Coffeeier, fruit tree!

To write an article about this famous black nectar that warms the heart and awakens the spirits, we must start at the base of the process, that is, with the botanical side of caffeine. We are so used to seeing coffee in its roasted form that we forget that it comes from a beautiful white flower. Cultivated mainly between the 23rd degree of latitude North and the 28th degree of latitude South, in the area commonly called the "coffee belt", the coffee plant has its first origins in Africa. Just like the grapes on the vines, the immediate environment in which the coffee plant grows influences the taste of the cherries. Thus, humidity, temperature, sunshine, soil and water are all factors that will make the reputation of a production region like the Blue Mountains in Jamaica, Tarrazu in Costa Rica or Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia.

Coffee tree in bloom in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Photo credit Ma Caféine

There are several species of coffee tree, but those mainly used for cultivation and consumption are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, more commonly known as Arabica and Robusta, which produce 60% and 35% of the world's coffee production, respectively. Coffee trees are kept at heights of approximately 3 to 5 meters (Arabica) and 10 to 12 meters (Robusta). They are pruned over a cycle of approximately 7 years to harden them and stimulate more abundant annual flowering. Flowering will subsequently result in beautiful red cherries after ripening for between 9 and 11 months!

Arabica and Robusta are two completely different coffee trees. The former is narrow, grows at high altitudes, produces little fruit, and is relatively sensitive. The latter is more robust, grows at low altitudes, produces a lot of fruit, and is very resistant. Once harvested, sorted, washed, and dried for 2 to 5 weeks in the sun (to remove as much moisture as possible), the pulpy red husk of the cherry gives way to two small, lime-green beans. Again, the differences between the products of the two trees are still very present to the naked eye. The oval shape of the Arabica bean has a slight sinuous curve that separates the seed, while Robusta is rounder, harder, and has a straight line down the center of the bean.

Containing more oil and sugar in its composition, Arabica blends have a better press and their tastes are more elaborate, fruity and savory. More sought after and often promoted by the industry with its "100% Arabica" designation (which is unfortunately not always true), this one is much more expensive per pound than Robusta. With global warming, its production is more risky because it is done at high altitudes where temperatures are between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius.

Due to its stockier appearance, easier production, and twice the caffeine content, the Robusta bean is often criticized as a product primarily used in filter coffee, resulting in a drier, more bitter taste. One of the main reasons why roasted Robusta isn't at its best is that it's often neglected in its harvesting process. Due to its much lower market price than Arabica, producers don't take the time to properly process it with the same rigor as its counterpart, resulting in harvests often containing more immature or lower-quality beans. However, its lower oil content allows it to produce denser, more stable, and more colorful cremas for espresso infusions.

Ultimately, we can say that Robusta and Arabica beans are to coffee what red and white grapes are to wine: a matter of taste profile.

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Choosing your coffee like choosing your fruit

When we drink coffee, we consume an infused fruit. Coffee being a product traded globally on the stock exchange, there is a great Variety of bean types and quality offered by producers. The roaster has the luxury of choosing from many options, creating its blends or origin coffees. Take the time to look at and evaluate the product offered by the latter as if you were choosing your strawberries or blueberries. Aside from the roasting and the origins of the bean, what is the quality of the beans that compose it? Do they seem ripe and of a good size? After being roasted, do the beans seem to have opened up well to release all their flavor? You can tell the quality of the product by sight and smell before you even drink it.

Fun exercise

Open a bag of coffee beans nearby. Pour a small portion onto the counter and separate the beans that you consider to be hard, firm, or small. In the same concept, now try to differentiate robusta from arabica (it is possible that the blend is 100% arabica) taking into account the qualifiers (round and straight center line for robusta and oval with sinuous center line for arabica) With the naked eye you can therefore have fun evaluating the quality of the product that has been offered to you. Since coffee is sold by weight, you can decide between the quality of the blend and another. I would like to keep one caveat, the most important thing will always be your personal appreciation of the result once brewed.