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Professional coffee knowledge exchange More coffee bean information Please pay attention to coffee workshop (Weixin Official Accounts cafe_style)

Friends familiar with coffee know that Arabica has always been the darling of the coffee market, accounting for 70% of the global output, excellent aroma and flavor, and its derived coffee varieties also inherit its superior aroma of good genes, is the main variety of global fine coffee, so Arabica beans fine coffee in the market price is high. Robusta beans, one of the three varieties, have always been under the aura of Arabica because of their high caffeine content, high body and weak aroma. Although Robusta beans are not criticized, they have always been despised in the field of fine coffee, because Robusta beans have always been the main raw material for making instant coffee, so Robusta beans are not popular in fine coffee.

So what I want to share today is, is Robusta really that bad as the second-largest variety in the coffee market? Maybe it's not that bad...

Robusta's market influence is mainly due to the London International Financial Futures Exchange. Robusta beans have a high defect rate. 450 defective beans can be allowed in a 500g inspection sample, which is 10 times the number of defective beans allowed in Arabica beans affected by the New York Stock Exchange. Therefore, it is understandable that Robusta beans are unpopular, so these defective beans are the main reason for affecting flavor.

Robusta originally meant "hardy and robust", and its ability to resist leaf rust, drought and cold can be seen. Robusta is mainly grown in Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil and other countries, mainly in the plains below 1000 meters above sea level, so the aroma is far inferior to Arabica. Robusta's flavor is very intense, the aroma has a distinctive aroma and bitterness, which is generally considered a blemish, and the Robusta bean flavor dominates. If more than 3% of the Italian blend is made up of robusta beans, then the entire cup of coffee may taste like robusta beans.

If that's the case, are the Robusta beans really that bad? Maybe not, because nothing in this world is absolute. Just as not all arabica beans are necessarily excellent, so not all robusta beans are necessarily bad. For example, Indian Royal Robusta is different. It is a variety that the Indian royal family has been drinking. It is planted at a high altitude and washed with water. The coffee is more refined. The quality of coffee beans is better than that of ordinary Arabica beans. The price is also more expensive than that of ordinary Arabica beans. The disadvantage is that the flavor is general.

In Uganda, the home of the Robusta bean, fertile soil, high altitude, and good climate have produced quality Robusta beans in recent years. CQI held an agreement to establish a quality system for fine Robusta coffee in Uganda in 2008, and Uganda also joined Taste of Harvest (TOH), using SCA standards to select more Robusta fine coffee, trying to inject fresh blood into the coffee industry, subvert the non-Arabica situation of fine coffee, and let the world feel the beauty of Ugandan coffee.

However, many fine coffees on the market actually have Robusta genes. Yunnan Katim is a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta. Colombia coffee beans are many hybrid varieties containing Robusta genes, which shows that the existence of Robusta beans has its significance. And as the global climate warms, that change is not friendly to delicate arabica growing. Expect Robusta Coffee to perform in boutique coffee.

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