We often see the words "Pure Arabica Coffee Beans" advertised in TV commercials, coffee shops, and convenience stores. Many people are curious, what are Arabica Coffee Beans? This article from Front Street will answer these questions one by one~
What are Arabica coffee beans?
There are three main types of coffee beans in the world, but there are only two that have real commercial value and are widely cultivated: Arabica and KOBUSTA.
Arabica is the representative variety of Ethiopia, its origin, accounting for 70 to 75% of the world's coffee production. The cultivation of Arabica species requires very harsh conditions and high soil requirements. Arabica species need to grow at high altitudes of 800 to 2200 meters without frost. The higher the altitude, the greater the temperature difference, which delays the ripening of coffee fruits and is more conducive to the accumulation of flavor substances in coffee and the development of fuller aroma. The microclimates in each coffee producing area provide Arabica with diverse growing conditions and create a unique flavor.
The caffeine content of Arabica is low, about 0.9% to 1.2%; the fat content is 60% more than Robusta coffee; the sugar content is twice as much; therefore, the taste of Arabica is sweeter, softer, with a bit of fruity sourness. Most of the coffee we usually drink in the store is made from Arabica coffee beans. Due to its rich aroma and diverse taste, it is used in various extraction methods such as Italian coffee, Pour over(V60) coffee, and cold brew coffee.
What is specialty coffee and single origin coffee?
The currently recognized definition of Specialty Coffee was proposed by Ms. Erna Knutsen in 1974: Specialty coffee is "coffee beans with unique aroma cultivated under special climate and geographical conditions." This definition draws a clear line between specialty coffee beans and bulk commercial grade coffee beans.
Nowadays, with the development of the industry and market, high-quality coffee beans have more detailed classification and rating, and consumers can also learn the detailed traceability information of coffee. Such rare coffee requires strict cultivation, management, selection, and grading, and will present a positive and rich aroma after roasting. Usually roasters choose a relatively light roasting degree to maximize the flavor levels of specialty coffee beans. In order to emphasize that their own products are high-quality coffee, different from commercial coffee on the market, many businesses will use the word "high-quality" on their advertising packaging.
"Single Origin Coffee" refers to coffee produced in a single production area. The "production area" can be a producing country, region, cooperative, manor or farm. Coffee harvested in the same batch is considered single origin coffee. Single-origin coffee is based on the concept of specialty coffee, with the purpose of emphasizing the flavor of the production area. Therefore, single-origin coffee is a type of specialty coffee. Generally, coffee beans are often produced in the form of Pour over(V60) coffee beans in coffee shops. For example, the various Pour over(V60) coffee beans on the Front Street Bean List are single-origin coffee beans. In recent years, the concept of single-origin coffee has become very popular, and more and more single-origin coffee is being applied to the extraction of Italian coffee.
Front Street believes that "specialty coffee" and "single-origin coffee" are two different concepts, and single-origin coffee is not the same as specialty coffee. Single-origin coffee refers to coffee beans from a single origin and can be traced. It does not mean that the coffee beans are of high quality. Specialty coffee emphasizes the high quality of coffee and the presentation of positive flavors, and is not limited to the source ingredients of green beans.
Recommended specialty coffee beans for novices
The bean rack on Qian Street has a cost-effective series of grain beans, which selects 7 excellent classic coffee production areas, covering many representative production areas, varieties, and natural processing methods. The so-called ration beans, as the name suggests, are varieties that are easy to drink on a daily basis, and the price and flavor are very close to the people. Front Street has selected a number of "facade representatives" so that everyone can identify the basic flavors of each major production area. These include Ethiopia’s washed Yirgacheffe, Guatemala’s washed Vivitenang, Colombia’s washed Whelan, Brazil’s semi-sun-dried Cerado, Costa Rica’s washed Tara beads, Indonesia’s wet-planed Lindong Manteni, and China’s Yunnan’s washed Baoshan.
Each coffee bean is suitable for extraction by hand brewing, cold brewing, French press, etc. If you want to taste the most original aroma of coffee, Front Street recommends black coffee as the best form. No matter which extraction method is used, Front Street believes that the freshness of coffee beans is very important. The aroma of coffee roasted for more than two months is likely to have been lost. Even with the best extraction techniques, it is difficult to restore the aroma in the cup. In order to let everyone experience the best tasting stage of coffee, Front Street only ships freshly roasted beans within 5 days. When you receive them, you can almost start brewing them.
Professional coffee knowledge exchange More coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public accountcafe_style ）
For more specialty coffee beans, please add Front Street Coffee on private WeChat (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID:qjcoffeex
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
