The Robusta coffee plant is a hardier and more easily cultivated variety of coffee. It will grow at lower subtropical altitudes and is less susceptible to diseases and pests. It also has a higher yield than the Arabica.
The Robusta coffee bean lacks the depth of flavor of the Arabica bean but has a higher level of caffeine content. The Robusta variety is believed to have originated in Uganda, and is now widely grown in Africa, Brazil and Vietnam.
The value of Robusta beans is lower because it is the less desired of the two. This economic consideration has led to the common use of Robusta beans in coffee blends. Their lower price has also led to most instant coffee being derived from Robusta beans.
However, the higher caffeine content, the Robusta bean's role in creating the famous crema top found on a good espresso, and the sheer volume of demand for coffee, are other reasons for the popularity of Robusta coffee. Processing methods have been developed that can reduce the less desirable harsher "burnt rubber" taste of Robusta coffee.
Coffee beans are the "pips" of a cherry-like fruit, and the coffee trees are usually pruned to grow to four to six feet in height to facilitate the hand picking that is necessary because the fruit ripens at varying times.
Global coffee production is approaching 7 million tonnes a year, and prices have fallen since the late 1990s with plentiful levels of supply, especially since Vietnam entered the market with large additional export volumes.
While coffee has become a globally traded commodity, the several varieties and varying growing conditions around the world has created niche markets of premium quality coffee beans.
One of the more unique coffee niches is the Kopi Luwak or "monkey bean" coffee from Indonesia, which is a coffee bean that has passed through the digestion system of a tree dwelling palm civet. This bean results in a premium coffee that is very popular with gourmet coffee connoisseurs.
Robusta Coffee Bean
