ARABICA TYPICA COFFEE BEANS | CHARACTERISTICS, TASTE, ORIGIN
Typica coffee has a long history and was once considered the gold standard for all measures of coffee quality. However, at the present time, despite the high yield, the resistance to pests and diseases is very poor, so Typica coffee is not widely grown. But that is not so important, because for coffee lovers, Typica is the "ancestor" of today's famous Arabica varieties and they want to find out about Typica's journey as a way to find the origin of cups. Delicious coffee, this is what really means.
What is Typica Coffee?
Typica coffee is a type of Arabica , belonging to the purebred Arabica coffee variety. Typica is also the oldest coffee variety in the world and the first coffee strain to be discovered. Typica coffee tree is quite tall compared to other normal coffee trees, the small branches grow in a cone shape and inclined at an angle of 60 degrees to the main branch. Their leaves are usually golden-bronze. Typica seeds are oval in shape, quite small in size.
It is said that Typica coffee is the queen of the coffee kingdom. Because in order to grow and take care of this plant, it is necessary to have a suitable climate and soil condition to get the big and eye-catching coffee fruits as we still see.
Compared with Bourbon trees, Typica trees have longer beans and produce about 20-30% less coffee. This is a very difficult coffee variety to grow because they are susceptible to pests and diseases and can only grow at an altitude of 1500m, so they are few and rare. However, Typica coffee gives high yield and quality, is loved by many people and is considered a measure for all evaluation of the quality of coffee. Because this is also a coffee variety with genetic factors that are extremely important in the breeding of coffee varieties today. According to WCR Arabica Typica is commonly known as a group with many of these descendants cultivated scattered around the world and bearing different names such as Criollo (Creole), Indio (in India) or Arábigo (in India). Arabica),…
Origin and development history of coffee Typica
As the most genetically important coffee in the world, very few people know the true origin of the Typica coffee bean . According to many historical records, the coffee forests of southwestern Ethiopia and Yemen were the place where Typica coffee beans were found (about the 16th century), and then these seeds were sent to India, specifically to India. Baba Budan to create Malabar coffee plantations at that time.
In 1696 - 1699 the Dutch also came and brought Typica coffee beans to Batavia, in Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia today. But not stopping here, the turning point to place the source of coffee varieties later began at the Amsterdam botanical garden.
Specifically in 1706, from the Typica coffee group on the island of Java - Indonesia, a single Typica coffee tree was brought to Amsterdam. Then in 1714, the peace treaty between Utrecht, the Netherlands and France was signed, the mayor of Amsterdam gave a coffee tree of this variety to King Louis IV of France, from which this coffee variety began to appear in the world. greenhouse of the Jardin des Plantes and gradually spread later.
Typica's presence in Central & South America
Typica coffee appeared in Central & South America in the 17th century, when the French and Dutch empires were dividing a colony of Guianas in South America. At this time one side was controlled by the Dutch, the other side was in the hands of the French. And so, in 1719, Typica coffee spread from Guiana-Netherlands to French Guiana and then appeared in Brazil in 1727.
Then, from Brazil, Typica coffee continued to be shipped to Peru and Paraguay. By the end of the 18th century, the cultivation of Typica coffee spread to the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo), Mexico and Colombia, and from there to Central America (it was grown in El Salvador as early as 1740. ). Currently, because the coffee variety Typica has a low yield and is very susceptible to coffee diseases such as rust, berry and nematodes, it has been gradually replaced in many countries.
The presence of Typica coffee in Vietnam
In the 1875s, the French came to Cau Dat (Da Lat) and set up a number of plantations here to cultivate Typica coffee varieties. At that time in Vietnam, this type of coffee was very expensive, only the aristocracy and upper class could enjoy it. But since 2001 because the yield of this type of coffee is very low, the price of coffee has also decreased sharply, people have begun to cut down Typica and replace it with coffee varieties with higher yield.
Then, Typica was gradually "usurped" and no longer has a foothold in the market, people only know it with the name "Moka Cau Dat". Today, to get pure Typica coffee in Vietnam is quite difficult and the output is extremely limited. But perhaps that's why this coffee becomes more precious than ever!
The taste of Arabica Typica
With its distant history and origin along with its genetic characteristics, Typica coffee also has a very different taste compared to other coffee varieties. Accordingly, Typica has an ecstatic fragrance that can seduce anyone who wants to touch it, it is a distinctly luxurious fragrance often associated with fruity, chocolate flavors. In terms of taste, this coffee contains a large amount of malic acid – giving it a sour taste like in an apple.
