{"id":1821,"date":"2022-08-05T13:05:42","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T11:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coffee-spirit.maxicoffee.com\/article\/what-affects-the-taste-of-my-coffee\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T11:05:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T10:05:06","slug":"what-affects-the-taste-of-my-coffee","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.coffee-spirit.maxicoffee.com\/en-gb\/article\/what-affects-the-taste-of-my-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"What Affects the Taste of my Coffee?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Species and Varieties<\/b><\/h2>\n

Coffee comes from a plant that belongs to the Rubiaceae family, or more specifically the Coffea genus. There are 124 species of Coffea, including the well-known arabica and canephora. Each variety of this tasty plant has its own flavour.<\/p>\n

Arabica <\/strong>is one of the richest tasting coffees. It is made up of more than 1000 aromatic molecules. This species grows in high altitudes, meaning that its cherries ripen slowly. In the final coffee this results in very light, fruity and floral aromas. The main varieties are Typica, Bourbon and Geisha.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Canephora\u00a0<\/strong>grows at lower altitudes. This means that it develops more caffeine in order to protect it from its environment as caffeine is a natural insecticide. Therefore, its flavour is less developed. In the final coffee its main flavours are chocolate and nut. The main varieties of <\/span>Canephora are Robusta, Nana and Conilon.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You may have noticed that arabica is a species whereas robusta is a variety. Years of commercialisation have led to an abuse of language. A fairer comparison would be between Arabica and Canephora.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In sum, if you are looking for a fruity and rich coffee then you should opt for an arabica. However, if you like a woody flavour then a blend of arabica\/canephora will suit you best. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Cultivation<\/span><\/h2>\n

Shade<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The coffee tree, and the Coffea Arabica<\/em> in particular, need protective shade<\/strong> in order for its fruit to ripen slowly and progressively. This means that the cherries ripen slowly, developing rich, delicate and refined aromas.<\/p>\n

The coffee farmer looking for quality should correctly shade his plantation. However, the coffee farmer looking to cut costs shouldn’t shade his plantation so that the coffee cherries ripen quickly.<\/p>\n

The Harvest<\/h3>\n

The harvest is a key moment because in the equatorial zone the seasons aren’t very distinct. In fact, a coffee tree can have several flowering periods<\/strong> in the same year. Even on the same tree, there can be cherries at different stages of ripeness. \u00a0 \u00a0 Selecting the cherries<\/strong> during the harvest is an important step because the stage of ripeness influences the taste profile of the coffee. A green cherry will be acidic whereas a cherry that is over-fermented will provide a fermented and unpleasant taste. There are two methods of harvesting the cherries:<\/p>\n