Once roasted, pretty much all coffee beans appear the same, but rarely do people know that there are dozens of different varieties of coffee beans across the globe. However, out of several coffee species, the most commonly consumed strands of it are Arabica and Robusta, also known as Canephora. This brings us to give a sneak peek into the difference between the much-loved coffee species. So without further ado, let’s spill the beans to expand your coffee knowledge:
Physical bean traits
The first and foremost thing to spot the difference between the two is to be able to physically differentiate the beans of Robusta and Arabica. Well if you are a coffee lover, then you must know that Robusta is darker in colour and more circular in shape, while Arabica comes in light brown colour and is more oval in shape.
Taste
One of the most obvious differences is in the taste of both the coffees. While Robusta’s taste is often described as burnt flavour or rubbery, Arabica is rich in aromatic touch and has a subtle flavour and taste.
Growing Conditions
While Robusta is grown anywhere from sea level to around 600m and produces harder fruit that isn’t susceptible to pesky insects, Arabica is more fragile in nature, as it is grown above the 600m on mountain tops and tropical environments and can be easily damaged by bugs.
Caffeine Content
Unsurprisingly, keeping the physical trait in mind you must have guessed by now that Robusta carries higher content of caffeine. Arabica holds 1.5 per cent caffeine content and Robusta carries 2.7 per cent caffeine content. So, in a bid to give some extra jolt, Robusta is frequently used in instant coffee and as a blend additive.
Sugar content
Arabica carries nearly twice as much sugar as Robusta and that explains the bitter taste in the latter and why we tend to like Arabica more.
Cultivation
The coffee leader Brazil is the largest producer of Arabica in the world, and approximately 75 per cent of the world’s coffee production is that of Arabica. Moreover, Vietnam is the largest producer of Robusta in the world and 25 per cent of the world’s coffee production is of Robusta.
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