Coffea canephora

Taxonomy

Though widely known by the synonym Coffea robusta, the plant is currently scientifically identified as Coffea canephora, which has two main varieties, C. canephora var. robusta and C. canephora var. nganda. over a hundred years after Coffea arabica.

Description

Robusta is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. The plant has a shallow root system and grows as a robust tree or shrub to about 10 m tall. It flowers irregularly, taking about 10–11 months for the berries to ripen, producing oval-shaped beans.

The robusta plant has a greater crop yield than that of arabica, contains more caffeine (2.7% compared to arabica's 1.5%), and contains less sugar (3–7% compared to arabica's 6–9%). As it is less susceptible to pests and disease, robusta needs much less herbicide and pesticide than arabica.

Native distribution

C. canephora grows indigenously in Western and Central Africa from Liberia to Tanzania and south to Angola. In 1927 a hybrid between robusta and arabica was found in Timor. This strain was subsequently used to breed coffee rust-resistant plants.

Cultivation and use

Robusta has its origins in central and western sub-Saharan Africa. and is less susceptible to disease than arabica coffea. It represents 43% of global coffee production, with arabica constituting the remainder except for the 1.5% constituted by Coffea liberica.

It is mostly grown in Vietnam, where French colonists introduced it in the late 19th century, though it is also grown in India, Africa, and in Brazil, where the conilon variety is widely grown. In recent years, Vietnam, which produces mostly robusta, has become the world's largest exporter of robusta coffee, accounting for over 40% of the total production. It surpasses Brazil (25% of the world's production), Indonesia (13%), India (5%), and Uganda (5%). Brazil is still the biggest coffee producer in the world, producing one-third of the world's coffee, though 69% of that is C. arabica.

Since Robusta is easier to care for and has a greater crop yield than C. arabica, it is cheaper to produce. Roasted robusta beans produce a strong, full-bodied coffee with a distinctive earthy flavour, but usually with more bitterness than arabica due to its pyrazine content. Since arabica beans are presumed to have smoother taste with more acidity and a richer flavour, they are often considered superior, while the harsher robusta beans are mostly used as a filler in lower-grade coffee blends.

References

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