Too Much Coffee

Unless I'm much mistaken, there are a few species of coffee, the main ones for drinking being arabica and robusta (and arabica being the only "good" one).

So this (arabica) is just one species. But within this species, there is a huge amount of variation in taste. To make a random comparison with chillies, there are hundreds (or thousands?) of separate chilli species, each with different strengths and tastes. But arabica is only one species, yet it has similar variation.

I appreciate that much is down to roasting, extraction, storage etc, but that's not really what I'm getting at -- I'm wondering how/why there are differences in the raw beans.

What are the main factors? Is it location and climate? Is it height above sea level? Is it the way it is grown, e.g. with fertilisers / organicly? Is local wildlife relevant?

If, hypothetically, all arabica beans were grown in exactly the same conditions, would they all taste exactly the same?!

Or am I missing the point entirely? E.g. are there actually thousands of "sub-species" (i.e. strains) of arabica, each with their own genetic profile? (Not that I want to sink into the realms of science, particularly...)

This just occured to me the other day and I've been wondering about it since.....

Tom

There are many, many different varieties of coffea arabica. These individual varieties are also grown in very individual conditions contributing to the variation in flavour. The ripeness of the cherry when picked, and the processing afterwards also impact the coffee. Then you have age of raw coffee, roast development, age of roasted coffee and then the very fragile brewing process. And I've missed out a tonne of other things that impact a particular lot's flavour.

Disturbingly complicated - it is a wonder, in a good way, that we get any delicious coffee at all!

Thanks James. I see I fundamentally misunderstood the nature of coffea arabica, i.e. that there are many different varieties. Fascinating stuff - thanks for enlightening me!

Tom

Have a look at www.hasblog.com

Steve is doing an ongoing series on Coffee varietal you WILL find interesting and precisley what you are looking for.

I've even seen Mr Hasbean using the dreaded "terroir" term recently!?!

Sad isn't it.

It hurt I can tell you