Arabica

 Arabian coffee tree - Coffea arabica.

Coffea arabica was the result of a random cross with Coffea canephora (robusta) and Coffea  eugenioides. Arabica is a species of coffee, also called after the trees from which they are harvested. 

Whatever country this variety is cultivated in, its ancestors undoubtedly come from countries of the Aragbuty Africa region, i.e. Ethiopia, a province called Kaffa. It was known to this area between the eighth and ninth century AD as a drink, but it became medicinal at that time.

A story that's derived from Yemen. The story of the discovery of Arabica coffee is about a shepherd who watched his herd of goats run excitedly through the field after they had eaten the coffee tree's fruit. The shepherd took some grain and handed it over to the village priest. The priest experienced a stimulating effect when he ate the grains. And he began to say long prayers with ease.

It was in the 12th century that the first mention of the use of coffee in Yemen was made.

For Sufis, the drink made with coffee beans had proven to be a big hit. The Sufi dance is a wonderful spectacle, the meaning of the dance is to talk to God. And drinking coffee allowed them to dance their mystical dances for a very long time. It is generally considered that Sufis and Dervishes have had a strong influence on coffee cultivation during the Kharezm Kingdom.

As it turns out above, Arabicia is the fruit of a Coffea arabica tree. This plant's name is a tribute to its origin in Saudi Arabia. There, for the first time, its beans began to be brewed as real coffee, and not eaten, as in Ethiopia.

The Arabica coffee tree has beautiful white flowers and thick, smooth leaves.

In choosing the soil, which is less resistant to climatic conditions and pests and therefore less productive, coffee arabica is more erratic than other varieties.

Two Arabica varieties are present in almost every variety: Typica and Bourbon. And up to 500 varieties have been developed. About 50 different varieties are used by the modern coffee industry. The Pacamara, Maragogipe Maragodzhipu is also one of them. For instance, Mocha, Tico, blue mountain, Garnica, Brazilian Mundo Novo and Mibirizi are also highly popular varieties of hybrids. Each one's got its distinct aroma and taste.

Arabica grows at Benguet, Kalinga, Kanbal, Cotabato, Davao and Sapada areas of the Philippines. 

In the Philippines, premium Arabica coffee called Kapeng Tagalog accounts for around 5 % of total coffee production.

The Cordillera region is undoubtedly suited to this because Arabica beans are a bean variety grown at high altitudes, especially in areas where there's continuous rainfall or plenty of shade. Arabica, which represents more than 70% of the world's coffee production, is a very common variety. The Arabica is known for its bittersweet taste and characteristic aroma.

Most coffee plantations are found in the Benguet, Sagada and Ifugaa region, although many also exist in the South Tagalog areas like Batangas, Laguna or Cavite so that you can see them yourself. The Arabica variety has a high sucrose content of all types of coffee.

Besides the sweet taste, Arabica can have an interesting flavor in addition to that of other foods such as fruit, chocolate and wine. Coffee, thanks to advanced cultivation methods, can achieve all these characteristics. The taste of coffee grown in the shade is better as it obtains more nutrients than those obtained through monoculture or other methods without shadow.

In the Philippines, two typical varieties of Arabica have distinct characteristics and taste. Catimor is a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta (Coffea Caniphora). Not only is this coffee known for its resistance against disease, it also has a taste that's rich and bitter.

Catimor may also be grown at an altitude of more than 800 meters over the sea floor. By contrast, Typica is a variety which only grows at an altitude as low as 1600 meters above sea level. This is one of the earliest Arabica types in terms of origin, and it's considered by many to be the mother of coffee. It tastes better than the Katimor, but it's less productive per crop and is more susceptible to disease.

Different flavor profiles of coffee are created across the country by differences between cultivation methods and types of Arabica varieties planted in Luzon and Mindanao. As coffee moves further into the value chain from production to after harvest, this is becoming more apparent. In some ways, the coffee of Mindanao is less sour. There's more cocoa flavor in the specialty coffee from Mindanao. On the other hand, there's a distinct citrus flavour in speciality coffee from the Mountain Province.