COFFEE CLASSIFICATION


The entire world's coffee production is concentrated in the land enclosed between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. There are some small plantations which outside these areas but they are not significant. The climate and geography of countries such as South America, Africa and the Far East make them ideal places for the production of a wide range of coffee varieties. Their aromas unique and flavours turn them into collectors' items. Every day they are an object of desire for thousands of gourmets. 
Formerly, the commercialization of coffee had been in the hands of governments for many years, and they controlled buying from specific producing countries. In contrast, today freedom exists to import whatever variety of coffee meets quality standards and suits our tastes. Coffee is in again. Nowadays, you can easily find the variety of coffee that suits your preferences and needs. We need, though, a better knowledge of the various coffee varieties and their different flavours and qualities. You would be making a big mistake should you think about coffee as a specific kind of drink. The quality depends not only on the price or the shop or café where we bought it or tasted it, but on many other factors. When buying good coffee, it is fundamental that you be aware not only of its cost, but also of the quality/price relation. Even though many coffee varieties exist, only two have become well-known and popular: Arabica and Canephor. The latter has been always confused with the Robust, which is in fact one of its subspecies.

THE ARABICAS 

(it is worth pointing out its varieties: Java, Mocha, Bourbon, Maragogype and so on) are responsible for almost 70% of the world's production. Native to Ethiopia, they are mainly grown in humid and high zones - from 600 to 1,200 metres or more in Central and South America, Africa and Asia. They have low caffeine content - 0 ' 3/1 ' 2%-, they are very aromatic, pale and have a light body. They are obviously the most expensive varieties. There are two major classifications according to the processes applied: those washed or water-treated in countries or zones with abundant water, and those not washed, coming from drier zones.

Washed Arabica coffee

Mainly grown in Central America and East African countries, they have big, elliptical beans, green-bluish in colour and smell of vegetation. When toasted, their volume increases greatly. In a cup, it becomes an aromatic coffee with an excellent flavour.

Non-washed Arabica coffee

Grown principally in Brazil, its cultivation began in 1732 in the then Portuguese colonies of For, Amazon and Marañón. In 1760, coffee trees from the Portuguese colony of Goa were introduced to India. The oval yellowish green beans smell of green grass. Its flavour depends on the growing region. Rio, Riados and Riozonas are typified by its characteristic strong flavour which is redolent of iodine.

THE ROBUST

Typified by varieties such as Conilón, Kouilloi, Niaoulí and Uganda, they constitute 30% of the world's production. It was "discovered" by observation that it was immune to the fungal plague Hemiliea vastatrix which destroys the Arabicas; hence its name. Native to Zaire, it is mainly grown in low and dry zones in Africa, Indochina and Brazil. These varieties are high in caffeine, from 2% to 4%. The bean is round and yellowish brown and smells of dry straw. It is a medium-roast coffee and gives a strong dark coffee, with great body. Its strong flavour with bitter tones sticks to the palate. It is normally dry treated rather than washed and tolerates the presence of small amounts of earth in its cracks and other flaws.

COFFEE CARACOLILLO

(Also known as peaberry, caracoli or pearlcaffe). Not strictly a variety, this is a particular type of bean. It is in fact a "defective" bean that does not grow normally as found at the end of the branches and therefore receives little sap. It grows on itself, developing a single round bean within the coffee bean instead of the two normal beans. Since it is located in the periphery of the tree, it gets the greatest proportion of rain and sunshine. It is a highly appreciated coffee for its mature, fruity flavour.