Arabica

Arabica (Coffea arabica) is the species behind most of the coffee people think of as good coffee. It accounts for roughly 60 to 70% of world production and dominates specialty entirely. Compared to robusta, arabica tends to be sweeter, more aromatic, and more complex, with brighter acidity and a wider range of flavors from floral to fruity to chocolatey.

Why it matters: arabica is what gives single origins their sense of place. It thrives at higher, cooler altitudes, typically above 900 to 1,000 meters, where slower cherry development concentrates sugars. That same fussiness makes it harder to grow: it is more vulnerable to disease, frost, and heat than robusta, and it carries about half the caffeine (roughly 1.2 to 1.5% by weight).

Arabica is not one flavor but a whole family of varieties, including bourbon, typica, gesha, and caturra. See arabica-vs-robusta for the head-to-head and varietals-deep-dive for the family tree.