Arabica and Robusta

Arabica and Robusta are two types of coffee beans. Robusta comes from the Coffea canephora plant and constitutes approximately 30% of global coffee production, making it the second most popular type. It is known for its strong, harsh, and deep flavor due to its high caffeine content, making it suitable for instant coffee. On the other hand, Arabica, the most widely produced bean, originates from the Coffea Arabica plant and is highly favored by coffee enthusiasts for its nuanced, aromatic, and sweeter taste. Arabica beans account for about 70% of the market, are of higher quality, and are more expensive.

The main differences between Arabica and Robusta lie in appearance and taste. Arabica beans are ovular, flat, and oilier, resulting in a sweeter and fruity taste. In contrast, Robusta beans are smaller, rounder, and less oily, leading to a harsher and more bitter flavor. Robusta has a higher caffeine content (2.7%) compared to Arabica (1.5%), along with lower sugar and lipid concentrations. Arabica is more challenging to cultivate but is preferred for its taste, while Robusta is hardier, easier to grow, and has a higher yield due to its caffeine acting as a natural insect repellent.

阿拉比卡和罗布斯塔是两种咖啡豆。罗布斯塔来自咖啡树的卡内福拉品种，约占全球咖啡产量的30%，是第二受欢迎的品种。它以高咖啡因含量赋予的浓烈、刺激而深厚的口感而闻名，因此非常适合制作速溶咖啡。相比之下，阿拉比卡是最广泛生产的豆种，起源于埃塞俄比亚高海拔的森林，据说在12世纪用于煮热饮。这个品种来自被称为阿拉比卡咖啡树的植物，绝对比罗布斯塔更受咖啡鉴赏家的喜爱。

豆子口感细腻、芬芳、甜美在很大程度上促使了阿拉比卡豆的受欢迎和认可。尽管咖啡因含量较低，但咖啡爱好者偏爱阿拉比卡豆，因为他们喜爱其美味口感。阿拉比卡豆在生产和贸易方面最为重要，占据市场的约70%，在质量上更高且更昂贵。

尽管有上百种不同的咖啡品种，但这两种是全球最受欢迎和喜爱的。

这两种咖啡的主要区别在外观上体现。阿拉比卡咖啡豆通常呈卵形、扁平且油性较大，因此口感更甜、爽口，有点果味。另一方面，罗布斯塔咖啡豆较小而圆。它们较少的油分使得其口感更为刺激和苦涩，通常具有更自然和土地的风味。

正如前文所提到的，另一个区别在于比较这两种咖啡豆时，咖啡因的含量不同，罗布斯塔中的咖啡因更为浓缩。罗布斯塔豆的咖啡因含量为2.7%，而阿拉比卡的咖啡因含量几乎是其一半，达到1.5%。此外，阿拉比卡含有几乎是罗布斯塔两倍的糖分浓度和约60%更多的脂质，这些特征可能显著影响消费者更喜欢阿拉比卡的原因。

顾名思义，罗布斯塔是一种非常耐寒的植物。在栽培方面，它更容易照料，在不同环境中生长，并且通常产量更高。由于咖啡因含量较高，它不太容易受到昆虫的影响，因为咖啡因对咖啡种子具有毒性，可以作为对昆虫的化学防御。

此外，很少有人意识到商业上种植的第三种咖啡，即莱比西亚，尽管它仅占全球咖啡贸易的2-3%，其风味可以被描述为果味、不寻常和特别浓郁，这要归功于低酸度和较不苦涩的香气，带有浓烈而坚定的余味。