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| Coffea canephora | ||||||||||||||
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 Robusta Coffee
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| Coffea canephora L. |
Coffea canephora (Robusta Coffee; syn. Coffea robusta) is a species of coffee which has its origins in western Africa. It was grown mostly in Africa and Brazil, where it is often called Conillon. It is also grown in Southeast Asia where French colonists introduced it in the late 19th century. In recent years Vietnam, which only produces robusta, has surpassed Brazil, India, and Indonesia to become the world's single largest exporter. Approximately one third of the coffee produced in the world is robusta.
Canephora is easier to care for than the other major species of coffee, Coffea arabica, and hence is cheaper to produce. Since arabica beans are considered superior, robusta is usually limited to lower grade coffee blends as a filler. It is however included in instant coffee, and in espresso blends to promote the formation of "crema". Robusta has about twice the amount of caffeine compared to arabica.
Description
Coffea canephora was not classified as a species of Coffea until about a hundred years after Coffea arabica in the 18th century, but grew indigenously in Western and Central Africa. The plant has a shallow root system and grows as a robust tree or shrub to about 10 metres. Its flowers irregularly taking about 10 – 11 months for cherries to ripen, producing oval shaped beans. The Robusta plant has a greater crop yield than that of Coffea arabica and is less susceptible to pest and disease, but is said to a have a taste more bitter than Coffea arabica.
External links
- Comparison Chart of Robusta to Arabica
- Robusta Coffee in Vietnam
- Jan 2008 ICO break down of all Coffee exports
- Jan 2008 ICO beakdown of Green Coffee exports
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