All About The Bean

This episode focuses on bean variations

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to another episode of The Coffee and Cafe Podcasts,
a podcast for all things coffee and cafe. Today, we're
going to get right down to the heart of the matter,
the bean. If you are one of the eight billion
people worldwide that starts your day with a cup of Joe,

(00:22):
or maybe you constantly have a cuppa in your hand
throughout the day, this episode is for you, and maybe
you'll learn something new about some beans you knew nothing about.
There are primarily four main categories of coffee beans, the Arabica,

(00:42):
the Robusta, the Liberica and the Excelsa. Each has distinct
flavor profiles and growing conditions. Just take a look at
these coffee bean types. They're regions, flavor profiles, and a
brief history. The Arabeca bean. The coffe Arabeca mainly grown

(01:08):
in higher altitudes with cooler climates. Major producing countries include Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala,
Costa Rica, and Kenya. The flavor profile of Arabeca beans
is one that is smooth and well balanced in flavor.

(01:29):
They often have complex flavor notes such as fruity or floral,
or nutty or chocolatey, sweet, or maybe a mild As City.
Arabeca beans are the most popular and widely cultivated coffee bean.

(01:50):
It originated in Ethiopia and spread to Yemen and in
the Arabian Peninsula around the fifteenth century. It is believed
to be the first species of coffee to be cultivated.
Arabica beans represent about sixty to seventy percent of the
world's coffee production. These beans are considered superior to other
types due to their smoother flavor and lower bitterness. These

(02:15):
beings are typically grown in high altitude regions, where the
cooler climate and misty environment allow for slower maturation of
the means. This results in a more developed flavor profile.
Arabica plants are more susceptible to diseases and pests. This
make them harder to grow and harvest compared to robusta.

(02:40):
The robusta bean primarily grown in lower altitudes with warmer
climates countries such as Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia some parts of
Africa like Uganda, all major producers. Robusta beans are stronger,
more bitter, and have higher caffeine content than Arabica beans.

(03:03):
The flavor characteristics include earthiness and woodiness, nutty, and sometimes chocolatey,
while bitter and sharp notes sometimes astringent with a grainy taste.
Robusta beans are native to central and western Sub Sahara Africa,
but are now grown in many tropical countries. They're less

(03:26):
expensive to produce in Arabica beans. This makes them common
for instant coffee and low cost blends. Robusta plants are
heartier than arabica, thriving and hotter and more humid environments.
They are also resistant to pests and diseases, makes them
easier to cultivate. Robusta coffee is grown in lower altitudes,

(03:52):
where temperatures are generally hotter and more consistent. Robust of
plants are generally more resilient, thriving in areas with high
rainfall and low elevation. Liberica beans are mainly grown in
parts of West Africa, as well as the Philippines, Malaysia,

(04:16):
and Indonesia. It is less common than Arabica and robusta beans.
Liberica beans have a very distinctive flavor, often described as
smoky or woody or earthy, could be fruity or floral,
strong and sometimes spicy, complex, but with a more bitter

(04:38):
or astringent taste. Liberica coffee is native to West Africa,
but is mostly grown in Southeast Asia. It was introduced
to the Philippines and other countries in the region by
the Dutch. Liberica's unique flavor profile makes it a rare
and specialty coffee. Although it's grown in small quantities, it

(04:59):
has a dedic heated following, particularly in the Southeast Asia regions.
Liberica trees are taller than Arabic and Robusta plants. They
are typically grown in tropical regions with humid, rainy climates.
The beans themselves are larger and have a more irregular
shape compared to the Arabica and Robusta beans. Excelsa beans

(05:28):
mainly grown in Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines and
parts of Vietnam. Excelsa beans are a variety of Liberica,
often classified separately due to their unique characteristics. Their flavor
profile can be described as fruity with notes of dark fruit,
dark berries and tamarind, tangy with a complex acidity, smoky,

(05:53):
earthy and spicy, sometimes floral or sweet with surpy texture.
Excelsa coffee beans are often used in blends due to
their distinctiveness. They are less commonly found on their own,
but they add depth and complexity to coffee blends. Excelsa
is a variety of Liberica and is not as widely

(06:14):
grown or cultivated as Arabica and Robusta. Excelsa beans thrive
in tropical climates similar to those of Liberica, often though
in higher altitudes. In addition to the better well known
beans Arabica, Robusta, Liberica Excelsa, there are a few more

(06:36):
or lesser known types of coffee beans. While these are
not as widely grown in major varieties, they still contribute
to the diversity and richness of the coffee world. You
had me at Bourbon with the coffee bourbon bean, mainly
grown in Latin American countries, especially in Brazil, Columbia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico.

