About Coffee Robusta | What is Coffea canephora | Conilon Coffee
Get to know Coffee Robusta, which is known as Conilon Coffee in Brazil.
Coffee has been acclaimed as “the most grateful lubricant known to the human machine,” and “the most delightful taste in all nature.”
The four main varieties of coffee are Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica and all four of them have radically different taste profiles. The most common (and popular) are Arabica and Robusta.
Coffea canephora is also known as Conilon (be it a bean, brewed in the cup, or the plant itself) in Brazil. Canephora is widely referred to by the common name robusta.
Strictly speaking, in Brazil robusta or Conilon refers only to one specific strain of canephora.
Robusta Coffee or Coffea canephora accounts for 30% – 40% of the world’s coffee production and is utilised for coffee blends by roasters. Coffea canephora, along with Coffea eugenioides, is actually a parent of Coffea arabica.
Usually, the caffeine content of coffee Robusta is almost double that of coffee Arabica, around 2.2 to 2.7% by weight and also gives you a much better crema too.
Coffea canephora - Robusta Coffee
What is Robusta Coffee?
Coffea canephora also known as Robusta coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae.
Robusta is a robust (hence the name) shrub or small tree that grows up to 10 metres high. The fruits are rounded and take up to 11 months to mature; the seeds are oval in shape and smaller than Arabica seeds.
The Robusta coffee variety originated in Central and West Africa. At the end of the 19th century, the discovery of Robusta in the Congo opened the way for coffee cultivation in lowland areas.
Coffea canephora grows indigenously in Western and Central Africa from Liberia to Tanzania and south to Angola. It is also reportedly naturalised in Borneo, French Polynesia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Jamaica and the Lesser Antilles.
Robusta coffee can be grown between sea level and about 800 metres, it is easy to care for and has a greater crop yield.
It has almost double the amount of caffeine and more antioxidants and is less susceptible to disease than Coffea arabica and as a result, it’s cheaper to produce.
Good-quality robusta beans are used in traditional Italian espresso blends, at about 10–15%, to provide a full-bodied taste and a better foam head (known as crema).
Robusta beans are also used as a stimulant, diuretic, antioxidant, antipyretic and relieve spasmodic asthma.
Where did Coffee Robusta originate from?
Where is the origin of Robusta Coffee?
The Robusta coffee variety originated in Central and West Africa. At the end of the 19th century, the discovery of Robusta in the Congo opened the way for coffee cultivation in lowland areas.
Coffea canephora grows indigenously in Western and Central Africa from Liberia to Tanzania and south to Angola.
The Robusta varietal is extremely robust in its environment and practically immune to disease. It can withstand different altitudes, but particularly requires a hot climate where rainfall is irregular.
India and Coffee Robusta
How did Coffea canephora propagate in India?
India grew coffee Arabica since the introduction from Yemen to Chikmagalur in 1670 which is attributed to the Sufi Baba Budan.
However, these trees were not immune to Devastating Emily’s decimating invasion. Research at the time actually showed the largest variety in the fungal (Hemileia vastatrix) race causing coffee leaf rust to be found in India.
Coming 5th in the list of top Robusta producing countries behind Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and Uganda, India has played a role that placed it at the heart of a situation.
Back when colonial rule abounded, the Dutch had governates, commandments, and directorates across parts of India – Ceylon, Coromandel, Malabar, Bengal and more.
These were used by the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie), or Dutch East India Company for trade, and gave birth to the reality of Monsoon Malabar.
We do not associate these coffees as being introduced by the Dutch due to the system that only required people to grow coffee without specifying anything further.
As a result, the locals did not sacrifice good land for coffee plants or pay any particular attention to them. As a result, the produced coffee was poor and serviced a very limited market.
Following the Kew Letters, the Travancore kingdom’s interlude following the Battle of Colachel, and a subsequent back and forth between the Dutch and English that Robusta got more commonly introduced.
This was due to the spread of British colonisation after taking over from the Dutch which changed the growing habits of coffee farmers.
The timing also coincided with the decimation of arabica from a fungal infection in the Island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and the plantations of India.
The Coffee Rust & Decimation of Coffee in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
What steps are being taken today in Sri Lanka to revive their coffee economy?
Between 1869 and 1930, the coffee rust spread from Ceylon across the rim of the Indian Ocean Basin, extending from the eastern coast of Africa to the archipelagos of the western Pacific.
