Can Robusta ever be a specialty coffee? Coffee expert Constantin Hoppenz makes a clear case for yes, presents the sound arguments for it, and challenges coffee roasters.
Is Robusta just inferior Arabica? This assumption is persistent; we hear it in almost every second beginner's course. Our long-time friend, Constantin Hoppenz, has given this some serious thought.
Constantin Hoppenz lives in Berlin and is a coffee consultant.
Robusta, a specialty?
When people hear Robusta, they usually don't think of anything good. Associations range from dark, Italian coffee blends with a high potential for bad breath, to mass production in Vietnam for instant coffee and other cheap products.
The current image is clear: Arabica is a must for anyone who wants quality in the cup; Robusta is for those who want it cheap and simple.
Accordingly, most people in the specialty coffee industry have a clearly negative attitude towards Robusta. Understandable. If you taste a standard-quality Robusta once, it doesn't exactly put a smile on your face.
But why actually? Is Robusta really as bad as its reputation? What role does Robusta play in the future of coffee? And is there such a thing as Specialty Robusta Coffee?
Why we should pay more attention to Robusta. A plea.
Facts for coffee beginners
The botanical name for Robusta is coffea canephora, which, unlike Arabica (coffea arabica), is not used. Robusta production has gained significant momentum in recent decades. Currently, 40% of global coffee production comes from Robusta cultivation. (39 million bags). In 1990, at 19 million bags, it was less than half that amount. The largest producing countries are Vietnam (40%), Brazil (25%), Indonesia (15%), India (6%), and Uganda (4.5%). Robusta grows best in tropical regions below 1000 meters (Arabica grows better at higher altitudes).
Climate change and economic viability
Like every agricultural product, coffee is affected by weather and other natural influences. Coffea arabica is particularly susceptible to fluctuations in temperature and rainfall and also suffers from diseases like leaf rust.
Around 2014, “la roya” (coffee leaf rust) infested all of Central America and destroyed up to 50% of the harvest. Anyone who thinks this isn't relevant to specialty coffee, which grows protected from leaf rust at high altitudes, is very mistaken. Coffee production is closely intertwined. There is only enough high-quality coffee if producing countries and their coffee farms are in a healthy state. The vast majority of coffee farmers who grow specialty coffee live from selling average qualities at world market prices.
For producing countries like Nicaragua, coffee is one of the most important exports. Therefore, maintaining this sector is of great importance for these countries. They see an ever-growing global market for coffee in whose growth they want to participate.
Increasing demand for coffee
By 2050, global demand is expected to rise to up to 300,000 million bags. (Currently approx. 160,000 million). Even if such numbers should be viewed with great caution, the trend is clear. However, by the same time, the agricultural area favorable for Arabica production will be halved due to climate change.
The deforestation of forests to create new agricultural land for Arabica would be the consequence. A potential solution here would be to supplement or replace the Arabica stock with Robusta plants at lower cultivation altitudes (below approx. 1000 meters) instead. The gain in usable coffee would be exponential, as Robusta achieves up to four times the yield. Added to this is the much simpler handling and stability in Robusta cultivation.
Sustainability must also be considered from the producers' economic perspective, because only if coffee is financially viable will it be grown. Currently, world market prices at only 120 US cents per pound for Arabica are below its production costs. Added to this is the aforementioned influence of diseases and poor weather conditions, which lead to lower harvest yields. So it is not surprising that Robusta is increasingly being viewed as a serious alternative. The Colombian Ministry of Agriculture recently began testing over 3000 Robusta seedlings for cultivation in collaboration with Nestlé. Costa Rica has also recently lifted a ban on the production of non-Arabica varieties.
Robusta in research
At the same time, intensive research is producing new Arabica varieties that are significantly more resistant than their predecessors. The research center CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza) in Costa Rica alone is studying over 1000 new varieties. The genetic diversity of coffea canephora (Robusta) is of great importance here. It is considered the evolutionary mother of coffea arabica. (coffea canephora + coffea eugenoides = coffea arabica), whose genetic material is decisive for the development of resistant Arabicas.
In an article published at the beginning of the year titled “High extinction risk for wild coffee species and implications for coffee sector sustainability,” it states:
“Robusta coffee has therefore been responsible for overcoming most of the key issues for coffee sector sustainability, either by direct replacement or through use in breeding new cultivars, rendering the development and use of other coffee species unnecessary.”
The contribution in Science Advances magazine points to the threat to naturally occurring coffee species, the protection of which is indispensable for the continued existence of coffee as a crop.
These aspects are therefore directly related to specialty coffee, because they affect almost all regions and producers who grow special coffee. Once again: specialty coffee is not detached from the ecological challenges and economic hardships of the producers, for whom specialty coffee often makes up only a fraction of their yield.
