The best Arabica coffee

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

For centuries, coffee has been the favorite drink of mankind. The homeland of coffee trees is Ethiopia, Africa, but later they spread throughout the world. Moreover, grains are one of the main products of world trade, second only to oil. The main volume of coffee is produced by hot tropical countries: Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam, but today coffee plantations can also be found in Australia or China, and also, surprisingly, in some European countries. Trees that require special care are grown by experienced specialists in certain soils, and coffee berries, when ripe, are picked by hand. Later, they make such a favorite drink, without a cup of which many do not imagine the beginning of a new day.

Arabica coffee: main characteristics and growing regions

Arabica and Robusta… you see these words all the time when you buy or order a cup of coffee in a cafe. It is no secret that they denote the names of two main varieties. So what's the difference? Arabica coffee is more expensive and has a subtle, sweet, but at the same time quite intense aroma. The smell mayhave hints of caramel, honey, spices or fruits. The trees on which Arabica coffee is grown are very capricious and require special soil, air humidity and specific climatic conditions. The best Arabica coffees come from Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Robusta coffee

In contrast to the aristocratic sophistication of Arabica, the Robusta variety has a more bitter, so to speak "earthy" taste with a woody, slightly astringent undertone. In general, Robusta has much less aroma characteristics compared to Arabica coffee. That is why this variety is not particularly represented on the market, although it is quite cheap. Robusta trees are much less capricious than their species counterparts, they do not require any specific growing conditions, are frost-resistant and widespread. As a rule, well-known cafes and restaurants do not offer this type of coffee to their visitors.

How to choose the best Arabica coffee

Note, not all Arabica coffees are the same. They can also be grown in inappropriate conditions, which, no doubt, affect the taste of the drink (as we remember, coffee trees are very capricious), harvested at the wrong time of ripening, subject to improper storage or roasting. Therefore, the words "this is Arabica" do not yet mean that you will get high-quality aromatic coffee from the beans. When choosing beans, first of all, pay attention to their aroma: coffee should not smell like burnt beans. If so, then there have been gross violations inroasting: they must be dry, without visible changes and damage. Also look at the country of manufacture: Brazil and other Central American countries supply the best Arabica on the world market today. Also, one of the determining factors is the price, which averages from $50 per kilogram of good coffee. And the most refined and expensive varieties today are Jamaican Blue Mountain, Tarrazú, Colombian Supremo, Costa Rica, Guatemalan Antigua and some others.

Arabica coffee - care, storage and roasting

Gourmets should also understand how coffee is roasted, because it has a significant effect on its taste characteristics. For example, a medium roast coffee will give you a clean, sweet, nutty flavor. But the same grains at maximum roasting will give a more pronounced smell with inclusions of spices, citrus fruits and chocolate. The nuances of shades, as a rule, depend on a particular type of coffee. Let me remind you once again that coffee beans should never have a burnt smell. It is best to store Arabica coffee beans in a hermetically sealed jar, in a dry and dark place. Make sure that moisture does not get inside. It is better to get each new portion with a special spoon that can be put inside the container. And after grinding fragrant beans and preparing coffee to your liking - espresso, latte, or Turkish - you will get a fragrant drink that will help you cheer up at the beginning of a new day.