Arabica Coffee

Also known as: Arabica · Kapeng Tagalog (historical Tagalog term) · Coffea arabica

Definition

Arabica Coffee refers to coffee made from the beans of the plant Coffea arabica. Renowned for its superior flavor, complex aroma, and lower caffeine content, Arabica is the gold standard of the specialty coffee industry. In the Philippines, Arabica accounts for about 5% to 8% of total production, limited by its strict requirement for high elevations (above 1,000 meters) and cool climates. Cultivated along the Cordillera mountain range in Luzon and the volcanic slopes of Mount Apo and Mount Kitanglad in Mindanao, Arabica is the focal point of the country’s specialty coffee movement. (Wikipedia, PCBI)

Identities

Source Type	Identity
Wikipedia	Arabica coffee
Wikidata	Q478495
DBpedia	Arabica_coffee
ProductOntology	N/A
Wiktionary	arabica
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)	Coffee — Varieties — Philippines — Cordillera Administrative Region
MeSH	N/A
NCBI Taxonomy	N/A
AGROVOC	N/A
Google Scholar	Arabica coffee Coffea arabica specialty coffee Benguet Mount Apo Philippines
ConceptNet	coffee
OpenCyc	N/A

Also Known As

Arabica
Kapeng Tagalog (historical Tagalog term)
Coffea arabica

Examples and Analogies

High-Altitude Farm: A coffee cooperative in Atok, Benguet cultivates Typica Arabica at an elevation of 1,600 meters, producing beans with sweet citrus notes.
Specialty Pour-over: A cafe in Makati serves a single-origin Mount Apo Arabica, brewing it manually to highlight its floral and cocoa notes.

Usage Scenarios

1. Processing Arabica Honey Style

A farmer in Mt. Kitanglad processes Arabica cherries using the honey method, leaving a portion of the sticky mucilage on the bean during drying to enhance sweetness.

2. Grading Specialty Lots

A certified Q-grader scores a micro-lot of Benguet Arabica at 84 points on the SCA scale, qualifying it as specialty-grade coffee.

Strategies

Plant Arabica crops under shade trees (such as Alnus or banana trees) to protect them from direct tropical sun and improve bean density.
Employ organic composting and natural fertilizers to enrich the volcanic soil, which directly enhances the complexity of the Arabica flavor profile.
Prune trees regularly to control height and encourage lateral branch growth, which increases coffee cherry yields.

Security and Safety Measures

Spray organic fungicides early in the rainy season to protect the susceptible Arabica leaves from Hemileia vastatrix (coffee leaf rust).
Store green Arabica beans in moisture-barrier bags inside temperature-controlled rooms to preserve volatile organic flavor compounds before shipping.

Historical Context

Arabica was the first coffee species introduced to the Philippines, brought by Spanish colonists in 1740. By the 19th century, the country was a major Arabica exporter. However, the coffee leaf rust epidemic of 1889 completely devastated the Arabica plantations, forcing a shift to Robusta and Liberica. The revival of Arabica occurred in the late 20th century in high-altitude zones of Benguet and Mindanao, supported by the Philippine Coffee Board to access the high-value global specialty market. (Wikipedia, PCBI)

Challenges and Controversies

High Disease Susceptibility

Arabica is highly vulnerable to leaf rust and berry borer pests, requiring constant monitoring and intensive management compared to other varieties.

High Production Costs

High-altitude farming limits mechanization, requiring fully manual planting, harvesting, and transport on steep mountain slopes, which increases labor costs.