Drinking coffee is not only an Italian, but also even a worldwide ritual, and every morning we wake up with this beverage to start the day off right. Not only that: the cup of espresso is the perfect for breaks and is drunk after meals to ease digestion or at the bar with friends and family.
Baristas themselves know how drinking coffee is a real pleasure and the taste of the blend changes depending on the variety of the bean, mainly Robusta or Arabica, where it comes from and how it is blended. So let us find out the characteristics of Coffea Canephora, the scientific term for Coffea Robusta.
Robusta – Meaning
The appellation Robusta given to this variety of coffee indicates its ability to adapt and resist dry climates and parasites. This is possible due to the increased presence of caffeine, a true natural defence.
The Coffea Robusta appears as an evergreen plant with leaves as large as 40 cm with an oval, pointed shape. Rather than a shrub or bush, a true tree can reach up to 10 meters in height and generates white flowers with a scent as intense as lemon and jasmine.
The fruits are called drupes and resemble small, elongated cherries, and the two seeds contained inside are the coffee beans. Thicker and rounder with a straight, firm central cut for the Robusta variety, and more elongated and thinner with a boat shape and a more sinuous, curvilinear central cut for the Arabica bean.
Where does Coffea Robusta grow?
The Robusta coffee plant mainly originates and grows throughout the intertropical belt from Africa to Indonesia. It grows at different altitudes, from sea level between 600 and 800 meters, as it can resist not only parasites but also temperature changes. The largest producer of this variety of coffee is Vietnam, followed by India.
What are the characteristics of Robusta coffee?
Those who choose the Robusta coffee proposed by Portioli offer customer sa blend with an amount of caffeine that is almost twice as high as Arabica and because of this, it is a bitter coffee. To the taste and smell, the drink proposed by these baristas is stronger and bitter than the Arabica variety, because of the high caffeine content.
After processing and roasting the beans, a full-bodied, dark and creamy espresso is obtained, with a spicy and chocolaty aftertaste. Spicy and more intense aromas than Arabica, which has floral and fruity aromas, characterize the Robusta one. The degree of caffeine is also higher than Arabica and ranges from 1.7 percent to 3.5-4 percent giving those who choose this variety at the bar a stronger and more intense coffee, perfect for the right boost at breakfast or during work breaks.
Because of its characteristics, Robusta coffee is used by Torrefazione Portioli to prepare strong-tasting blends to be enjoyed at the bar and is offered in different formats: beans, ground, pods and capsules.
Robusta Coffee – A drink for connoisseurs
All that remains is to discover the various bar blends proposed by Portioli, which are born from the encounter between Arabica and Robusta to always offer the customer the perfect cup of espresso. The one that keeps him or her coming back to the bar and transforms coffee drinking into a daily ritual to be experienced also alone.
