WHAT ABOUT SINGLE ORIGIN ROBUSTA? in Collaboration with Coffee Friend UK

WHAT ABOUT SINGLE ORIGIN ROBUSTA?

in Collaboration with Coffee Friend UK

Trends move pretty quickly in the world of coffee. Though single origin coffee has been popular for some time, not much of it has been available as robusta coffee. 

There are some stereotypes about robusta coffee that have steered many coffee lovers in another direction – most people opt for arabica. About 99% of all coffee beans that are sold can be categorized as one of either arabica or robusta.

One emerging trend is the fact that people are starting to see the upside of robusta and buy coffee of this variety, or species in this case. In this guide, we are exploring a bit more about coffee history, the differences between the two species, and the rise of single origin robusta.

THE TASTE OF ROBUSTA

Robusta has become so popular not because it is known to taste incredible, but because it can grow in virtually any situation. This is where it got the name, from being a ‘robust’ plant.

Generally, robusta has an earthy taste to it, and this can be a good thing if prepared correctly, but some robusta beans are pretty unpleasant. There are varieties that have a taste compared to burning rubber! 

Luckily, they aren’t all like this. On top of that, the fact that robusta has less oil content than the alternative, arabica, means they can keep the crema stable. They are fantastic for preparing espresso and espresso-based drinks like a latte.

A QUICK HISTORY OF ROBUSTA

Robusta was first discovered growing in Africa a couple hundred years ago. Estimates say this was in the 1800s. 

These days, it grows largely in Asia with big producers of Robusta in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Where the coffee is consumed in these locations, a lot of the traditional coffee drinks add a lot of sugar to combat bitter tastes, but you can find quality single origin varieties.

Just over 40% of coffee grown is thought to be robusta, and the reason it spread so far and wide is that the plant doesn’t need a moderate climate. It is fine if the weather is hot, and the plant is less prone to disease.

IS ROBUSTA JUST FOR INSTANT COFFEE?

A lot of instant coffee varieties include some robusta in the blend because of the fact that it can be cheap. 

On the open market, because of the fact that it is an easy plant to grow, you will find that it is pretty easy to get cheap robusta from suppliers if you are not worried about quality. There are a few instant coffee producers for whom this is definitely the case.

Poor quality instant coffee might include robusta, but that does not mean it is poor quality in all scenarios.

THE RISE OF ROBUSTA

One of the reasons why robusta has grown in recent years is the fashionable “high caffeine” coffees.

There are lots of coffee brands out there now aimed at the “energy drink” target market, and robusta is their main tool. Robusta coffees tend to have almost double the caffeine in them that arabica varieties have, which means you can get a serious morning boost from a robusta coffee.

A lot of these energy coffees are a blend, sometimes including a better tasting arabica along with a not-so-nice robusta to provide a high content of caffeine.

Instead of this, you can embrace the power of robusta and the boost it can give you in some other ways – using it for your morning espresso or latte, for example.

THE ARGUMENT FOR ROBUSTA

Robusta can taste great, though many coffee drinkers do not realize it.

Robusta has an earthy and sometimes smokey taste, with a bitterness that some find pleasant on its own, but others mix with sweet milk to give an overall balanced taste as it can make a delicious latte or cappuccino.

Some single-origin coffee roasters are using robusta to create espresso roasts, with the idea that this is the perfect use for the coffee. The fact that it has a great crema and less of a sugar content makes it very appealing for some.

This example of an awesome robusta espresso coffee shows how delicious the coffee can be, with a smooth nutty aftertaste.

Some robusta coffees are surprising, with a taste of dark chocolate being relatively common. If you do not tend to like bitter coffee, then you can pair this with milk or plant-based milk to balance the flavour.

SUMMARY – THE RISE OF ROBUSTA

All coffee is about variety, and robusta is another enjoyable type of coffee that people can drink and incorporate into their daily habits. 

While it might not always work well as a drip coffee, this can be perfect for those of us with an espresso coffee machine, or even a bean to cup machine that can make espresso-based, barista style drinks. Plus, if you like the pick-me-up of coffee, robusta could be your new best friend!

FOOTNOTES

This article was written in collaboration with Coffee Friend UK.