Beginner’s Coffee - Types of Beans

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I was not a regular coffee drinker, not until earlier this year when the consumption became daily and a single cup became two and, horrors of horrors, even three cups on certain days. I couldn’t even say I’m an amateur coffee drinker because I’m not! I only ask for black coffee wherever I go, regardless of whether it’s a hawker or a more atmospheric cafe.

After a few months into becoming a regular coffee drinker, I began to realise (I know, it’s embarrassing to have taken so long) that the Malaysian hawker or coffee shop coffee tastes different from the cafe ones (Starbucks, McCafe, Coffee Bean, just to name a few). The first thing that came to mind was probably different grades of beans but alas, I should never place judgement based on the condition of the place.

Further online research (oh, how convenient life has become that the walk to a nearby bookshop or library is seldom necessary) revealed that local Malaysian coffee is generally made from Robusta coffee beans. After Arabica, Robusta is the second most popular coffee bean in the world. It’s generally cheaper to produce because of its hardier plants. Hardier in the sense that the plants have higher resistance to diseases and tolerance to warmer climates.

Imagine how confused I’d got when I first heard of Robusta. Prior to this, I had always thought that there is just one type of coffee!

In general, Arabica beans are known to have a fruity taste while Robusta is more earthy and bitter. Taste is difficult to describe unless it’s just simple sweet, sour or bitter. It varies according to individual preferences. According to my taste buds, the Robusta ones, more often than not, tasted a bit like traditional Chinese liniment (dit da jao 跌打酒) for sprains and bruises. It’s an acquired taste. I’ve eventually come to accept it. On the other hand, coffee made from Arabica beans is more pleasant and easier to take in. Besides that, Arabica beans have higher acidity levels than Robusta.

Why are we even discussing about coffee here? It’s because coffee is a an amazingly healthy beverage with high antioxidant contents. The caffeine keeps writers and readers awake! These are the most common conceptions but I personally found another advantage to drinking coffee. Being a diuretic, it makes me stand up and go to the toilet often. I read that sitting for prolonged periods is a slow killer so it’s important to move about as often as possible.

Please be mindful when drinking coffee because of the caffeine. Although it doesn’t seem to have any affect on me, it may cause you sleepless nights if you drink it in the later part of the day. Besides that, caffeine “washes” away vitamins so if you take supplements, don’t drink coffee immediately. At least wait an hour or two.

Lastly, it’s really important to note that drinking coffee black is way, way healthier than with sugar and cream/milk.