Type and Characteristics of Arabica Coffee

Arabica coffee comes from mountain forests in Ethiopia, Africa. In his native habitat, these plants grow under the canopy of lush tropical forests. Arabica coffee is grown in the plains with plenty of height above 500 meters above sea level. Arabica coffee will grow best when planted an altitude of 1000-2000 meters above sea level. With rainfall ranges from 1200-2000 mm per year. Ambient temperature most suitable for this plant ranges from 15-24oC. These plants are not resistant at
temperatures near freezing below 4 ° C. To flower and produce fruit, arabica coffee plants require a dry period for 4-5 months a year. Arabica trees usually blossom at the end of the rainy season. When the newly blooming flowers crushed heavy rain will cause failure to fruition.

Arabica coffee like soil rich in organic matter content. The organic materials used for the plant nutrient sources and preserve moisture. Soil acidity or pH level desired arabica coffee ranged 5,5-6.

Structure of the short arabica coffee plants resemble shrubs with a height of 2-3 meters. Stems upright with a rounded shape. Arabica coffee tree has many branches. Leaf color glossy green arabica coffee as having a layer of wax. Older leaves that have dark green. Form elongated or oval leaves with pointed tips of the leaves. Leaf base blunt and has a short stalk. Bone structure pinnate leaves. Arabica coffee started flowering after the rainy season. Flowers grow in the armpit leaves. Arabica coffee flowers are white and can pollinate themselves, there is no difference in male and female flowers. From the shape of the fruit buds to be ready for harvest takes 8-11 months. Arabica coffee cherries rounded shape like an egg, with a green fruit color then changed to a bright red when ripe. When the fruit was ripe tend to easily fall out. Therefore, it must be harvested immediately. Fruits that fall to the ground will be degraded, tends to smell the ground.

Arabica coffee trees have deep roots tunjang. This deep root in order to prop up the tree that are not easily collapsed and survive in drought conditions. Determined from a tree root growth was transferred from the nursery. Tree roots do not grow well, it will interfere with productivity.

Arabica coffee is generally valued higher than other types. In terms of taste, arabica coffee has a wide range of flavors. Each varieties of arabica coffee grown different place will have significant flavor difference.

Arabica coffee has a strong fragrance, viscosity characteristics (body) mild to moderate and high acidity level. In addition, the caffeine content of arabica coffee is lower than robusta which is about 0.8 to 1.5%.

More than 65% of the world coffee trade is dominated by the kind of arabica. In addition to dominating the market, currently valued higher arabica coffee almost doubled compared to robusta. Arabica coffee trading center located at the New York commodities exchange. The largest Arabica coffee producing countries in Latin America. Nearly 90% of coffee production countries of Latin America Arabica. Brazil is the world's largest producer of arabica coffee. While the world's biggest coffee consumers are the countries of the European Union, followed by the United States and Japan.