Coffee & Tea
I. Arabica
The original plant, accounting for 75% of the world's coffee. All "specialty"or "gourmet" coffee are Arabica.
The Arabica plant pollinates itself, which means mutations are much lesslikely to occur than in plants which have a light pollen and require cross-fertilization. Most differences in flavor between Arabia beans are caused not so muchby differences in the plants themselves, but by the subtle variations wroughtby soil, moisture and climate. Prefers a climate of 65-70, fertile wellwatered and well drained soil, high altitudes, 3000-5000 ft., 2 hrs. sunlight(shade from other trees).
Higher altitudes produce coffee with a hard bean which is more resistantto disease, less moisture and more flavor. However some of the greatestcoffees are soft beans, particularly Sumatran and Celebes.
II. Robusta
Grown mainly in Central and West Africa. It is more resistant to diseasethan Arabica and will grow more successfully at lower altitudes.
It is of lower quality (less flavor). Virtually all instant and cannedsupermarket coffees are Robusta.
Deamer 11/19/96