Robusta, Subst. coffee variety. Grown at lower altitudes and therefore mostly cultivated and harvested mechanically. In contrast to Arabica, the bean is somewhat smaller, rounder and has a straight cut. Its strong, earthy flavor is typical, which is partly due to its genetic structure (only about half the chromosomes of an Arabica). The other is “dry processing” (coffee cherries are not peeled and fermented, but dried whole). Robustas are often blended with arabicas, mostly for espressos.
