Luckily for the world’s coffee lovers, there are many, many different types of coffee beans available, each with their own distinctive taste and aroma. The two most commonly consumed species of coffee are Coffea Arabica, usually referred to as “Arabica,” and Coffea Canephora, commonly known as “Robusta” coffee. Coffea liberica is another species that produces beans similar in flavor to Robusta. Every species of coffee plant has several sub-types or “varietals.”
In general, Arabica coffees are considered to be of higher quality than Robusta varieties. The Robusta coffees remain popular however, mainly due to their hardiness, lower cost, and higher caffeine content. In addition, the ‘crema’ layer on top of an espresso becomes so much better when the coffee blend contains Robusta beans.
Coffee beans are more commonly identified by the geographic location where they were grown, rather than their specific type or species. A few of the more common varietals within the popular Arabica coffee species include:
Ethiopian Coffee –- Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe coffees derive their names from their region of origin and each has very distinctive flavor characteristics. Ethiopia is considered to be the birthplace of coffee and produces coffees with complex flavor profiles.
Colombian Coffee –- Colombia has several regions with nearly perfect climates for growing flavorful, high-quality coffees. For that reason it produces more than 10% of the world’s coffee beans. The more common types of Colombian coffees include Bourbon, Caturra, Maragogype and Typica. Bucaramanga, Cauca, Nariño, Amazonas are popular varietals that derive their names from their growing regions.
Hawaiian Coffee –- The United States doesn’t produce much coffee, despite being the world’s biggest consumer of the beverage. But the country does produce one of the best types of coffee in the world: Hawaiian Kona beans grown on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa. Many coffee experts consider Kona to be the highest-quality coffee available.
Jamaica Coffee –- Arabica coffee beans grown in the beautiful Blue Mountains of Jamaica are known for their incredibly taste and aroma. Blue Mountain coffee has a very limited production and, for that reason, is one of the world’s most expensive coffee bean.
Indonesian Coffee –- Former Dutch plantations found in Indonesia produce some of the tastiest coffee beans, including the Java and Yemen Mocha varietals. A combination blend called “Mocha Java” is in-demand by coffee aficionados the world over. The smooth flavors of the Java beans provide the perfect complement to the intense taste of Yemen Mocha beans.
So there you have it, a few of the different types of coffee found around the world. Each has its own distinct flavor profile and, if you’re a coffee lover, you should make it a goal to try each for yourself!