It spread by means both natural and human – by winds and by migrant labourers and planters travelling the new steamship routes. The epidemic left “Arabica graveyards” in India, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, and many smaller regions.
Coffee planters sought the help of scientists to help understand the dynamics of this new disease and (ideally) to develop tools to manage it, but nothing came of it.
In the early 1900s, the coffee research station in Java, in the Dutch East Indies, pioneered work on the rust for the development of commercially viable strains of Coffea canephora, especially the variety known commercially as Robusta coffee.
However, for many planters, the only viable response was to abandon coffee cultivation altogether. In Ceylon, coffee planters had, by the late 1880s, switched from cultivating coffee to cultivating tea.
Dutch breeders developed a neutral-tasting, commercially viable strain of Robusta. Because of its indifferent taste, it has typically commanded a much lower price than Arabica coffee.
But it proved to be a viable crop in areas where it was impossible to cultivate Arabica—such as the rust-ridden tropical lowlands of the Indian Ocean Basin—and where labour and input costs were relatively low.
Consuming markets also created a space for Robusta. In the United States and Europe, coffee roasters created blends of Arabica and Robusta coffees, with the Arabica providing the flavour, and the Robusta providing bulk and a lower cost.
In Europe, Robustas were also commonly blended with Arabicas for espresso coffee, where Robusta helped produce the drink’s distinct crema.
Today, Sri Lanka is trying to reemerge in the coffee production scene spearheaded by the efforts of the Lanka Coffee Association.
The Lanka Coffee Association aims to create global recognition for the ‘Ceylon Coffee‘ brand and the local speciality coffee industry.
Led by the private sector, the association aspires to build and expand the export profile of Ceylon Coffee through;
- industry-wide collaborative efforts,
- create standards for coffee farming in Sri Lanka,
- incentivise farmers to increase coffee production,
- improve the coffee supply chain via knowledge sharing, research and technology,
- facilitate price uniformity,
- lead market-focused initiatives to educate consumers,
- improve industry coordination, and
- advocate for the local coffee industry.
Where is Coffee Robusta grown now?
Where did Robusta Coffee originate and where is it grown now?
Robusta originated in Africa and is grown in Asia (Vietnam is the world’s largest producer accounting for 40%), Brazil (25%), Indonesia (15%), and India (6%) follow.
What are the climatic preferences of Coffee Robusta?
What are the growing preferences of Coffea canephora?
Coffea canephora or coffee robusta originates from equatorial rainforests at low to medium altitudes between 250 and 1500 m.
The optimum average annual temperatures for the species fluctuate between 22°C and 26°C, with an annual rainfall pattern between 1200 and 2500 mm and no prolonged dry season.
In its areas of origin, Coffea canephora grows mainly on red soils (oxisols, ultisols) that are flat to gently sloping, well-drained, and acidic soils with low native fertility.
What are the varieties of Robusta Coffee?
What are the subspecies of Coffea canephora?
Robusta exists in many different forms and varieties in the wild. The cross-bred strains of this variety of coffee are often hard to identify, but two main types are generally recognised: Erecta (Coffea quillou), or upright forms, and Nganda (Coffea ugandae), or spreading forms.
In Brazil, coffee growers are careful to distinguish between robusta and the other types of canephora, of which the most common is known in Brazil as Conilon.
What is Conilon Coffee?
Is Conilon coffee a Robusta variant?
Brazil not only dominates the world’s supply of Coffea arabica, but it is also second only to Vietnam in the production of Coffea canephora.
Canephora is widely referred to by the common name robusta, but strictly speaking, robusta refers only to one specific strain of canephora in Brazil.
In Brazil, coffee growers are careful to distinguish between robusta and the other types of canephora, of which the most common is known & grown as conilon.
Because canephora must be cross-pollinated to bear fruit, growing canephora from seed results in a range of genetically distinct plants which can have very different characteristics.
Robusta and conilon are therefore not single, stable varieties, but groups of related varieties.
Conilon plants, farmed in Brazil today, were originally found along the river Kouilou in the Democratic Republic of Congo. When written down, the “Kouilou” was misspelt, and became “Konilon”, later becoming “conilon”.
In Brazil, conilon is widely cultivated in the states of Espírito Santo & Rondônia, where the largest Brazilian production of this coffee variety is concentrated.
What is the taste of Robusta Coffee?
What does Coffea canephora taste like?
