What is Coffee?

Coffee comes from the fruit of a bush that originated in Africa. While there are many species of coffee plant only two are grown for consumption, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is the superior species. It provides a coffee of a finer taste and lower caffeine level and is therefore the most valuable.

However it is also more difficult to cultivate, needing an altitude of at least 800 metres, an average temperature of 20 to 25 degrees C and fertile acid rich soils to truly flourish. The problematic nature of growing Arabica led to the cultivation of Robusta. This variety is much more resilient, being able to grow at sea level, in higher temperatures and poorer soils. The trade-off is that robusta has a coarser taste, higher caffeine levels and is worth much less than Arabica.

Robusta is mainly used in instant coffees and blended with Arabica to form cheaper varieties of ground coffee. The best coffee is still Arabica, but Robusta has ensured coffee has become much more affordable and available than it would have been otherwise.