Learn more about our favorite fruit in the latest edition of our blog.
COFFEE IS A FRUIT
by JESSICA SHERIDAN
YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT…COFFEE IS A FRUIT!
But…hold up. Let’s take a minute to get geeky with it: The roasted beans that we all love so much are actually the berries (also known as ‘cherries’) of a specific species and varietal of coffea. Coffea are flowering plants of the Rubiacae family. It’s no wonder that coffee can be so sweet, clean, and juicy. After all, it’s made with the berries of a flowering plant!
The two most popular species of coffea are: coffea arabica and coffea canephora (more commonly referred to as Robusta). However, there are over 120 known species of coffea–that’s a lot of coffea!
Coffea canephora
Coffea canephora, which is also known as Robusta, is known for its high levels of caffeine. In fact, it has about double the amount of caffeine as coffea arabica. Additionally, it is typically less sweet. Given the lower amounts of sweetness and presence of higher levels of caffeine, Robusta is often more bitter than coffea arabica–which is often remedied with cream and sugar.
Something that makes Robusta interesting from an agricultural standpoint is that it is less prone to pests and disease than coffea arabica, making it generally easier to produce. As scientists and producers around the world work to combat climate change and breed more sustainable crops of coffee, they continue to explore how Robusta and other species might play a role–whether it’s grafting the two species together or something else entirely.
Coffea arabica
Coffea arabica is believed to be the first species of coffea that was cultivated. [Read our blog post to learn more about Ethiopian coffee HERE]. At Stone Creek Coffee, we source 100% coffea arabica.
Coffea arabica is known for its unique flavor profiles that are unlike other coffea species. With more sugar and less caffeine than Robusta, arabica allows the fruity characteristics of the beans to shine through, which makes it more approachable to drink without cream and sugar (but is also tasty with). In a cup of arabica, you can experience flavor notes ranging from passion fruit all the way to butterscotch. Some coffees even taste like fruit cereal!
Arabica varieties
Within the coffea arabica species, there are many varieties, the total number being unknown, and each being unique. Some of the varieties that we have sourced at Stone Creek include Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon (pictured above), Red Bourbon, Typica, SL28, Ethiopian landraces, Maragogype, and more. You can truly taste the difference between varieties, even if they’re grown on the same farm, in the same conditions. Pretty nifty, eh?
Check out our coffee line up by clicking the button below and buy some of your favorite fruit today.