EPISODE 6 — ARABICA, CANEPHORA AND BEYOND

When I first entered the coffee industry, I often heard a very simple message: Arabica is good. Robusta is inferior. But the more I studied—and the more coffees I tasted from different origins—the more I realized that coffee cannot be understood through labels alone. Coffea arabica is celebrated for its broad aromatic and sensory diversity. Coffea canephora—commonly known in the market as Robusta—generally contains more caffeine and can express pronounced body, sweetness, bitterness, and its own distinctive sensory character. But species alone does not determine quality. An Arabica that is poorly cultivated, harvested, or processed may produce a disappointing cup. Meanwhile, carefully cultivated, selectively harvested, and skillfully processed Canephora can offer sweetness, clarity, complexity, and a powerful identity. Coffee diversity also extends far beyond these two species. Liberica—Coffea liberica—and Excelsa—Coffea dewevrei—bring different genetic, agricultural, climate-resilience, and sensory possibilities to the global coffee world. Tasting coffees from different species and origins taught me an important lesson: Taste before judging. Different does not mean inferior. Every coffee deserves to be understood through its genetics, environment, cultivation, harvest, processing, roasting—and ultimately, how it expresses itself in the cup. The more I learn about coffee diversity, the less interested I become in simple labels. And the more curious I become about what every coffee can truly become.