Is 100% Arabica coffee better? What’s the difference to robust? – 05/29/2023 – Coffee in the Press

You must have already come across some coffee that had, on the label, the information: “100% Arabica”. But do you know what that means? What is the difference between Arabica and Robusta? And does saying that it is 100% Arabica mean that the coffee is better?

There are dozens of coffee species in the world, two of which are best known and commercially exploited: arabica (whose scientific name is coffee arabica) and the canephora (coffee canephora).

Robusta, a term that is sometimes used interchangeably with camphor, is actually just one of the varieties of camphor. In addition to the robusta, there are others, such as the conilon, for example.

But what is actually the difference between Arabica and Canephora (or Robusta)? And which is the best?

In general, Arabica has a higher sensory quality and more complex notes. Canephora has twice as much caffeine as Arabica.

In addition, robustas are more resistant to pests and climate variations.

Arabica cultivation, for example, requires a more specific climatic condition – in general, high altitudes and mild temperatures. The canephora can be planted below 500 meters of altitude and under humidity and heat.

Check out the main differences between the two species in the gallery below:

Thus, a 100% Arabica coffee, although not synonymous with quality in itself, is usually a little more expensive than one that has canephora beans in its composition.

Despite this, canephora is by no means synonymous with bad coffee, as explained by barista (specialist in coffee preparation) Isabela Raposeiras. “Quality canephora has always existed. It’s just that here in Brazil we managed it anyway, and our variety of canephora is more limited”, she explains.

“But we have other varieties in the world that are incredible. India has been producing high quality and very expensive canephora for decades, as has Indonesia”, says Raposeiras, who has already served 100% canephora coffee in his renowned coffee shop in São Paulo, the Coffee Lab.

But she makes a caveat: “They are limited in aromas and flavors. So the best canephora will never surpass the best arabica”.

The climate crisis, however, has stimulated research for the development of canephoras with higher sensory quality. This is because, with global warming, arabica cultivation has become increasingly complex and costly.

Barista and consultant Maíra Teixeira explains that this is a recent movement, as the focus of high quality coffees in Brazil has always been very much directed towards the Arabica species.

“For a long time, the special coffee market only worked on technologies to improve the quality of Arabica coffee. But we are going through a new moment in the special canephor coffee market as well. Today there are producers whose focus is Robusta and special conilons”, says Teixeira.

Even less commercialized species, such as coffee liberica –even more resistant to climate change–, have been analyzed as possibilities to maintain productivity in the future, when the planet must face higher temperatures. See in the gallery below images of this species so little cultivated.

Now, the next time you see a label that says “100% Arabica”, you know what it means. Just don’t forget that the species is just one of the factors to generate a quality drink. After all, there is no point in growing an excellent quality Arabica if the grains are handled, dried and roasted without due care.

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