The main varieties of coffee are representative varieties of coffee well-known varieties of coffee

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Coffee belongs to Rubiaceae, and the "main varieties" in circulation on the market are the following two.

Arabica (Arabica): high cost, good quality and mellow taste, growing at high altitudes, including Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and other Latin American countries specializing in this variety of coffee.

Robusta (Chinese translation: Robusta): grows in low altitude and hot areas. Low-cost brands of coffee usually use all or most of this level of coffee beans.

The two varieties of Arabica and Robusta carve up almost 100% of the market.

Coffee variety

In the world of "boutique coffee", only delicious Arabica varieties are classified and discussed. The more representative varieties are:

Ancient native species: Heirloom (ancestral superior variety), Typica (Tibica), Bourbon (bourbon)

Well-known Typica variants: Maragogype (Giant Elephant Bean), Geisha (nicknamed geisha bean … Because of the homonym with [geisha], etc.

Well-known Bourbon variants: Caturra (Kaddura), Pacas (Pacas), etc.

Well-known hybrids: for example, Pacamara (Pacas + Giant Elephant Bean = Pacamara)

Main producing areas

Major continental types (sorted by annual output):

South America: Brazil, Colombia

Central America: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, etc.

Asia: India, Indonesia

East Africa, etc.: mainly represented by Ethiopia and Kenya

Well-known island type: Jamaica, Hawaii, Sumatra, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

Arabica intraspecific hybridization (Intraspecific Hybrid)

New World (Mundo Novo): a natural cross between Bourbon and Sumatra Tibica, first found in Brazil. Because of its high yield and resistance to diseases and insect pests, it was widely planted in Brazil in the 1950s and was praised as the new hope of the Brazilian coffee industry, but the trees were tall and difficult to harvest.

Catuai: Kaduai is a hybrid of New World and Kaddura. It inherits the advantage of Kaddura's low stature and makes up for the weakness of Arabica fruit. The result is solid, and it is not easy to fall when the strong wind blows. The biggest regret is that its overall flavor is slightly more monotonous than Kadura.

Kaduai also has the difference between red fruit and yellow fruit, and red fruit wins more often than yellow fruit. Kaduai, Kaddura, New World and bourbon are the four main varieties of coffee in Brazil.

Pacamara: a hybrid between Pacas (Pacas) and elephant bean (Maragogype), with a large bean body, second only to elephant bean, is an excellent variety produced in El Salvador in the 1950s, and has achieved good results in cup test in recent years.

Kent: the Tibica hybrid found in India has high yield and strong disease resistance, but has not achieved good results in the cup test.

Hybrid between Arabica and Robbosa bean (Interspecific Hybrid)

Timor: a natural hybrid found in East Timor, an island nation at the eastern end of the Nusa Tenggara Islands, with 44 chromosomes close to Arabica, but with a mediocre flavor, low sour taste and lack of characteristics, it is often used as a low-cost formula bean in Taiwan. However, East Timor also has high-altitude pure Tibica treated with water. Before buying, it is important to find out whether it is a hybrid or a purebred iron card water washed beans, the quality of the two is very different, the former is mediocre, and the latter is amazing.

Catimor: in 1959, the Portuguese mixed Brazilian Kaddura with Timo and bred the second generation of Cartimos with strong disease resistance and yield. But the flavor is also poor, and it is an important variety of commercial beans at present. In recent years, botanists from all over the world have turned to the interbreeding of Arabica and Katimodo belts in an attempt to reduce the pedigree of radish beans in order to improve the bad reviews of the Katimo Cup.

Icatu: a Brazilian variety that has been improved for many generations and has been in the top ten of Brazil's Outstanding Cup. In the past, Arabica mixed with turnip beans Arabusta "Arabusta", although increased yield and disease resistance, but the coffee flavor has not been good. Scientists crossed Arabica varieties with Arabica varieties such as Kaddura, New World and Bourbon for many generations, which gradually reduced the bad smell of radish beans and improved the aroma of Arabica beans, thus giving birth to an excellent variety of multi-generation hybrids-Icato.

Ruyilu 11 (Ruiru 11): a hybrid variety developed in Kenya in 1985 with heavy yield and low quality. There are no varieties of Arabica and sturdy beans that can be regarded as boutique coffee so far, so they are not available in many suppliers that specialize in freshly roasted boutique coffee, such as fresh. However, even many imported specialty coffee suppliers mix the hybrid beans with Blend to reduce costs. From the above-mentioned gene mutants (whether natural or scientific products), their flavor has a lot to do with specific geographical conditions.