How many times have you heard of arabica coffee? If you want to know more, here is an article that will clarify all your doubts
What is Arabica coffee?
It is a type of coffee obtained from the beans of the coffee plant known as coffea arabica .
Arabica is native to the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and is the most popular type of coffee in the world (it makes up 60% or more of world coffee production).
Why is it called that?
According to some sources it would seem that these beans, transported from Ethiopia, once they arrived in Arabia ended up in the hands of some scholars who gave life to coffee. Since then, the drink has spread all over the world.
If coffee beans were first brewed into a delicious beverage in Arabia, it is easy to understand why it is called arabica coffee and why it is also known as Arabian coffee.
What does arabica coffee taste like?
When you are lucky enough to try a high quality one, you are met with a slightly sweet taste, with hints of chocolate, nuts and caramel. There will be a light, pleasant sourness and some bitterness. These notes vary according to the degree of roasting of the beans.
The great diffusion of this particular type of coffee means that most of the beans on the market are Arabica coffee.
How is it grown?
Coffea arabica loves hot and humid climates and cannot stand the cold. It prefers temperatures between 15°C and 24°C and likes to grow in the shade. Its growth and maturation process is very slow, the plant can reach maturity at about 7 years and even grows up to 12 meters in height. In cultivation it is generally kept at a height of about 2 meters to facilitate harvesting.
The flowers are small and white and give off a sweetish scent similar to jasmine flowers.
The grains (which are actually the seeds of the plant) are found inside the berries (each berry generally contains two) and are harvested when they are red.
Where is it grown?
Arabica coffee grows best in tropical climates around the equator. Some of the best coffee comes from South America and Africa.
High quality arabica can be found in the following countries:
- Costa Rica
- Mexico
- Guatemala
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Ethiopia
- Burundi
- Brazil
- India
These are just some of the countries that grow this particular coffee bean. Brazil in particular is the largest producer of it in the world.
Now that you know a little more about this particular type of coffee, you might also be interested in learning about its great rival, Robusta coffee or learning about the differences between Arabica and Robusta .