Coffee has been renowned as one of the most popular commodities from Indonesia, which is not only recognized domestically but internationally as well. In Indonesia, coffee has been widely cultivated in nearly every island of this archipelago. Many regions produce coffee beans with their specific peculiarities and uniqueness. Nonetheless, basically, Indonesian coffee can be differentiated into two types, namely, Arabica Coffee and Robusta Coffee. They have their own characteristics and qualities.
1. Arabica Coffee
Arabica coffee of Indonesia has been widely appraised for its excellent quality around the world. This coffee is originally from Ethiopia, Africa. Some types of Arabica coffee, which are locally very popular include Gayo Coffee of Aceh, Mandailing Coffee of North Sumatra, Kintamani Coffee of Bali and Kalosi Coffee of Toraja. Arabica coffee trees normally grow in elevation 800-2000 meter above sea level with a temperature of 16-20°C. Arabica coffee also requires sufficient humidity, fertile soil and sun shine. In light of that, Arabica beans are vulnerable to pest attacks and easily damaged unless painstakingly treated. Short Arabica trees are akin to bushes of 2-3 m high. The stems grow uprightly forming rounded trunks. Arabica coffee has small and round beans. In terms of taste, this coffee offers broad and varying flavors. Every single coffee variety planted in different places will have its own unique aroma. Arabica coffee has a strong scent with light to medium body and high acidity. This high acidity confirms that Arabica coffee is high-quality coffee. Its caffeine content is lower than Robusta coffee, i.e. at around 0.8 – 1.5%.
2. Robusta Coffee
Robusta coffee is best cultivated in wet tropical regions. Robusta coffee trees normally grow in elevation 400-800 meter above sea level at temperature of 21-24°C. Despite lower quality than Arabica coffee, from production wise, Robusta coffee outnumbers Arabica coffee. Robusta coffee is a sturdy and easily maintained plant. Its coffee beans are relatively not sensitive to climate and as such can be harvested at any climate. Robusta coffee trees are higher than Arabica trees, i.e. 2.5 – 6.5 m. Its beans are large in oval shape. This coffee has a bitter flavor than Arabica coffee. Robusta coffee has a brown color and not so acid. While its aroma is not so strong compared to Arabica, Robusta coffee has a heavier body and bitter taste with caffeine content nearly twice as much as Arabica coffee, i.e. 1.7 – 4%. Because of this high caffeine content, Robusta coffee is more used as an ingredient of instant coffee products. In Indonesia, some variants of Robusta coffee easily found in the markets include Lampung Coffee and Lanang Coffee of Banyuwangi.
Source:
http://alamtani.com/jenis-kopi.html
http://alamtani.com/kopi-arabika.html
http://www.kabarkopi.com/perbedaan-robusta-arabika/
http://dekuliner.com/mengenal-kopi-robusta-ciri-dan-cita-rasanya/
