I. What types of coffee beans are there?
On the market today there are the following popular types of coffee beans:
1. Arabica coffee beans
Arabica coffee is also known as tea coffee. The reason it is called that is because this coffee plant has small leaves and a low stem like the tea tree in Vietnam. Arabica originates from southwestern Ethiopia. Arabica coffee has 5 popular types: Caturra, Mocha, Bourbon, Typica, and Catimor. This coffee variety is often grown in places with altitudes of 1km or more - where there is a large difference between day and night temperatures.
Arabica coffee brings higher economic value
Arabica coffee beans have an oval and flat shape, with a curved groove in the middle with a low caffeine content of only 1 - 2.5%, slightly sour and slightly bitter taste. The process of caring for and harvesting Arabica coffee is more difficult than Robusta coffee, but the price is much higher than Robusta. Arabica coffee beans are used to make coffee for "flavor" to mix into base coffee (Robusta) to create different coffee brands in the world.
Brazil is the country that grows the most Arabica coffee in the world, accounting for two-thirds of the world's current coffee output. In Vietnam, there are two types of Arabica grown: Catimor and Moka and are usually only grown in Lam Dong. In which Catimor is mainly grown. Moka coffee beans have a charming aroma and light taste while Catimor has a strong aroma and a slightly sour taste.
2. Robusta coffee beans
Robusta coffee is also known as Robusta coffee, grown in low mountainous areas, from 600m or more. The Robusta coffee tree trunk is taller and has more branches, and the leaves are also larger than Arabica coffee.
Robusta coffee costs only about half that of Arabica
Robusta coffee beans are smaller than Arabica but have a stronger, bitter and sour taste than Arabica. Robusta's caffeine content is about 2-4% of the beans, about 1.2 times higher than Arabica varieties. This is the product that Vietnam grows and exports the most. Robusta coffee is mainly used as base coffee and instant coffee. Major coffee brands today use Robusta a lot as their base coffee.
Because the taste of Robusta coffee is not as highly appreciated as Arabica, the price is only half that of Arabica.
3. Culi coffee beans
Culi coffee, also known as marble coffee, Peaberry coffee, has large, round, shiny beans, with only 1 bean in a coffee fruit. Culi coffee has a strong aroma and bitter taste, black water, and especially the amount of caffeine is many times higher than Robusta and Arabica coffee varieties.
Culi coffee beans are large, round and shiny, looking like marbles
4. Cherry coffee beans
Cherry coffee is also known as jackfruit coffee, the tree is very large and the fruit is large. Currently, this coffee variety is no longer grown much in our country and around the world. There are two types of Cherry Coffee: Liberica and Exelsa. This type of coffee has the lowest commercial value among all types of coffee, because the coffee fruit is larger than other varieties but the bean yield is not high, the coffee beans are not uniform, and the flavor is not appreciated. as high as Arabica and Robusta. However, in return, this coffee variety is almost pest-free, can withstand drought well, and grows well.
Coffee has the lowest commercial value among all types of coffee
Cherry coffee beans are yellow and shiny, very beautiful. When brewed, Cherry coffee gives off the faint scent and sour taste of Cherry, so it is very popular with women.
II. Which type of coffee beans is the best in Vietnam?
Each type of coffee bean will have its own unique strengths and flavors, but the 3 types of coffee beans below are considered the best today:
1. Arabica coffee beans
In Vietnam, Arabica coffee is grown in mountainous areas, especially Cau Dat and Da Lat areas. Our country currently grows two main types: Moka and Catimor, which are very popular with Westerners and are also quite suitable for Vietnamese women because of their passionate aroma and slightly sour taste.
2. Robusta coffee beans
This is the most grown type of coffee in our country today in the Central Highlands province and other provinces. Robusta's taste is not sour, has a unique aroma and a fairly high caffeine content, so it is very popular with Vietnamese men. However, because the flavor is too strong, it is not very suitable for foreigners' tastes.
Arabica, Robusta, Culi are the best types of coffee today
3. Culi coffee
Culi is considered the best type of coffee bean because of its high caffeine content, strong bitter taste, attractive flavor and impresses drinkers the first time they enjoy it.
In addition to the three types of coffee beans mentioned above, Kopi Luwak coffee (Coffee Chon), although not popular, is also considered a "luxury product" and one of the best coffee beans in the world and Vietnam. Male. Weasel coffee beans have a nutty, gentle, sweet taste, with a subtle smell of smoke and chocolate flavor. Weasel coffee tastes very delicious when brewed, so the price is very high. One kilogram of weasel coffee costs about 1,300 USD, equivalent to about 20 million VND. On average, only about 200kg of Kopi Luwak coffee is sold in the world each year. Currently, only very few countries can produce this type of coffee, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Vietnam,... in very limited quantities.