Coffee Glossary

Coffee beans derived from the seeds of the Coffea arabica plant. It accounts for about 60% of all coffee produced worldwide. Arabica beans are known for their smooth, sweet fruity flavor. Because Arabica coffee needs more specific conditions to grow, they are often more expensive than Robusta beans.

A varietal of Arabica coffee that is known for its sweet, smooth, complex flavors. Bourbon plants grow best at high altitudes, in nitrogen rich soils and are known for having a relatively small yield.

Coffee roasts created by combining beans from various regions or countries to create a specific flavor profile.

The small fruit produced by Coffea plants. The pit of these fruits is extracted during the processing phase and is what we generally refer to as the coffee “bean” (which aren’t actually beans at all!).

An Arabica varietal known for producing bright, citrusy coffee with hints of sweetness. Caturra is a naturally occurring mutation of the Bourbon varietal.

The process of evaluating and grading coffee on properties like fragrance, flavor, and quality. Because tastes can be so subjective, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) partnered to develop tasting standards and scoring.

An Arabica varietal known for its delicate floral and citrus notes. Because of its unique growing needs and its low yield, Gesha coffee is relatively rare and commands a high price.

Raw seeds that have been extracted from the fruit of the Coffea plant but have not yet been roasted.

A method of processing coffee cherries that walks the line between natural and washed coffee. Honey processing strips the skin and some of the pulp from the cherries but maintains a thin layer of mucilage, which is allowed to dry on the bean. The amber-colored, sticky layer resembles honey, which gives the process its name. Honey-processed coffees tend to be sweeter, fruity, and low in acidity.

A method of processing coffee in which cherries are laid out to dry on raised beds, allowing the beans to hold on to sugars and flavors concentrated in the coffee. Natural process coffee tends to have a heavier body and intense and distinctive flavors.

A coffee-producing region or country. Roasters and other coffee entrepreneurs often “travel to origin” in order to gain a firsthand understanding of the agricultural and production process of the coffee they sell and to connect with the farmers and processors who bring their coffee to market.

An Arabica hybrid varietal produced by crossing Pacas, a mutation of Bourbon, and Maragogipe, a mutation of Typica. Pacamara is known for its intense aroma, creamy texture, and complex acidity.

A set of design principles and practices that focus on creating and maintaining food systems and human habitats in line with natural ecosystems, which are diverse, resilient, self-sustaining, no-waste systems.

See “Honey Processed”

Trained professionals who are trained to evaluate the quality of green coffee based on standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Q graders undertake a rigorous certification process and exam, which is administered by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

Land management and agricultural practices that leverage the innate power of crops to create closed-loop systems that can continually improve the land one which they are crown and the environment by improving the soil, increasing biodiversity, and capturing and reducing (rather than contributing to) carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Coffee derived from the seeds of Coffea canephora plant. Robusta makes up about 40% of global coffee production. Robusta beans have a higher caffeine content than Arabica beans and an earthy flavor. Because Robusta plants are hardier and require less specific growing conditions than Arabica beans, Robusta beans tend to be more affordable to cultivate.

Roasts created from beans that all originate from a single specific source—like a specific farm or a specific region of a coffee-growing country. Single-origin roasts are known for highlighting the specific flavor profile of the source.

Coffee that has received a score of 80 or higher out of 100 based on the standards established by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Only 10% of the world’s green coffee is rated as “specialty coffee.”

A method of decaffeinating coffee using a solvent derived from sugarcane. Green coffee is soaked in water, then washed with the solvent, which dissolves and removes the caffeine.

A method of decaffeinating coffee using water, temperature, and time to remove the caffeine. In the Swiss Water Process, green coffee is soaked in hot water, which dissolves its soluble compounds, including caffeine. The caffeine is then filtered from the water using a process that preserves the other compounds, which are then reintroduced to the beans.

An Arabica varietal known for its clean, complex, and often sweet flavors. Typica is one of the foundational Arabica varietals because it is the parent variety to numerous other varietals.

Distinct variations of the Arabica and Robusta coffee plant species. There are about 120 coffee plant varietals, and each is known for its specific flavor profiles and unique growing conditions.

A method of processing green coffee in which the beans are de-pulped the same day they’re picked, fermented for 18–36 hours, then washed and dried. Washed coffee creates consistent cup with a clear acidity while enhancing the beans’ floral aromatics.