Arabica coffee: What is it and what are its types?
Do you know about Arabica coffee? Do you know where the coffee tree grows?
The plantations of the Arabic bushes have an ancient origin and their sowing, allows to obtain different varieties of coffee and grains with unique characteristics, discover it by reading below!
Arabica coffee can be understood as a very high quality type of coffee. It is thanks to the fact that it’s planted in special environmental conditions such as the height above sea level in which it’s harvested.
Arabica Coffee: How is it defined?
In the world it has been recognized as gourmet coffee from a plant with the scientific name of Coffee Arabica.
Its origin is reported in the southwestern and mountainous areas of Ethiopia located at an altitude of 1300 to 200 meters. After a couple of years, in 575 A.D. the Arabs and Persians brought the grain to start their plantations.
From there, the seed was moved to African lands and then taken to Europe in 1713. It is from this European progeny that the cultivation of the grain in Latin America began.
Thus, in the middle of 1713 to 1723, the planting of the coffee plant in different areas of America was started. In particular, the seed was introduced in Colombia and expanded as a large-scale production system within its perimeter and mountainous areas at altitudes of 800 to 1200 meters above sea level.
The characteristics and morphological parameters of Arabica coffee include:
Root
It presents a length of 50 or more centimeters of depth, essential to form the root system that helps the anchorage and allows the growth of the bush.
Stem
Structure area indispensable for the vertical development of the plant. In addition, it has nodes and internodes, where the lateral branches are fixed and from there the flowers in the reproductive phase of the plant.
Leaves
Variable organ according to the species of the coffee tree and responsible for promoting photosynthesis, necessary for the productive phase of the bush.
Flowers and Fruits
The flowering time is seasonal and the appearance of the flower is conditioned by the climatic conditions.
On the other hand, the fruit takes 7 to 8 months to ripen and has a red or yellow cover depending on the variety, which serves as a cover for 2 seeds in the shape of a 10 to 17 mm grape.
Finally, Arabic coffee is an ancient variety with unique characteristics in terms of: its aroma, texture and sweet taste with less caffeine in relation to other species.
Based on these qualities, the Arabica coffee plant has set the standards within the world trade for countries in America such as: Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.
Types of Arabica coffee
Among the varieties highlighted and recognized by their management for planting plantations, are:
Typical
The trees are tall with approximately 5 meters, being appreciable the distance between branches and knots in relation to other varieties. Regularly, the leaves, cherries and green beans are elongated with bronzed leaf tips when young.
It’s commonly known as the Arabic tree or bird. At the end of the fructification process, fruits are obtained that allow elaborating a sweet and aromatic coffee.
Bourbon
It has a height of 5 meters and a greater quantity of wide green leaves compared to Typical. In addition, the trunks are thick and the branches are abundant.
The cherries are rounded with a reddish, orange or yellow tone during their ripening. In addition, the yield obtained from the plantation is 30% more in analogy a-typical.
Caturra
It’s a variety resulting from the natural mutation of Bourbon; however, Caturra has a height of less than 5 meters with a short and narrow trunk, but with side branches with greater proportion.
As for the leaves, they have wavy edges and green tips. The cherries are red or yellow at maturity.
Geisha
This variety has branches at the back with a 45 to 50° angle of inclination. Also, the trunk and branches are thin with soft and elongated leaves.
The fruit has a semi-citrus and sweet taste with a floral smell, reminiscent of jasmine, delicious and attractive!
Where is Arabica coffee grown?
Currently, countries located in Latin America such as Colombia and Brazil, have temperatures located at 19 to 21.5°C and geographical latitudes from 1200 to 1800 m.a.s.l. appropriate to obtain a significant performance in relation to European or Asian nations.
It should be noted that Colombia has a production of 1 million tons per area of land annually. As a result, the country has promoted the export of this product, as a profitable alternative and with economic contributions for the growth and impulse of the Latin nation.
In addition, Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is characterized by exporting more than 95% of the coffee plant produced to a world market, coupled with the regulatory norms of export, being receptive and giving value to the special attributes that define gourmet Arabica coffee.
So, day by day, the coffee grower, due to his experience and knowledge in planting, has perfected variables of climatic conditions, location (mountainous areas), and selection of seed variety. Achieving satisfactory and profitable results in income and improvement of the applied technique.
Therefore, the art of cultivating the coffee plant has become an icon and symbol that identifies the Colombian nation. Since it is a marketing mechanism capable of generating considerable economic income for the grower who decides to start with the planting of the Gourmet Arabic fruit.
If you are interested in trying a good Arabica coffee, do not hesitate to BUY HERE !!!
