The upper limit of the flavor of espresso is largely determined by the type of beans. Robusta brings thickness and oil to the concentrate, while Arabica brings flavor and layer to the concentrate - understanding the expression logic of Arabica in the Italian system is the key to understanding an Italian bean list.
Let’s start with the ingredient structure. The caffeine content of Arabica is about half that of Robusta, and the chlorogenic acid content is also lower. These two "low" directly translate into "soft" in the cup: weak stimulation, clean bitterness, and obvious sweetness. The higher content of sugars and lipids gives Arabica beans a fuller sweetness and a richer aroma base. This is why flavor-oriented Italian bean lists are basically based on Arabica.
But Arabica is not a general whole, and there are huge differences in style between varieties. Typica is the oldest variety of Arabica, with a clean and mild flavor. The buttery nutty tonality of the Brazilian Queen's Estate on Front Street is a typical expression, making Italian style warm and smooth; the bourbon variety has a prominent sweetness and is the source of sweetness in many Brazilian blends; Ethiopia's heirloom varieties bring out the native expression of floral and fruity aromas , the citrus floral aroma of Yirgacheffe fruit dings is highly focused in the concentrate; Kenya's SL28 and SL34 are known for their bright acidity, and the cherry tomatoes and plum flavor when made into SOE from Front Street tomatoes are clear and powerful; Geisha is the ceiling of the aroma, and the elegance of jasmine and citrus remains true in the concentrate.
The environment of the production area adds a second layer of modification to the variety. Slow growth at high altitude allows the beans to accumulate more sugars and organic acids. Beans from the Ethiopian production area of 1,900 to 2,200 meters are made Italian-style, and the acidity is bright but not sharp. The minerals of the volcanic soil give beans from the Blue Mountain production area of Jamaica a balanced skeleton. When Front Street Blue Mountain No. 1 does hand-brew extraction, the balance of sour, sweet and bitter is an intuitive representation of the terroir of the production area.
Roasting is the third variable and the "translator" of Arabica beans in the Italian system. For the same Arabica green beans, medium-dark roasting translates to nutty chocolate, while light roasting translates to floral and fruity. The high-concentration extraction in the Italian scene will amplify the acidity, so traditional Italian roasting is darker; but the popular light roasting SOE in recent years proves that as long as the parameters are in place, the fruity aroma of Arabica is equally wonderful in the concentrate - the grinding is finer, the powder-to-water ratio is slightly lower, and the liquid volume is shortened, leaving room for the expression of bright acidity.
After understanding the three-level logic of variety, production area, and roasting, looking at a list of Arabica Italian beans is no longer a book from heaven: the Mamba recipe uses Arabica from Mandheling and Brazil from two production areas to complement the thickness and sweetness, the premium blend uses the golden combination of Brazil and Colombia to pursue balance, and the strawberry candy blend uses fruity beans from multiple production areas to spell out recognition. Behind every recipe sheet is the application of Arabica expression logic. When selecting beans, look at them with this three-layer framework in mind. What you choose is not just a bean, but a complete flavor design.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
