Types of Coffee Beans

When it comes to coffee beans, there are two main species, Arabica and Robusta. These two varieties of beans make up an estimated ninety-five percent of all the coffee produced in the world. The remaining five percent is made up of a handful of rare beans such as Coffea benghalensis, Coffea liberica, and Coffea stenophylla, which are generally hard to find and sold only in limited amounts. These rare beans are typically found only in luxury stores and are often extremely expensive.

Of the two main species, Arabica is far more plentiful. Many of the coffee varieties you may be familiar with are actually Arabica beans, but are named for region in which they are grown. Different regions with varying climates and soil types will produce a wide range of flavors from the same species of bean. For example, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, which is one of the most prized coffees in the world, is grown from Arabica beans. The difference is that the cool, misty climate of the Blue Mountains offers a unique growing environment which creates a coffee with a mild, smooth taste and almost no acidity. Other well-known coffees made from Arabica beans include Java, Kona, and Sumatra.

While Arabica is more common since it is grown all over the world, there has been an increase in the export of Robusta beans in the past five years. This has happened because farmers in Vietnam have discovered that Robusta beans grow very well in their climate, and they have joined the host of other countries participating in the world coffee market.