Arabica, which today represents 59% of the worlds coffee production.
originated in the highlands of Ethiopia. It is sensitive to hot and humid conditions. the fruit is deep red, shiny and plump like cherries, each containing two Arabica seeds, or beans.
With rain, the fruit flourishes, and a careful harvesting process begins.
Coffee Beans
The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, found inside a red fruit often called the cherry. Each cherry contains two seeds (beans) surrounded by a membrane called the parchment, and a layer of sweet pulp. Arabica beans are fairly flat and elongated, with a sinuous groove.
Genetically Arabica is the only species with 44 chromosomes of Coffea. Chemically, Arabicas caffeine content varies from 0.9 to 1.7% of each beans volume.
In the Cup
In the cup, a well-prepared espresso borne of exclusively high-quality Arabica is beautifully fragrant, sweet and round, with a slight and pleasant acidity, often chocolaty, with an aftertaste of caramel and just a mild hint of bitterness.
The rich, creamy layer on top, or crema, should have a light reddish brown hue, unbroken and painted with tiger-like stripes.
