3 Types of Coffee that are Popular in the World, Here Are Their Characteristics

Detikers who are coffee addicts probably know that there are various types of coffee spread throughout the world. But did you know, there are three types of coffee which are the main commodities in the world?
Yes, of the many types of coffee that detikers know about, it turns out that there are three species that are the most popular in the world coffee trade route. Quoting the book Coffee Cultivation by Muhammad Rizwan, the three types of coffee are Arabica, Robusta and Liberica.

Arabica is the coffee species that has the highest production levels. It is also the most widely consumed type of Arabica coffee in the world. Around 70% of world coffee trade is dominated by Arabica, 26% by Robusta, and 2% by Liberica as well as a number of other coffee varieties.

Pudji Rahardjo in his book entitled Coffee explains that Arabica and Robusta varieties sell commercially because they have economic value. Meanwhile, other types of coffee are not very popular in cross-commerce because they are considered less economical.

3 Most Popular Types of Coffee
Quoted from Edy Panggabean's Smart Coffee Book, these are the characteristics of Arabica, Robusta and Liberica coffee.

1 . Arabica
Arabica coffee is also known as Arabic coffee, Arabic bush coffee, or mountain coffee. Arabica is a species of the genus Coffea. This coffee is the most preferred type because its taste is considered the best.

The Arabica variant is suitable for planting in areas with an altitude of 1,000-2,100 meters above sea level (asl). However, it can still grow well at altitudes above 800 meters above sea level. This is because the higher the location where the coffee is planted, the more optimal the taste of the coffee beans produced will be.

Because of this, a number of Arabica coffee plantations can generally only be found in certain areas that have an altitude above 1,000 meters above sea level. In Indonesia, well-known Arabica planting areas are in the provinces of North Sumatra, Aceh, Lampung and Sulawesi.

Several varieties of Arabica coffee developed in Indonesia include; types of Abesinia, Pasumah, Marago, Typica, and Congensis.

Arabica coffee beans from Indonesia have the advantage of their acidity level, which is lower than other coffee variants that have a strong character. Apart from that, local Arabica has less caffeine content, around 0.8%-1.5% of the total amount of coffee.

The following are the general characteristics of Arabica coffee beans:

The shape is long, flat seeds with a smoother texture
The tips of the seeds are more shiny and when dried they will appear cracked or broken
The middle gap on the flat part does not extend straight down, but is curved
Coffee yield is around 18%-20%
Has a sour taste that other types do not have
The aroma smells like a mixture of flowers and fruit
The taste of Arabica is smoother, lighter and bitter
The texture is thicker when drunk.

2 . Robusta
Robusta coffee is one of the original varieties of Coffea canephora. Most of the canephora planted is the robusta variety. Thus, the name robusta is synonymous with canephora.

Robusta coffee beans grow well at an altitude of 400-700 meters above sea level. The plant is more resistant to heat and disease than Arabica. So robusta is very suitable for planting in wet tropical areas.

Most coffee farmers in Indonesia plant the robusta variety. This is because the robusta variant can adapt better to Indonesian temperatures and environments than arabica. The robusta coffee plantation area is also relatively large in this country.

General characteristics of robusta coffee:

The shape of the coffee beans is slightly round
The bean curve is thicker than arabica
The top to bottom center line is almost flat
Coffee yield is around 20%-22%
The taste is sharper and bitter
Slightly sour
Higher caffeine levels.

3 . Liberica
In the past, Liberica coffee plants were cultivated in Indonesia but now they are not. This is because the weight of dry coffee beans is only about 10% of the weight of wet beans.

Apart from that, the yield of this type of coffee bean is low, namely around 10% -12%. This is also a factor in the lack of development of liberika in Indonesia.

The general characteristics of the Liberica variant of coffee can be said to be almost the same as the Arabica type. This is because liberica is a developed variety of arabica. The advantage of the Liberika variant is that it is more resistant to pest attacks than its parent.

That is information about three types of coffee, namely Arabica, Robusta and Liberica, which are the most popular commodities in the world and their respective characteristics.