Starbucks has a large menu with different espresso drinks, teas, coffees, and Frappuccinos. While there’s something for every caffeine seeker, the chain only uses one type of coffee bean in all of its beverages. There are four main types of coffee, but the only type Starbucks uses in its stores is arabica beans.
The arabica bean is the most commonly used coffee bean in the world. Popularity aside, Starbucks says it prefers harvesting from these trees simply for the great flavors they lend. While the taste differs per region, arabica beans are typically known for their high acidity levels and deep flavors. They lend low levels of bitterness, high sweetness, and a luxurious smoothness. This makes the coffee extracted from these beans taste delicious on its own. It also makes for a versatile taste that can shine in a variety of coffee beverages, which is perfect for Starbucks and its vast menu. After roasting, these beans undergo an extensive judgment process before reaching Starbucks stores, including a tasting panel. Once the beans are approved, they reach the store’s shelves, and eventually, your cup.
Where arabica beans come from
Arabica trees grow in high altitudes, usually between 3,000 and 6,000 feet. The main exporter of these beans is Brazil, but areas such as Ethiopia and Colombia also have a hand in their growth. Starbucks buys beans from all of these regions. If you want to know where your cup’s from, ask about your coffee’s source country, since it tells you about its flavor. These environments typically experience vast changes in temperatures throughout the year; hot days are hot and cold nights are cold, which makes the beans grow slowly. While this might mean long waiting periods for harvesting, the benefit is that the beans have time to fully blossom in flavor. Every bean takes on a unique, complex taste. This reality also makes the beans more vulnerable to disease, so the price of arabica beans is usually higher than other varieties.
Starbucks could opt for a more manageable coffee bean, such as the easier-to-harvest robusta, but there’s a difference between the arabica and canephora coffee species. Also called robusta, canephora trees produce more coffee beans and are less expensive, but the taste is often harsher than the delicate arabica. Type of beans aside, Starbucks’s coffee has also been 99% ethically sourced since 2015. With such a large footprint in the coffee game, ethical adherence is just as important as the flavor of the arabica beans. If you want to know more, check out 10 secrets of Starbucks you’ll wish you knew sooner.
