit of coffee appears red when it is ripe, but the fruit of this variety is just as its name (Amarello comes from the modern Latin Amprellus, meaning "yellow"), and the fruit is yellow when ripe. The yield is high because of the height of the tree.

Cartimer (Catimor)

Born in Portugal in 1959, Timor, a hybrid of Arabica and Robsta, was mated with bourbon mutant Kaddura. For the commercial varieties with high yield, it has the best mesophytic length and the highest yield. The height of the tree is low, and the fruits and seeds of coffee (raw beans) are on the large side. There are quite a lot of new varieties derived from Carti. generally speaking, the varieties of the Cartier series are strong, adaptable to the environment and high in yield. Only in terms of taste, the low-real estate Cartimo is not far different from other commercial varieties, but the Katimo produced in the highlands above 1200 meters above sea level is obviously at a disadvantage compared with Bourbon, Kaddura, Kaduai and so on.

Mutant Columbia (Variedad Colombia)

The high disease-resistant variety produced by cross between Cartimo and Kaddura is resistant to direct sunlight and can be harvested in a short time. Colombia began to plant widely in the 1980s, replacing the previous inherent variety Tibica as the main variety. Generally speaking, Arabica coffee trees such as Tibica must be shaded by shading trees, but the mutant Colombian coffee trees with 1/4 Robusta pedigree do not need shading trees and can be produced and harvested throughout the year. It is just that in recent years, the influence of pesticides or chemical fertilizers may cause coffee beans to give off a carbonic acid smell (Phenol, a stinky smell similar to iodine). The difference with the inherent variety Tibica can be seen at a glance through deep baking (Fullcity Roasting). Generally speaking, after deep roasting, the sour taste of coffee weakens and the bitter taste increases, while the bitter taste of the mutant Colombian coffee increases sharply after the second burst period.