While 124 coffee species are known to exist, 99% of coffee consumed is of just 2 varieties: Arabica making up 56% and Robusta making up 43%. Many of the other 122 varieties are facing extinction, yet one variety, the very exclusive, individual and elusive Liberica, which is hardly known outside of the jungles of south east Asia, is starting to come to the attention of coffee experts and baristas around the world, for its exceptional complex tropical fruit flavours, natural sweetness and low acidity.
Originally hailing from west and central Africa, the early Liberica coffee beans were taken east by the Portuguese, Spanish and British and planted in Malaysia, the Philippines, the Seychelles and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands over 400 years ago.
Liberica is not such an easy coffee to grow, so plantation owners and the global corporations have concentrated on and commercialised Arabica and Robusta coffees instead, leaving the more complex and intriguing Liberica to small, traditional growers, mainly subsistence farmers, to grow, harvest and roast this interesting bean, mainly for home consumption. Unlike Arabica and Robusta, Liberica beans grow on trees, not bushes. Tall trees, with heights often exceeding 15 meters with a wide canopy. They are a jungle tree, and as such a perfect candidate when planting as part of a regenerative Agroforestry project. The downside of their immense height is that harvesting is more difficult, with the large, irregularly sized beans needing to be harvested by hand when at their peak ripeness.
In addition, Liberica beans also grow slower than their more commonly known relatives. This extended growing and ripening period contributes to the flavour profile, allowing more complex favours, aromas and flavonoids to develop.
The new wave of farmers and roasters are applying modern techniques and precise controls to grade, wash, precisely ferment and dry the beans before carefully roasted to bring out the unique characteristics of the bean. Roasting Liberica coffee requires specific care and expertise due to its unique properties, including a denser mucilage and lower solubility compared to arabica beans. The roasting temperatures and timing to achieve the desired flavour profiles, take time to learn, with medium-light roasts producing the most berry and tropical fruit notes of pink guava, pineapple and passion fruit while darker roasts yield a fuller body with sweet, syrupy dark chocolate and cream notes, perfect for milk based coffees.
Cutting edge baristas are applying scientific knowledge gleaned from molecular gastronomy, and experimenting with temperatures and novel techniques to further the flavour profile of Liberica coffees, bringing new experiences to coffee lovers and winning many awards along the way.
While lack of interest from the global coffee traders and producers has limited its growth and production, coffee evangelists like TJ Mah of Mimosa Coffee in Malaysia and Shaun Dowd of the Underground Food Collective in the UK are at the forefront of recognising the value of these unique beans, showing there is potential for Liberica coffee around the world. In a recent flavour assessments involving 16 coffee-tasting experts. The Sarawak Rainforest Liberica was found to have a ‘complex flavour profile, with natural sweetness, low acidity, bright tropical fruitiness and length’
"I think we're hugely optimistic for the future that Liberica can bring," said Shaun Dowd, founder of Underground Food Collective.
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