Aside from robusta, Arabica is one of the most common coffee beans available in Indonesia, whether at your favorite cafe or ready to be brewed at home. Yet, beehind the flavor that many coffee lovers adore, there are several interesting facts you might not know yet. Let’s get to know arabica coffee a little better with these fun facts below!
Among several coffee varieties out there, arabica is the one most widely cultivated and consumed around the world. Its smooth and aromatic character has gained many fans, whether casual coffee enjoyers or seasoned enthusiasts.
This is also backed by data from the International Coffee Organization (ICO) compiled by Katadata, which shows that arabica production reached around 105 million bags (60 kg per bag) in 2020 or accounting for about 60% of total world coffee production, far surpassing robusta with roughly 70 million bags in the same year.
Despite its name, arabica coffee was actually first discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia, not the Arabian Peninsula. According to the National Coffee Association (NCA), arabica coffee trees are direct descendants of wild coffee trees native to Ethiopia, before eventually cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula and spread across the world, including Indonesia.
Part of the reason why arabica coffee is so well-loved is its smooth, fruity character paired with a bright refreshing acidity and aroma that leans toward soft floral notes. These characteristics are why arabica coffee is widely sought by those who enjoy exploring the complexity of coffee flavours.
You can find this character in Unakaffe System Bali Kintamani coffee capsule, with notes of orange peel, grapefruit, and roasted nut, along with a refreshing medium acidity. Or, you can also try smooth fruity notes of red plum and red grape with Unakaffe System Luwak coffee capsule.
Compared to robusta, arabica has a lower caffeine content, at only around 0.4–2.4% of its total dry weight. This lower caffeine level gives it a smoother and less intense taste, making it a great fit for beginners trying coffee for the first time.
Arabica is mostly cultivated in highlands with cool temperatures between 18–21°C, typically at altitudes of 800 to 1,700 meters above sea level. Some of its variants, like Toraja coffee, grow at even higher altitudes like 2,000 meters or more. This cool climate slows down the ripening of the coffee cherries, making the cultivation process longer, yet resulting in a richer flavor.
You can experience the result of this process firsthand through Unakaffe System Toraja coffee capsule, with its bold, velvety body and signature notes of cocoa and grapefruit.
Arabica needs extra care due to being extra sensitive to even the slightest weather change. Humidity, rainfall, and temperature need to be kept within a certain range so that the coffee trees can grow optimally. It’s no surprise that cultivating arabica requires special treatment all the way to its harvest process, which still has to be done by hand by farmers.
Arabica coffee plants are self-pollinating, meaning they can fertilize themselves. This happens because their flowers are hermaphroditic, containing both pistils and stamens, so arabica plants don’t need wind or insects to pollinate. This unique trait actually helps keep its genetic character consistent from generation to generation, so the quality of its flavor stays intact even after generations.
As one of the world’s largest coffee-producing countries, many of Indonesia’s internationally renowned coffees are arabica, including Toraja, Mandheling, Kintamani, and Gayo coffee. Each region produces their own distinctive flavor character due the variety of each growing location as stated before on previous point.
Arabica truly is a coffee with rich history and character beloved by many, but the story doesn’t end here. You can also learn more about the arabica coffee grown in Bali, Toraja, Flores, and Mandailing through our previous articles.
But before that, get to know the story of arabica coffee even better through Unakaffe System single origin coffee capsules. Curated from the best coffee producing regions in Indonesia, you can enjoy it at home with just one click on your Unakaffe System coffee capsule machine.
Check out the full range of Unakaffe System coffee capsules here, or visit Unakaffe System to learn more about our coffee capsule machine.
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