Arabica vs. Robusta: Why Purity Matters
I’m Pak Kopi, and this is Coffee University. This course is about Arabica versus Robusta; the two main types of coffee found in the world.
There is Robusta, which is, in a way, more “robust” because it is resistant to disease, does not need elevation to grow, and is easier to grow, harvest, and store. It is also about one-third to one-half the price of Arabica.
Then we have Arabica coffee. Arabica is the prized coffee of the world and the most expensive. It only grows at high elevations, and it is more difficult throughout the whole harvesting and processing period.
So, there is a very different effect on the human brain and body of Arabica versus Robusta. The biggest difference between the two is that Robusta has almost twice as much caffeine. Most people don’t know this, and most people think they can’t drink coffee because it makes them too jittery.
My first question is: what kind of coffee was it? If it was not 100% Arabica, there was Robusta—either it was all Robusta or it was blended with Robusta. You have to be very careful because the big coffee companies use Robusta quite a bit. The main reason they use Robusta is to save money; it is becoming more economical.
So, if you ever have coffee and you’re not really sure of its source but you feel really jittery and distracted, instead of the beneficial effect we talked about in the other course of Coffee and Consciousness—where coffee enhances our ability to focus and be task-oriented, which 100% Arabica does with masterful job—you will find the opposite with Robusta. My experience has been that it has a distracted kind of buzz. It is very jittery, and you are almost too sensitive to outside input. Instead of enhancing the ability to focus, I believe it makes the ability to focus much more difficult.
Be very sure about the coffee you are drinking. Always ask, and if it says “Arabica,” but it doesn’t say “100% Arabica,” then you can bet that it is blended with Robusta in there. I highly recommend that you drink 100% Arabica; it really makes a difference.
Okay, that’s it. That’s Arabica vs. Robusta. You earn one credit from this course. I’m Pak Kobi, and this is Coffee University. See you again.
