Many people today still mistakenly think that Liberica and Excelsa coffee are the same. However, research and development processes have shown that the chromosome structure between the two species has differences alongside their similarities.
Both Liberica and Excelsa possess unique flavors and distinctive characteristics, attracting increasing attention from coffee lovers worldwide. In this article, Hello 5 Coffee will help you compare these two types of coffee – Liberica and Excelsa – helping you understand more about their flavors, characteristics, and value!
1. Origins of Liberica and Excelsa Coffee
1.1 Origin of Excelsa Coffee
Excelsa, also known as Coffea Dewevrei, was first discovered in Central Africa in 1903. Initially, Excelsa was considered a separate coffee species belonging to the Coffea genus. However, in 2006, after extensive research, Excelsa was reclassified into the Dewevrei subspecies under the Liberica species.
Excelsa has an interesting history in the modern coffee industry. Due to confusion in classification, Liberica varieties are often sold under the name “Excelsa coffee.” The indiscriminate use of the Excelsa name has led to negative consequences such as inaccurate production statistics and impacts on Excelsa coffee quality.
1.2 Origin of Liberica Coffee
Liberica coffee is a West African specialty, originating from Liberia. Its journey is not limited to Africa but has spread to other regions, including Southeast Asia. Liberica may have moved from Liberia to Ethiopia. From there, Liberica coffee continued to migrate to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The frequent visits of Muslims to Malaysia for religious reasons may have contributed to Liberica’s popularity in this region. Additionally, European powers such as France, the Netherlands, and Spain also contributed to the spread of Liberica coffee when they brought it to Southeast Asia during the colonial period.
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2. Growing Regions for Excelsa and Liberica Coffee
2.1 Excelsa Coffee Growing Regions
Excelsa coffee is widely cultivated mainly in Southeast Asia (including Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines) and India.
2.2 Liberica Coffee Growing Regions
- Asia: Lowland areas, mainly in Malaysia, but also in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.
- Africa: West Coast, Equatorial regions.
- Americas: Guyana and Suriname.
3. Growth Characteristics of Excelsa and Liberica
3.1 Growth Characteristics of Excelsa Coffee
Excelsa thrives at altitudes from 1,000 to 1,300 meters above sea level. Unlike Arabica and Robusta, Excelsa is a tree with a woody trunk, requiring vertical growth space.
- Yield and resilience: Excelsa has high productivity; however, it is difficult to care for and requires careful attention. The tree has the ability to resist many diseases and pests but is susceptible to trichomycosis fungal disease.
- Challenges facing Excelsa coffee trees include:
- Cultivation difficulties: Excelsa trees are tall with wide canopies, making harvesting and care difficult.
- Limited market: Excelsa is not as widely popular as Arabica and Robusta, leading to a limited consumer market.
- High costs: Production costs for Excelsa are higher due to long harvest times, complex cultivation techniques, and unstable yields.
3.2 Growth Characteristics of Liberica Coffee
Liberica is a hardy coffee tree. Liberica has a spontaneous mutation that produces yellow ripe fruit and another mutation that produces pink ripe fruit. Liberica coffee trees begin bearing fruit after 5 years of planting. They grow tall, with some trees reaching up to 17 meters, making fruit picking difficult.
The leaves and fruits of Liberica are also significantly larger than those of Arabica and Robusta. Liberica leaves can be up to 30cm wide. Ripe Liberica fruit can be nearly twice the size of the other two types.
4. Flavor Profiles of Excelsa and Liberica Coffee
4.1 Excelsa Coffee Flavor
When carefully cultivated and processed, Excelsa coffee offers a complex and enchanting coffee experience that attracts coffee connoisseurs to explore. Roasting Excelsa at light to medium levels produces fruity, berry flavors along with woody and popcorn aromas. Darker roasting produces a bold flavor with chocolate notes.
4.2 Liberica Coffee Flavor
Liberica has a higher fruit flesh to shell ratio (60:40) compared to Arabica and Robusta (40:60), affecting the coffee fruit’s flavor by extending the drying time. Liberica carries distinctive fruity flavors because it undergoes natural fermentation during drying. Additionally, Liberica’s flavor is also described as having an aroma similar to jackfruit or citrus fruits.
Naturally processed Liberica will have subtle jackfruit flavors. Meanwhile, if wet processing methods are used, it produces citrus aromas and intense floral notes. Liberica is famous for its long-lasting palatability and stable sweetness, even sweeter than Arabica. The reason may be due to the porous bean structure, which helps absorb more sugar from the mucilage layer.
5. Development Potential of the Two Coffee Varieties
5.1 For Excelsa Coffee
Despite having a modest position in the global coffee industry, Excelsa’s ability to develop at lower altitudes could be an indirect solution for coffee growers threatened by climate change.
It can be seen that growing Excelsa coffee can help farmers reduce difficulties when having to continuously move to higher places to find suitable temperatures for tree development under climate change conditions. However, the transition to growing Excelsa coffee is unlikely to occur due to the current limited market for this type of coffee.
Excelsa cultivation techniques are still in the development stage. However, continued research, experimentation, and gathering buyer feedback could help Excelsa become an attractive alternative for consumers.
With improved research, data, and production, demand for Excelsa may increase in the future. As climate change affects traditional coffee-growing regions, finding healthier and more resilient coffee varieties is extremely important.
5.2 For Liberica Coffee
Liberica coffee is gradually being improved and elevated in image worldwide. Only when specialty coffee lovers have the opportunity to experience Liberica’s special flavor will negative perceptions about this type of coffee be eliminated.
Liberica brings many benefits to producers. It grows well intercropped with other crops, while having resistance to diseases and insects, helping farmers diversify products and increase stability.
Liberica can be intercropped with fruit trees such as bananas, papayas, and pineapples, peanuts, etc. This is a cost-effective option for farmers who can only harvest coffee once a year; they can intercrop other plants during the waiting period.
With the information provided in the above article, Hello 5 Coffee hopes to have helped you visualize the basic differences between Liberica and Excelsa coffee if you haven’t had the chance to taste them yet.
