The best coffees are made purely, or mainly, from beans of the arabica strain. The shrubs that produce arabica beans are slow to grow and mature, producing a fine flavour. Some coffee blends, particularly espresso blends and some instant coffees, are made with a high proportion of robusta beans. These have a coarser flavour, more caffeine and are much cheaper to produce.
- The quality of a coffee is assessed by its body, acidity and aroma, each of which will have been affected by the degree of roasting the bean has undergone.
- If you enjoy mellow coffee, try Colombian, which is sweet and smooth, or New Guinea, which has a light body. Mild coffees include Australian and Costa Rican, with a sweet and tangy acidity, and Brazilian. Kenya coffee has high acidity and a
full flavour, while Java is rich, heavy and spicy. Jamaican Blue Mountain has a flavour that is rich, sweet and mellow.
