#9. What’s Robusta?
What’s Robusta?
You've probably often heard of or seen Robusta beans... But what does that term truly mean?
Robusta is considered as an Arabica parent and the second of the two main species discovered.
Robusta, originated in western and central sub-Saharan Africa, is a species of coffee bean (Coffea robusta). It is one of the most resistant coffee beans cultivated in the world for its physical and chemical attributes, accounting for around 40% of global coffee production. The biggest Robusta cultivators are the Central-Western African and Asian countries.
Robusta beans are light brown in color with a round shape. It takes between 10 to 11 months for coffee flowers to transform into the ripe cherry, and they need a temperature of 24-30C. They are considered a more robust species because they are very resistant to diseases. They also grow at low elevations (600 m) with a hot-humid climate and produce bigger yields compared to Arabica.
The taste profile of Robusta coffee is strong, earthy, and bitter. It often has a distinctive full body enriched by bitter chocolate notes and a persistent aftertaste. Taste, compared to Arabica, is the result of double the amount of caffeine, fewer lipids, and reduced concentration of sugar.
There are 2 different families of Robusta coffee beans with varying flavor profiles:
Washed Robusta is intense, full-bodied, and chocolatey, whereas Natural Robusta is robust, very fulll-bodied, and woody.
Here is our 100% whole bean Lavazza Robusta selection for you:
Qualita Rossa
You can also find a mix blend – Lavazza Robusta and Arabica:
Top Class
