Liberica and Excelsa — the third option, under one percent of the world's coffee

Because Arabica and Robusta account for almost all of world production, it is entirely possible to drink coffee for years without knowing Liberica (Coffea liberica) exists. It makes up less than one percent of total production. Yet this species has appeared at important moments in coffee's history again and again.

The giant tree of West Africa

Its origin is the lowland forests around Liberia in West Africa. It was described scientifically in the late nineteenth century. Its most striking feature is its size: left unpruned, the tree reaches nine meters, and under some conditions close to twenty. Where Arabica is pruned and managed to about a person's height, Liberica is literally a forest tree. Its leaves, cherries and seeds are all clearly larger than those of the other two species.

This size is also a drawback for cultivation. Harvesting is laborious and efficiency per unit of land is poor. Its thick, hard fruit flesh takes extra work to process. This is why it never became commercially mainstream.

A second appearance, brought on by leaf rust

During the leaf rust disaster of the late nineteenth century, Liberica too was spread around the world as a "substitute for Arabica". It took hold most visibly in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, centered on Batangas and Cavite, it became loved under the name Barako and part of local culture. In Vietnam it is called "cà phê mít" (jackfruit coffee) because the tree looks like a jackfruit tree, and it has survived in farmers' gardens and as windbreaks. The Liberica we carry from Liên Khương is also harvested from native trees more than fifty years old.

When Canephora was later introduced on a large scale, Liberica, inferior in yield and ease of handling, was gradually pushed aside. For more than a century since, it has been quietly kept alive in a very few places.

Sorting out Excelsa

Excelsa was at one time treated as a separate species, but today it is generally placed as a variety of Liberica (Coffea liberica var. dewevrei). Its cherries are slightly smaller than Liberica's, and its flavor is said to show more acidity and fruit. In the market, Liberica and Excelsa are often traded without being distinguished, which buyers need to watch for.

The outline of its flavor, and why it is drawing attention now

Liberica's flavor is distinctive. Tropical-fruit aromas often compared to jackfruit or durian, elements reminiscent of wood and smoke, and a thick mouthfeel. It points clearly in a third direction, unlike either the delicacy of Arabica or the weight of Robusta. Opinions divide, but once you drink it, you remember it.

The species is being reassessed in recent years because of climate change. It tolerates lowland heat and is relatively resistant to disease. Looking ahead to a future in which land suitable for Arabica shrinks as it climbs in altitude, Liberica has returned to the discussion as one realistic option.

Being rare is not a value in itself. But there is a real difference between knowing there are three options and knowing only two.