COFFEE
1. The Origin Of Robusta Coffee
Robusta coffee was first discovered in the Congo – in the 1800s.Coffea canephora is also a native tree of the tropical forests surrounding Lake Victoria in Uganda. Robusta coffee was introduced in Southeast Asia in the 1900s; after Coffee Leaf Rust wiped out all the Arabica varieties in Sri Lanka in 1869 (or 1867 according to Wiki); and attacked most of the plantations in Java – Indonesia in 1876. Currently Robusta accounts for 30% to 40% of total world coffee production; popular in West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, Central – South America mainly Brazil (where it is called Conillon).
The popularization of Robusta coffee trees began near the Lomani River, a tributary of the Congo River in Central Africa. Through an incubator in Brussels, Robusta coffee from the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) was shipped to Java. From here, it was successfully propagated to establish plantations in other countries such as India, Uganda and Ivory Coast – The Craft and Science of Coffee.
2. Botany characteristics:
Robusta coffee is grown mainly in geographical areas on the sides of the equator, where the average temperature ranges from 22-26 ° C. Ideal height for growing coffee trees is from 200-900m above sea level. However, it can adapt well even at an altitude of 2300m. Therefore, they are only suitable for places where the rainfall ranges from 1200 – 2500 mm. In addition, this line of coffee also has poor cold tolerance. They are only suitable in areas with temperatures between 18-36 °C.For these reasons, Robusta is widely distributed in continental Africa, Southeast Asia and South America
Robusta coffee has outstanding features compared to Arabica such as resistance to rust, stem borer and insect glands. This feature is the deciding factor that makes the name Robusta. The name Robusta appeared when it was discovered that the coffee has very good antifungal and pest resistance. In Italian, Robusto means strong and tough.Not only is it more adaptable than Arabica, Robusta is also much more productive than Arabica.
Robusta coffee is characterized by a bitter taste, from neutral to bitter.The taste of Robusta is not appreciated by Arabica in terms of purity, natural aroma. Therefore, the price of Robusta is usually much lower than that of Arabica. However, the outstanding feature of this coffee variety is the very high caffeine content, accounting for about 2 – 4% of coffee beans while Arabica has only 1 – 3%.
However, in fact, when wet-processed Robusta coffee can give higher quality than conventional Arabica varieties (because Arabica has many varieties and not all are good). So the comparison of Arabica and Robusta is sometimes not entirely accurate.Robusta Cafe is bitter but has a sweet fragrance, not sour but sweeter than Arabica.
We can also combine these two flavors together with a neutralizer such as cocoa or chocolate with a certain amount to enjoy the taste better.Normally, people often apply the formula: 30% of Arabica coffee, 40% of Robusta and the remaining 30% is a neutral coffee or cocoa. However, if you like to enj oy coffee on your own, you can completely change the recipe above to suit you best.
4. Robusta coffee growing areas in Vietnam:
Currently in Vietnam, there are many coffee growing areas, such as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh,CentralHighlands and the South. However, in terms of climatic conditions, the provinces in the Central Highlands are the most suitable for coffee trees to grow. So this tree is grown especially here. Coffee plantations with very high yield and excellent coffee quality were born, especially in Dak Lak and Gia La
However, the best coffee varieties, with the highest quality known, often come from Da Lat of Lam Dong. Conditions of elevation, temperature, water and light here are extremely favorable for leading plants such as Moka, Robusta, Bourbon.
The tropical monsoon climate in Vietnam is very suitable for developing coffee trees, especially high-quality coffee such as Arabica, Robusta, Cherry.
5. Robusta coffee beans is good for health:
I n coffee, a lot of caffeine is a substance that has many effects on the body; and the minerals and beneficial compounds also give regular coffee drinkers many benefits.
Talking about the beneficial effects of coffee, one can list a range of items such as: Anti-drowsiness, help the spirit of refreshment, more comfort, prevent cancer, aging, prolong life, do beauty, weight loss, … And many other benefits.
However, these benefits are only available when consumed in moderation; on average 2 to 3 or 5 cups of coffee a day. If you overuse coffee, it can also cause users to receive many unfortunate consequences such as: Insomnia, drunken coffee, phantom bars, coffee addiction, hypertension.
6. Robusta coffee beans prices:
Usually, Robusta coffee is much lower priced than Arabica. The reason for the price of these two types of coffee is this difference for 2 reasons: Taste: robusta coffee is bitter and much less aromatic than arabica. In addition, in terms of fat and sugar content, Arabica contains 60% more fat and twice as much sugar as Robusta. Processing: Robusta coffee is usually processed dry. Meanwhile, arabica coffee is usually proces sed wet, undergoing fermentation to create a rich flavor.