Coffee Robusta

Coffee plantation - Robusta coffee

There are several species of coffee, all belonging to the genus Coffea. Commercially the most important is Arabica coffee, followed by Robusta cofee. About 80% of all coffee produced is Arabica and 20% is Robusta.

Robusta coffee tastes stronger and has more bitterness than Arabica coffee. It also has higher crop yields than Arabica coffee and it contains more caffeine.

Names

Scientific
   Coffea canephora
Synonym
   Coffea robusta
English
   Robusta coffee
Dutch
   Robusta-koffie
Spanish
   Café Robusta
French
   Café robusta
   Caféier
   Caféier robusta
German
   Robusta-Kaffee
   Tiefland-Kaffee
Italian
   Caffè varietà robusta

Taxonomy

Genus
   Coffea
Family
   Rubiaceae
Order
   Gentianales

Basic information and facts

Origin:

Ethiopia

Distribution:

High production in Vietnam and Brazil, but also produced in India, Indonesia and western and central Africa.

Evergreen or deciduous:

Evergreen

Flowers:

Leaves:

Fruits:

Climate and weather:

Pollination:

Coffea canephore (Robusta coffee)
needs cross pollination.
Pollination is by bees and other insects.

Height:

It’s a shrub or small tree which can become about 10 meter tall.

Blooming period

Type of soil:

Coffee prefers rich fertile soils. Coffee responds well to
compost and manure and the use of a thick mulch.

Spacing (close range)

Spacing (wide range)

Propagation:

Usually propagated by seed, but also grafting.

Insect pests and diseases:

Robusta has less pest and disease problems than Arabica coffee.

Fruit development:

Fruits are first green and turn red when ripe.

Harvesting:

Ripe fruits are hand picked.

Uses:

From ripe fruits the flesh of the berry is removed (usually by machine). The seeds (coffee beans) are then fermented to remove the slimy layer which still covers the bean. Then the beans are washed to remove fermentation residue and dried. The green seeds are then roasted before they are used to brew coffee. There are many different ways to brew coffee: boiled, steeped, or pressured.
Robusta coffee is often used in Italian espresso blends because it gives full-bodied taste and it gives a better foam head on the espresso.

Proverbs and Quotes

A cup of coffee commits one to forty years of friendship.
And then there is coffee! (Dutch advertisement)
Coffee and love are best when they are hot.
Coffee and love taste best when hot.
Coffee from the top of the cup and chocolate from the bottom.
Coffee has two virtues, it’s wet and it’s warm.
Coffee is our bread. (Ethiopian proverb)
Coffee is to wake up, coffee is to work with, coffee is to live with, coffee is life.
Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops, and spend their money, all for a little base, black, thick, nasty, bitter, stinking nauseous puddle water.
Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.
Conscience keeps more people awake than coffee.
Everybody needs something to believe. I believe I’ll have another cup of coffee!
Instant Human: Just Add Coffee.
Is there life before coffee?
This is coffee of yesterday. If you want coffee of today, please come back tomorrow.
Too much coffee is bad for my health. I don’t know if it will kill me, but if it does I hope to come back as a coffee pot.
You can’t take the milk back from the coffee.
Coffee is a beverage that puts one to sleep when not drank. (by: Alphonse Allais)
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat. (by: Alex Levine)
Black as the devil, Hot as hell, Pure as an angel, Sweet as love. (by: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand)
It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity. (by: Dave Barry)
I like my coffee strong and my women weak. (Alexander Pappas)

Crop categories

Stimulants
Food crops
Tropical crops

Pictures