The universe of coffee is vast and fascinating. The plant that produces coffee belongs to a very vast family of flowering plants known as "Rubiaceae" which has over 600 genera and more than 1000 species. Among these 600 genera we find Coffea which produces the coffee bean, this in turn is divided into other subgroups, the best known and most widespread ones are Arabica (Coffea Arabica) and Robusta (Coffea Canephora) in addition to these we know Liberica and Excelsa.
The objective of this text is to expose the substantial differences between Arabica and Robusta in order to understand the different characteristics and applications.
ARABICA
Arabica (Coffea Arabica) was born in the Ethiopian highlands and then spread to various areas of the planet in the so-called "Bean belt", i.e. the band between the two tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This variety usually grows at high altitudes, between 900 and 2000 meters above sea level, and is very sensitive to specific soil and climate conditions, in technical jargon this is defined as "Terroir".
As regards taste and aroma, Arabica coffee has complex and varied flavors with precise nuances.
These grains are made up of 44 chromosomes, double that of Robusta, which means that arabica offers a much wider range of aromas and flavours, resulting in a complex and interesting cup with a more marked and lively acidity.
In terms of caffeine, the variety we are dealing with contains much less caffeine than robusta. This is because caffeine is a sort of "Poison" produced by the plant to keep insects and pathogenic microorganisms away. Arabica grows at high altitudes where there are not numerous insects, therefore it does not need to produce large quantities of caffeine.
This variety is extremely delicate, it is very sensitive to diseases and parasites, therefore it requires more care and attention than Robusta.
ROBUSTThe Robusta variety (Coffea Canephora) is native to the western area of the African continent and grows between 200 and 800 meters above sea level, in areas where temperatures are usually high. As the name suggests, this plant is extremely robust and resistant to adverse weather conditions. These characteristics and its innate "strength" make this variety cheaper to grow and less risky.
Growing at low altitudes, the quantity of caffeine is greater than that of arabica, as the high presence of insects requires the production of greater "poison" to protect against them.
Having exactly half the chromosomes compared to arabica (22), the aromatic profile is decidedly less complex and particular. This coffee is usually little appreciated as it is characterized by an intense flavor and a marked bitter taste, with notes of wood, wet earth or burnt rubber.
Another characteristic of this variety is the thick and creamy body. This is because growing at low altitudes the Robusta grain is less dense, with empty spaces inside. During the roasting process these spaces are filled with carbon dioxide which then creates the structure of the cream.
The differences between these two varieties are many and extremely marked, certainly in the past the arabica variety was more appreciated, studied and valorised. In the world of specialty coffee, for years Robusta has been stigmatized and repudiated, considered cheap and of bad quality but things are changing. We are discovering that Robusta can also be excellent, if treated with care and attention in all phases of the production cycle from harvesting, to roasting and finally to extraction.