Arabica coffee fruits are oval and long. They are covered by a skinlike, smooth red film that covers the mesocarp. Arabica grows best at altitudes of 1500 to 6000 feet. Worldwide, 7 percent of the coffee harvest is arabica and the rest robusta.
Though Arabica naturally contains the least caffeine it possesses the subtlest, most desirable flavors. Green coffee composition is dominated by carbohydrates (~60% dry matter), more abundant in arabica coffee than in robusta.
Arabica is more susceptible to disease and more tolerant of poor soils. Farmers have grown arabica at least since the 16th century.
Characteristics of coffee arabica