A sensory enrichment
Also from a taste perspective, Coffea canephora should not be a no-go. Anyone who has once had the pleasure of a good Robusta knows that it does not inherently have a bitter, bland taste similar to the smell of car tires. A Fine Robusta, which is considered a specialty according to CQI, is just as clean and balanced as a Specialty Arabica.
Flavor notes vary depending on terroir and processing. They are often in the nutty-chocolatey range, but can also be fruit-forward. Particularly characteristic of Robusta is a full body, which makes some Arabicas seem like thin soup. In addition, coffea canephora has a lower perceptible acidity and a higher salinity, which can be traced back to a larger amount of potassium in the bean. (Think of the flavor profile of salted caramel).
Higher bitterness is also typical and is caused, among other things, by a higher caffeine content. Up to more than twice as much caffeine as in Arabica (2 – 4% vs. 1.5%) is normal. Those who don't get going in the morning even after a double espresso (made of Arabica) will be pleased. While preferences in terms of bitterness vary greatly, just like with chocolate, it is sensorially enriching and stimulating in the right measure.
Where are the Specialty Robustas?
If coffea canephora can be so delicious, why is there almost no high-quality Robusta to drink in the cafes of this world? That coffee in general can be a complex beverage like wine has only been known for a while. The term Specialty Coffee only came into circulation in 1974 through an article by Erna Knutsen. Since then, a steadily growing number of people have been occupied with this unique product. Then as now, it needs driving forces to advance coffee and thus ensure a rethinking. So far, there has been a lack of sufficient actors who would consider Robusta from a quality perspective in order to sustainably change its reputation for the better. However, initial breakthroughs were made a few years ago. In 2009, the first seminars under the direction of the Coffee Quality Institute for the evaluation of Robusta were conducted. The goal was to establish a quality standard similar to that of Arabica. A newer form of this protocol was recently released during the World of Coffee in Berlin. According to this protocol, a Fine Grade Robusta is present if it reaches at least 80 points and has fewer than 8 defects in a 350g sample.
Some notable farms that already consistently produce Fine Robusta include the Sethuraman Estate in India or the Jhai Cooperative in Laos.
Those who taste Specialty Robusta for the first time often don't even know it's Robusta. As nice as this is, one should know that Robusta requires a different approach.
Often, Robusta loses in comparison with Arabica because the rules of the game are made for Arabica.
Constantin Hoppenz
We often view high-quality coffee only under the aspect of potential. What can this coffee offer under the best possible conditions? That is unrealistic.
The conditions for a good cup of coffee are rarely met optimally. If you base the question of which coffee is good and which is less good on how many satisfying cups of coffee it ultimately enables, the average is much more decisive than the extreme.
Robusta is much more forgiving in preparation as espresso than Arabica. Coffee is rather underextracted in most cafes, which makes an Arabica with high acidity far more undrinkable than a Robusta.
In addition, a large portion is still prepared as a milk beverage. With strong caramel notes and plenty of body, Robusta hits the taste of most coffee drinkers here. Mario Fernandez, Technical Director of the ICO, described the difference between the two varieties in a very amusing but apt way:
If both were animals, Arabica would be the horse and Robusta the donkey. Robusta is a real workhorse while Arabica scores more in the show ring. Presenting a donkey in dressage is just as misplaced as letting a horse climb steep mountain slopes as a pack animal.
Specialty Coffee is more than just taste
For most coffee enthusiasts, it all started with that first special cup of coffee. This experience with the first fruity natural coffee from Ethiopia stays in the memory of many. But specialty coffee is much more than what is in the cup. Specialty coffee stands for a rethinking. It stands for respect towards products that have become far too taken for granted. Good coffee also means acting well.
Demands such as traceability and transparency, fair prices, and appreciation of hard work are an expression of values that make the world of specialty coffee unique. For me, they are the reason to work in this industry.
Constantin Hoppenz
If one represents these values with conviction, it is only consistent to make the same demand of Robusta.
Anyone who claims "specialty" as a roastery and stands for sustainability cannot simultaneously rail against Robusta. Or is it unthinkable that a Robusta producer wants to produce the best possible quality, engages in sustainable farming, and wants to work directly with roasteries?
It is not a compromise in terms of quality if we, as the coffee industry, pay more attention to the production of Robusta. Because the pursuit of ever-better coffee in the simple sense eventually reaches its limits. Let's think about coffee in context. If we develop quality in breadth instead of just always aiming higher, we can ultimately inspire more people to love coffee – regardless of whether it's Arabica or Robusta.
Constantin Hoppenz
Berlin, September 2019
How to “properly” taste Robusta? A report on the R-Grader course
How does fine Robusta taste as an espresso? Taste our Robusta espresso from Java.
