Vietnamese Coffee: Team Arabica or Team Robusta

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages around the world. You must have heard about coffee from South America and Africa, but there is another coffee that is unique and has a style of its own! And It’s Vietnamese coffee. You must be amazed to know that Vietnam is the second-largest producer of coffee in the world, after Brazil.

According to International Coffee Organization, the top 10 world’s coffee producers are:

You might also wonder what’s so special about Vietnamese coffee and why it is regarded as one of the most famous coffees in the world? The secret lies in its method of preparing, brewing, and consuming!

The famous coffee beans found in Vietnam are Robusta, Arabica, Weasel, Cherry, and Elephant. But here, in this article, we are going to talk about the most popular Vietnamese coffees and that is Arabica & Robusta.

Arabica vs Robusta:

Generally, coffee beans are comprised of two primary types - Arabica and Robusta. The major difference lies in their characteristics and flavor. Though they belong to the same family plant, there is a difference in their growing conditions, flavor, and quality.

You will find them quite similar to each other at a first glance, but don’t let this fool you! There is a huge difference between the two.

Let’s talk about both of them separately!

Arabica Coffee Beans:

According to experts, the first coffee beans ever consumed were Arabica coffee beans. That might be the reason that today, Arabica beans are regarded as the most common coffee beans in the world.

Arabica beans grow at heights of 0.8-2.1 kilometers above sea level, and they prefer deep rich soil. They require about 9 months for ripening.

They have a unique shape as they are long and thin and therefore you can easily recognize them. Arabica beans need more attention and investment in their cultivation. Hence, Arabica ends up being costly than Robusta.

According to a study, Arabica beans have a significant correlation between roasting time and brittleness.

Arabica bean’s antioxidant level and overall lipid content are higher than Robusta beans. They are especially famous for having a sweeter, softer, fruity taste, with a lot of sugar, berries, and fruits.

Robusta Coffee Beans:

Robusta beans grow at a height of 0.2-0.9 kilometers above sea level and do not require soil moisture. Thus, Robusta beans are easier to grow than Arabica beans. They can grow at a lower altitude than Arabica.

A study shows that Robusta coffee beans are superior to Arabica coffee with respect to the effects on lipid profile, adiponectin level, and hepatic gene expression.

Robusta beans have a round shape and they are smaller in size than Arabica beans. They are dark in colour and have a low acidity content.

Robusta beans have a stronger and bitter taste as compared to Arabica beans. So what is the reason for this? This is because Robusta’s sugar content is lower and they pack more caffeine than Arabica. For some, Robusta beans are inferior to Arabica beans due to its image.

Now you must have enough knowledge about the Arabica and Robusta coffee beans. Here a question might arise that which one is better than another?

Well, it comes down to a matter of personal preference. However, if you talk about Vietnam, Robusta beans are mostly used. What matters is that, whichever coffee you like to drink, your main priority should be picking the highest quality beans.

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