(07:03):
Bourbon beans are known for their sweet and smooth flavor,
with a complex combination of fruity, chocolatey, and nutty notes.
Sometimes characteristics also include mild acidity caramel like sweetness. Bourbon
beans have a rich, rich flavor with a balanced body.

(07:26):
Bourbon coffee gets its name from the island of Reunion,
formerly known as Bourbon Island, in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately,
there is not actually Bourbon in the coffee folks. It's
a cultivar of Arabica and its rich, mellow flavor has
made it highly sought after. Bourbon plants are best grown

(07:46):
at high altitudes with moderate rainfall and cooler temperatures. They
thrive in volcanic soils, which provide rich nutrients. Typical bean
is not your typical. It's a variety of Arabica beans
that is cultivated in regions like Ethiopia, Brazil, and Colombia,
Costa Rica, as well as Guatemala. Typica beans have a

(08:11):
classic and well balanced flavor profile, mild acidity, medium body,
nutty sweet notes like chocolate with caramel undertones. It expect
a bright and clean finish. Typica is the base variety
of Arabica coffee and is considered the original coffee plant
from which most of the Arabica cultivars have descended. It

(08:33):
is the genetic precursor to many of the modern Arabica varieties.
Typica is grown in high altitude areas, often in volcanic
regions with rich soils. It's a resilient plant, but it's
more prone to pests and diseases compared to other Arabica varieties.

(08:55):
Gescha beans primarily grown in Ethiopia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia,
with Panama being specifically famous for its exceptional Gesha varieties.
Gesha kafia is one of the most celebrated coffee varieties
due to its unique and complex flavor profiles, including fruitiness

(09:15):
with mango, papaya, and peach, laural notes, jasmine, bergamont bright
acidity with a silky body and tea like qualities, often
with a clean and crisp finish. GeSHi kafe is believed
to have originated in the Ethiopia area, but became famous
worldwide after being cultivated in Panama. This is where it

(09:36):
gained recognition for its exceptional quality. Gesha plants thrive in
high altitude regions with cooler temperatures, and they need meticulous
care and optimal growing conditions to develop their distinctive flavors.
Pacamar beans mostly grown in Central America, particularly in El
Salvador and Guatemala and Honduras and Nicaragua. Kamara beans are

(10:00):
known for their large size and unique flavor profiles, with
blend traits of both pacas and mara, complex acidity with
a bright tangy edge, fruitiness, and chocolateness, full bodiness, sometimes
with nutty and spicy notes, sweet with a clean finish.
The Pacamara variety is a hybrid between the Pacus variety,

(10:22):
natural mutation of the Bourbon bean, and Margo gaipe giant
bean variety from Brazil. This hybrid was first developed in
El Salvador in the nineteen fifties. Pacamara plants grow well
at high altitudes and in tropical climates with mild temperatures.
The beans themselves are much larger than typical Arabica or

(10:43):
robust of beans, which makes them stand out both visually
and in flavor. SL twenty eight beans Sounds like Something
Experimental is a variety of Arabica coffee primarily grown in
Kenya and Tanzania. SL twenty eight beans. They're known for

(11:04):
their bright, vibrant acidity and full complex flavor, which often
includes fruitiness, wine like acidity, sweet with some floral and
herbal notes, medium body with smooth texture. SL twenty eight
is one of the most famous Kenyan coffee varieties and
is often considered the backbone of Kenyan coffee. It was
developed in the nineteen thirties in Kenya as part of

(11:25):
a series of selections from Kenyan and Tanzanian coffee plants.
SL twenty eight thrives at high altitudes, especially in Kenya's
central highlands, where the rich of volcanic soil and cooler
temperatures helped develop the variety's characteristic acidity and fruity flavors.
So many beans and so little time. That is it

(11:46):
for today, folks, Which one of these is your favorite?
And I bet you recognized a couple that you already
knew that you had no idea what they were. Keep
on sipping, folks, till the last drop, until next coffee
and cafe. Thanks for joining us.