What is Specialty Coffee, its Arabica origin and geography?

What is Specialty Coffee

What is Specialty Coffee

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Main Contents

• A. Origin of Arabica
• B. Characteristics of Arabica coffee
• C. Distribution of Arabica coffee
• D. Here are some popular Arabica varieties

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What is Specialty Coffee

A. Origin of Arabica

Arabica coffee beans, its exceptional flavour and aromatic qualities, has captivated the palates of coffee connoisseurs around the world.

So where is arabica coffee from?
Let us embark on a journey to explore this Arabica beans, we delve into the origins, geography, history and landscapes that have shaped this beloved bean.

From the misty mountains of Ethiopia to the high-altitude plantations of Central and South America, lets unfold the story of Arabica coffee through its geographical roots. 

Together we will unravel the mysteries and trace its path through time and terrain, to discover the distinctive taste and character of this globally cherished brew.

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B. Characteristics of Arabica coffee

The nominal altitude for Arabica coffee cultivation is from 1200 to 2200m. Arabica suitable in high mountains, with temperature between 15 to 24 deg C.

Mature trees reach a height of 2.5 – 4.5m. Harvest begins 3 to 4 years after planting. Coffee that reaches 25 years old is considered old and has no economic value.

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C. Distribution of Arabica coffee

From history records, in the early days of coffee production in the world, Arabica was the only coffee variety before the 19th century.
Arabica varieties selected have the ability to adapt to the environment and produced in high quality.

From the first Bourbon and Typica varieties many different varieties have been created (natural mutations or by humans).
Statistically there are currently 125 coffee varieties of the Arabica species distributed in many continents of Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, China, the Caribbean Islands, and the Pacific Ocean.

D. Here are some popular Arabica varieties

Arabica Typica

This group has many sub-varieties with cultivation around the world.
Current coffee production is mainly based on coffee plant varieties developed from the Typica and Bourbon varieties.
Most coffee plants in South America and Brazil (97.55%) belong to these two types.

Arabica Bourbon variety

Bourbon coffee is the almost “ultimate” link in the connection of Arabica coffee varieties. The high quality correlation of these two coffee varieties has been a measure of quality throughout the history of the coffee industry.
The first Bourbon coffee tree was planted by the French on the island of Bourbon (now Réunion) in the middle of the Indian Ocean around 1708.

Hybrid varieties between Typica and Bourbon

Mundo Novo is a natural hybrid between Bourbon and Typica, first discovered in Mineiros do Tiete, Sao Paulo, Brazil. This hybrid coffee variety founded in 1943 in the urban area of Novo Mundo (now Urupes). The Mundo Novo coffee plant is widely grown in the South American country. This coffee trees is too tall and difficult to mass cultivate by farmers.

Arabica Catuai is a hybrid between Mundo Novo and Caturra that appeared in Brazil in the late 1940s. Catuai currently accounts for 50% of the coffee area in Brazil using widely in Central America and typically Costa Rica and Guatemala. Catuai variety are easy to care, its yellow fruit has higher yield than Bourbon.

Above are some popular Arabica coffee varieties up to the present time. We hope this read may give you a better understanding on the Arabica coffee variety.

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Try our coffees

Every few months we sourced from different countries to select the best farm coffees harvest. We gently micro-batch drum roast all of our coffee beans in our roastery in Singapore. Indulge yourself in our flavourful coffees!

Get our fresh roast coffee beans on-demand from our Lazada and Shopee stores: 

Lazada.sg/shop/soji-coffee/ 

Shopee.sg/soji.coffee

Or visit our shop at : 38A Beo Crescent Market #01-52 Singapore 169982 (Opening Hours > Click Here < )

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What is Specialty Coffee