Drinking coffee during the pandemic: Arabica, Robusta, or a nice, sultry blend?

-

In the midst of a global existential crisis, there’s more time to ponder things you promised yourself you would explore---one day. And as distractions go, learning about the differences between Arabica and Robusta coffee is a worthy pursuit. 


Arabica versus Robusta—is one better than the other?

There are over 100 species of coffee, but the two main species marketed for consumption are Arabica, (grows in South America, as well as some parts of Africa) and Robusta (grows in Vietnam, Indonesia, and also in some parts of Africa).


 
What’s the difference? 

Arabica and Robusta are different in many ways, but the short-version answer is that Arabica is a higher quality coffee than Robusta. Any coffee that is touted as “100% Arabica” is considered the gold standard by self-described coffee connoisseurs. For the most part, that’s true---but not entirely. There are some really good Robusta blends out there.

Compared with Arabica’s fruity essence and its high-acidity, slightly sweet flavor profile, Robusta is bitter and earthy. Robusta has even been referred to as having a burnt rubber taste (I disagree, but haters gonna hate). Compared with Robusta coffee, Arabica has 60% more lipids, and almost twice the concentration of sugar.

 
And for all of you caffeine lovers, ounce for ounce, Robusta has almost twice the caffeine as Arabica (2.7% to 1.5%).

The difference starts at the green bean level, before any blending and roasting is done. Arabica beans are generally bigger than Robusta beans, which are not only smaller, but also rounder and thicker.  Despite this size advantage, Arabica beans are more fragile and harder to grow than Robusta beans, which mature twice as fast as Arabica beans (2 years versus 4 years).  Robusta beans can fend off damage from insects because of their high level of caffeine and can grow in different altitudes. Arabica beans tend to grow best in high altitudes with volcanic soil.

Can Robusta get a little love?
Starbucks brags that all of its coffee is 100% Arabica.  There are a lot of very good Arabica blends. We know that. I mean, even Maxwell House, which has been a largely Robusta-based brand (with a bit of Arabica mixed in), announced last summer that it would be transitioning to a 100% Arabica blend.



But Robusta has a place in the pantheon as well. There are some high-end 100% Robusta blends from companies like Death Wish Coffee, Biohazard Coffee, and Café Borbonne.  They are super-caffeinated and dank—but a lot of people like them. 

And then there are blends, like Lavazza Crema e Gusto, which combines 70% Robusta with 30% Arabica and has hints of chocolate, a LOT of caffeine, and an espresso-like sensibility with a hint of sweetness. Speaking of espresso, a lot of espresso blends are made with Robusta beans—and Robusta makes for very good crema (that yummy, fluffy foam on top of a well-made espresso).

Hopefully, this summer, I will be drinking coffee on my patio with friends, or maybe even at one of the outdoor cafes in my neighborhood. In the meantime, I will be trying some new Robusta blends. I hope that you too will try Robusta and find as much comfort in coffee as I do. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coffee Prices Explode & Global Coffee Gratitude

-
Image
At the end of the Thanksgiving holiday, I am reminded of how grateful I am for coffee. Not only for its rich, soothing, energizing effects---but also because of its health benefits, including a reduced risk of diabetes, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. I am also grateful that increasingly the medical evidence is documenting these benefits with amazing contributions from European and American universities! I am also grateful that most of the coffee-drinkers I know can still afford to drink coffee and enjoy its benefits. That is not insignificant, especially when you consider that coffee prices are at an all-time high for the past 13 years. In fact, coffee futures have increased 44%. According to pundits, a constellation of factors are contributing to coffee's sky-high prices, including bad weather in South America and low stockpiles in the United States. But, there's something else: Increasing demand from coffee drinkers in emerging economies. The largest increase i
Read more

Happiness Is…Buying a New Coffee Maker & Getting a Refund for the Old One

-
Image
About a week ago, the unthinkable happened. One mid-August morning, my Barista Aroma TM 8-cup coffeemaker broke. It became essentially unusable. My first reaction was denial. The large rubber lip of the thermal carafe had become completely unhinged. I tried to meld it back together, but this coffee maker was almost 4 years old. Indeed, if ever there was ‘planned obsolescence’ this was it---because it was definitely NOT abuse. Over the years, I have loved that coffeemaker. On some cold winter mornings, I would practically coo at it as it competently brewed my coffee. I loved many of its features. It’s black and silver sleekness, the gold mesh flat filter, the fact that I could yank the carafe away from the case before it finished brewing in order to pour myself half a cup. I loved the shushing sound it made as it brewed, the strategically placed water canister, and the digital read-out. Ours was a warm respectable relationship informed by my primal addiction to coffee.
Read more

Who is Juan Valdez and why I drink instant coffee

-
Image
Instant coffee gets a bad rap. But like it or not, instant coffee---a freeze-dried, powdered concentrated form of coffee--- is coffee. And like other types of coffee, it is full of antioxidants. The obvious downside for many people, however, is that instant coffee has a different flavor profile than traditionally brewed coffee. But that does not mean that it can’t be good. In fact, there are now second- and third-generation instant coffees that have gained a following.  However, this post is NOT about the most au courant instant coffees. This post is about an old-school, first-generation instant coffee. Specifically, Juan Valdez Café instant coffee (which I recently received as a gift from good friends). The Juan Valdez Café brand represents coffee produced by Colombian Coffee Farmers---500,000 strong, who are devoted to continuing a coffee-growing tradition that many say produces the best coffee in the world. Amazon reviewers tend to rate Juan Valdez Café coffee with 4.5 to 5 stars (
Read more