High-quality Robusta beans have a special, acceptable and distinct flavour profile that is unique to the beans. though mediocre beans may be more bitter and acrid than Arabica, often tasting of burnt rubber.
High-quality Robusta beans are not only suitable for espresso preparation, but also for filter methods.
In addition, they are very popular for enriching the taste of milk drinks such as cappuccino, caffè latte and, of course, as a component of caffeine-rich espresso blends.
Robusta offers an earthy flavour, somewhat grainy, with tones of oak and pleasant bitterness. The aftertaste of Robusta is also often reminiscent of nuts.
Indian robusta coffee grown at altitudes above 1000 m tend to have clarity of flavours, with sweet acidic hues, enabling the branding of such coffees.
Robusta coffees, which are grown under shade at altitudes above 1000 m are soft in the cup, with brightness and varied flavours of lemon and dry fig, layered with caramel and cocoa depending on the plant strain.
Just as with Arabica, the flavour profile is of course largely dependent on the roast, in addition to the region of origin. Canephora coffees are typically used to add strength and caffeine to arabica coffee blends and beverages.
Italian espresso roasts in the particular round off their blends with high-quality Robusta beans. This gives the espresso lover the taste profile typical of Italian espresso.
Where can I buy Coffee Robusta from?
Available at Amazon, here are some best Robusta Coffee brands in 2022.
Cafe Arriba Eight O'Clock Coffee
Medium Roast, Blended Arabica & Robusta Finely Ground
Café Arriba is dark, bold, finely ground and ready for you to brew. This Latin inspired coffee is a proprietary blend of rich Arabica and Robusta beans. The coffee is ground pretty fine and has a great aroma.
It makes a good cup of espresso with the flavour of cinnamon. This is a nice dark roast that’s finely ground and works well in an espresso machine making a nice crema.
This proprietary blend is made of rich Arabica and Robusta beans which have a bold body and flavour with moderate bitterness but not too much acidity to make a perfect cafe latte.
With some foamed milk, your coffee cup would be as delicious as branded coffee stands.
Trung Nguyen Vietnam Coffee
Blend of Arabica & Robusta, Medium Roasted, Ground Beans
This Vietnamese coffee blend of Robusta and Arabica coffee beans are made into a proprietary blend to bring you flavourful, intense coffee that will keep you energized and refreshed.
The beans are grown in a high altitude region to bring you an Arabica (59.9%) and Robusta (40.0%) ground bean coffee blend with hints of Chocolate (0.1%) that delight your senses with each sip.
The beans are carefully farmed and then professionally roasted by artisans at different temperatures and combined to bring you a flavourful coffee blend.
Tools & Equipment Used For Black Coffee Recipe
The links below the image lead to product links on Amazon.in & Amazon.com respectively
Black Coffee Recipe - How to make black coffee?
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoon Coffee Grounds 30 grams
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar or Jaggery
Instructions
- Rinse your Moka pot and add 2 cups of water to the water tank.
- Place the filter on the tank and add two tablespoons of coffee grounds.
- Screw on the coffee collecting chamber on top and place the Moka pot on a low flame.
- As the coffee brews, it'll collect in the collecting chamber.
- Add sugar or jaggery into the coffee cup and pour over the coffee.
- Serve or drink.
Notes
- Use freshly roasted, good quality coffee beans.
- Ensure the beans are powdered to fine to medium-fine grind size for Moka pot.
- Freshly brewed coffee helps to lose weight if consumed in moderation.
- If you like your coffee sweet, you may use a sweetener of your choice.
FInally! To Sum It Up
Coffee Robusta | What is Coffea canephora?
Robusta Coffee or Coffea canephora is also known as Conilon Coffee
Coffee has been acclaimed as “the most grateful lubricant known to the human machine,” and “the most delightful taste in all nature.”
The four main varieties of coffee are Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica and all four of them have radically different taste profiles. The most common (and popular) are Arabica and Robusta.
What is coffee robusta? – Robusta coffee is also known as Conilon Coffee (be it a bean, brewed in the cup, or the plant itself) in Brazil refers to coffee that comes from the plant species Coffea canephora.
Robusta Coffee or Coffea canephora accounts for 30% – 40% of the world’s coffee production and is utilised for coffee blends by roasters. Coffea canephora, along with Coffea eugenioides, is actually a parent of Coffea arabica.
Usually, the caffeine content of coffee Robusta is almost double that of coffee Arabica, around 2.2 to 2.7% by weight and also gives you a much better crema too.
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