Can Robusta be specialty coffee at all? Coffee expert Constantin Hoppenz makes a clear case for yes, brings compelling arguments for it, and challenges coffee roasters.
Is Robusta the inferior Arabica? This suspicion persists stubbornly; we hear it in almost every beginner course. Our longtime friend, Constantin Hoppenz, has given this careful thought.
Robusta, a specialty?
When people hear Robusta, they usually think nothing good. Associations range from dark Italian coffee blends with considerable bad breath potential to mass production in Vietnam for instant coffee and other cheap products.
The current image is clear: Arabica as a must for anyone who wants quality in the cup; Robusta for those who want it cheap and simple.
Accordingly, most people in the specialty coffee world view Robusta quite negatively. Understandably. Taste a Robusta in standard quality once, and it doesn't exactly put a smile on your face.
But why exactly? Is Robusta really as bad as its reputation? What role does Robusta play in the future of coffee? And is there such a thing as Specialty Robusta Coffee?
Why we should engage more with Robusta. A case in point.
Facts for coffee beginners
The botanical name of Robusta is coffea canephora, which, unlike Arabica (coffea arabica), is not commonly used. The production of Robusta has increased significantly over the past decades. Currently, 40% of global coffee production comes from Robusta cultivation. (39 million bags) In 1990, at 19 million bags, it was still less than half. The largest producing countries are Vietnam (40%), Brazil (25%), Indonesia (15%), India (6%), and Uganda (4.5%). Robusta grows best in tropical regions below 1,000 meters elevation (Arabica grows better at higher altitudes).
Climate change and economic viability
Coffee, like any agricultural product, is affected by weather and other natural influences. Coffea arabica is particularly susceptible to temperature and rainfall fluctuations and also suffers from disease such as leaf rust.
Around 2014, "la roya" (coffee rust) struck all of Central America and destroyed up to 50% of the harvest. Anyone who thinks this wouldn't be relevant for specialty coffee, which grows protected from leaf rust at high elevations, is mistaken. Coffee production is tightly interconnected. Sufficient high-quality coffee only exists when producing countries and their coffee farms are in good condition. The vast majority of specialty coffee farmers live off selling average quality crops at world market prices.
For producing countries like Nicaragua, coffee is one of the most important export goods. Therefore, preserving this sector is of great importance to these countries. They see an ever-growing global coffee market and want to participate in that growth.
Rising demand for coffee
By 2050, global demand is expected to rise to up to 300,000 million bags. (Currently around 160,000 million). While such figures should be taken with great caution, the trend is clear. By the same time, the agricultural land suitable for Arabica production will, due to climate change, be cut in half.
Deforestation to gain new agricultural land for Arabica would be the consequence. Here, it would be an option to instead supplement or replace Arabica stock with Robusta plants at lower cultivation altitudes (below approximately 1,000 meters). The gain in usable coffee would be exponential, as Robusta yields up to four times the output. Additionally, Robusta is far easier to handle and more stable in cultivation.
Sustainability must also be considered from the producers' economic perspective, because coffee will only be grown if it's financially viable. Currently, world market prices at only 120 US cents per pound for Arabica fall below production costs. Add to this the aforementioned impact of disease and poor weather conditions, which lead to lower harvest yields. So it's no wonder that Robusta is increasingly considered a serious alternative. Colombia's Agriculture Ministry recently began collaborating with Nestlé to test over 3,000 Robusta seedlings for cultivation. Costa Rica has also recently lifted a ban on non-Arabica variety production.
Robusta in research
At the same time, intensive research is creating new Arabica varieties that are far more resistant than their predecessors. The research center CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza) in Costa Rica alone examines over 1,000 new varieties. The genetic diversity of coffea canephora (Robusta) is of great importance here. It is considered the evolutionary mother of coffea arabica. (coffea canephora + coffea eugenoides = coffea arabica) whose genetic material is crucial for developing resistant Arabicas.
In an article published at the beginning of the year titled "High extinction risk for wild coffee species and implications for coffee sector sustainability," it states:
"Robusta coffee has therefore been responsible for overcoming most of the key issues for coffee sector sustainability, either by direct replacement or through use in breeding new cultivars, rendering the development and use of other coffee species unnecessary."
The contribution in Science Advances Magazine points to the threat to naturally occurring coffee species, whose protection is essential for the survival of coffee as a crop.
These aspects are therefore directly related to specialty coffee, as they influence almost all regions and producers that create special coffee. Once more: Specialty coffee is not separate from the ecological challenges and economic hardships of producers, for whom specialty coffee often represents only a fraction of their yield.
