Food - Drink
What Makes Liberica Coffee Unique?
By AUTUMN SWIERS
In The Philippines
The Philippines is one of several countries in the world that produces all four commercial types of coffee. The nation is the world's primary producer of Liberica beans, which were first planted there in 1876, but this special coffee bean with a sought-after flavor actually originated elsewhere.
Origins
Liberica beans originated in Liberia, West Africa, and may have been brought to the Philippines by the Spanish, or the bean could have migrated to Ethiopia and then to Southeast Asia. Liberica coffee is now popular in the U.S., but it's still hard to find and buy all on its own, rather than in a blend.
Taste
The truly unique flavor of Liberica coffee is described as rich and complex, with a robust mouthfeel. The beans' natural flavor is usually smoky, earthy, and woody, with slight notes of stone fruit, and when the beans are washed before grinding and brewing, their fruitier, more floral flavors come out.
Bigger, Bolder & Better
Liberica beans are very dark brown and massive in size compared to other beans like Arabica and Robusta. Even Liberica trees are huge at up to 60 feet tall, so farmers have to hand-pick the beans, resulting in a slower and more careful growing and harvesting process that increases the coffee's quality.