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ARABICA and robusta coffee are the two most popular types of coffee in coffee shops in Indonesia and have a number of differences according to professional barista Zikri Mubarak.
“From the smell, you can actually tell. Robusta coffee is stronger, but Arabica is lighter,” said Zikri when met at a group talk event at the Sarinah Pavilion, Central Jakarta, Sunday (9/17), 2023.
Apart from the aroma, the two types of coffee have differences in the taste they produce. According to Zikri, Arabica coffee tastes more sour than robusta coffee.
“Unlike Arabica coffee, the taste produced by Robusta coffee is stronger and bitter with an aftertaste similar to peanuts. This is because robusta has higher caffeine levels than arabica. “Robusta is just strong coffee, more or less forward coffee,” said Zikri.
For the Arabica type, this coffee tends to taste sweet and light. Some types of Arabica can have a sweet aftertaste with a softer aroma and are slightly sour because the acidity level of Arabica coffee beans is higher than Robusta.
Apart from the aroma and taste, Arabica and Robusta coffee can be differentiated by looking at the shape of the coffee beans. Robusta coffee beans tend to be round in shape, while Arabica coffee beans tend to be oval.
In terms of price, the price of Arabica coffee beans is more expensive than Robusta coffee beans. This is because caring for robusta coffee trees is relatively easier than arabica.
Robusta coffee trees can protect themselves well from insect attacks because of their high caffeine content and do not require a lot of water. In contrast to Robusta coffee trees, Arabica coffee trees tend to be more fragile and can be damaged by insects, making Arabica coffee beans more expensive than Robusta coffee.
Zikri also gave tips on processing robusta and arabica coffee which have pulp so that the resulting taste is maximized. By boiling ground coffee beans with boiled water, the coffee will taste thicker and stronger, making it suitable for people who like it.
“For coffee that contains grounds, it can be processed by boiling for 5 minutes. Use medium to high temperature so that the aroma and taste are more intense,” finished Zikri. [antaranews]