A sensory enrichment
From a taste perspective too, Coffea Canephora shouldn't be a no-go. Anyone who has had the pleasure of a good Robusta knows that it doesn't inherently have a bitter, bland taste reminiscent of car tires. A Fine Robusta, according to CQI standards considered a specialty, is just as clean and balanced as a Specialty Arabica.
Taste notes vary depending on terroir and processing. They are often in the nutty-chocolatey range but can also be fruit-forward. Particularly characteristic of Robusta is a full body, which makes some Arabicas seem like thin broth. Additionally, coffea canephora has lower perceived acidity and higher saltiness, which is due to a greater amount of potassium in the bean. (Think of the flavor profile salty-caramel).
Higher bitterness is also typical and is caused in part by a higher caffeine content. Up to more than double the caffeine found in Arabica (2–4% vs. 1.5%) is normal. Anyone who, even after a double espresso (of Arabica) in the morning, doesn't get going will appreciate this. While preferences regarding bitterness vary widely, just as with chocolate, in the right measure it is sensorily enriching and stimulating.
Where are the specialty Robustas?
If coffea canephora can be so delicious, why are there virtually no high-quality Robustas to drink in the cafes of the world? That coffee in general can be a complex beverage like wine is a relatively recent realization. It wasn't until 1974 that the term Specialty Coffee entered circulation through a contribution by Erna Knutsen. Since then, a steadily growing number of people have been engaged with this unique product. Then as now, it takes driving forces to advance coffee and bring about a change in thinking. Until now, there have been insufficient players considering Robusta from a quality perspective to sustainably change its reputation for the better. However, initial attempts were made several years ago. In 2009, the first seminars were conducted under the leadership of the Coffee Quality Institute to evaluate Robusta. The goal was to establish a quality standard similar to that of Arabica. A newer version of this protocol was published just recently during the World of Coffee in Berlin. According to this protocol, a Fine Grade Robusta is present when it achieves at least 80 points and has fewer than 8 defects in a 350g sample.
Some noteworthy farms already consistently producing Fine Robusta are the Sethuraman Estate in India and the Jhai Cooperative in Laos.
When people taste Specialty Robusta for the first time, they often don't even know it's Robusta. While this is wonderful, one should know that Robusta requires a different approach.
Often Robusta loses out when compared with Arabica, because the rules of the game were made for Arabica.
Constantin Hoppenz
We often look at high-quality coffee only from the perspective of potential. What can this coffee offer under the best possible conditions? That's unrealistic.
The conditions for a good cup of coffee are rarely optimal. If we orient our question about which coffee is good and which is less good based on how many satisfying cups of coffee it ultimately enables, then the average matters more than the extreme.
Robusta is far more forgiving than Arabica when prepared as an espresso. Coffee in most cafes tends to be underextracted, which makes an Arabica with high acidity far more undrinkable than a Robusta.
Furthermore, the majority is still prepared as a milk-based drink. With strong caramel aromas and plenty of body, Robusta matches the taste of most coffee drinkers. Mario Fernandez, Technical Director ICO, described the difference between the two varieties in a amusing but apt way as follows:
If both were animals, Arabica would be a horse and Robusta a donkey. Robusta is a real workhorse while Arabica tends to shine in show events. Presenting a donkey in dressage is just as misguided as having a horse climb steep hillsides as a pack animal.
Specialty coffee is more than just taste
For most coffee enthusiasts, it all began with the first special cup of coffee. For many, this experience with the first fruity natural coffee from Ethiopia remains memorable. But specialty coffee is much more than what's in the cup. Specialty coffee stands for a change in thinking. It stands for respect for products that have become far too taken for granted. Good coffee also means good action.
Requirements like traceability and transparency, fair prices, and appreciation for hard work are an expression of values that make the specialty coffee world unique. For me, they are the reason I work in this industry.
Constantin Hoppenz
If one champions these values with conviction, it's only logical to hold Robusta to the same standard.
If a roastery calls itself "Specialty" and stands for sustainability, it cannot simultaneously rail against Robusta. Or is it unthinkable that a Robusta producer wants to produce the best possible quality, practices sustainable cultivation, and wants to work directly with roasteries?
It's not a compromise in terms of quality if we, as a coffee industry, pay more attention to Robusta production. Because the pursuit of ever-better coffees in the simple sense eventually hits its limits. Let us think about coffee in context. If we develop quality broadly instead of always pushing further up, we can ultimately inspire more people about coffee—whether Arabica or Robusta.
Constantin Hoppenz
Berlin, September 2019
How do you taste Robusta "correctly"? A report on the R-Grader course
How does fine Robusta taste as an espresso? Taste our Robusta espresso from Java.
