coffee

Differences Between Coffee Type

A coffee bean is actually a seed of the Coffea alba plant and its primary source for coffee. It’s the underground stem within the purple or red fruit often called a cherry. Just like regular cherries, the coffee cherry is a hard so-called stone fruit also known to be a berry. Unlike most berries, coffee cherries have a skin, which is what makes them sweet and delicious.

So how can we say that coffee beans grow up to a ripe cherry? The taste of coffee depends on the taste buds, which are located in the lining of the inner part of the ears. This is the main reason why it is said that coffee beans can only be savored after being ground up. The beans may be ground as early as four months after it was first harvested while still retaining its most flavor.

If you are one who prefers strong flavored drinks such as espresso, I suggest you stick with the robusta beans. They are considered to be slightly stronger but the taste is still mild and has a pleasant smooth consistency. Robusta beans are mostly shade grown and can grow in different countries such as Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Columbia. It is about a three to five miles drive from the coffee grove in Cusco to the Pacific Ocean. Robusta beans are the type of coffee you will find in most coffee shops and they are also the most expensive ones out there.

Then, depending on the quality of the beans, they can be harvested in a variety of ways. It can either be manually collected or by using a machine. Harvesting manually is more expensive since there are plenty of beans to be harvested and they have to be hand picked. Robotic harvesters are used most often when harvesting large amounts of coffee. The beans are placed inside a machine that forces the water through a filter to remove all of the unwanted parts of the beans including the skin and the seeds.

Lastly, we have the arabica bean coffee beans which is more commonly known as Arabic coffee. Arabica beans tend to be less bitter than their Robusta counterparts. Arabica beans are a bit expensive than Robusta beans but they are a lot easier to process since they don’t need to go through a lengthy milling process to extract the flavor. This allows for more individual variations in flavor from bean to bean. In addition, Arabica beans are generally less pungent and tend to retain a more round shape in the cup.

If you like your coffee with a sweet / acidic taste, I recommend trying a coffee with a very mild roast. Many times coffee with a very mild roast still has a wonderful taste, mainly because of the acidity of the bean inside. The acidity comes from either the sweetness of the coffee or the acidity of the milk used in the coffee’s decoction. If you would prefer a sweeter taste, try going with a light roast.