Although there are other varieties of coffee there only 2 major types associated to coffee that is consumed everyday. The one is Arabica and the other is Robusta, more are more different then humans are to chimpanzees. Looking at their chromosomes you realized there is a colossal variation.
The Arabica has 44 chromosomes while the Robusta has half that. Using a visual test once the bean has been removed from the cherry the Robusta bean is more circular and the Arabica bean is considerably more oval.
Most serious coffee lovers consider Arabica to be the king of coffee beans. It produces more aroma, has more taste and this is primarily since its oil content is more than double that of an Arabica bean.
Many blenders will state their case that Robusta is needed in the blend to balance the body, we disagree, if you start with quality it remains quality. However this is most likely why Robusta accounts for 40% of the worlds coffee production. It does also help that Robusta is extremely robust and grows very easily, and is especially for easy cultivation. It is resistant to coffee rust, is happy to grow in unprotected sun, and close to other Robusta plants, while purer Arabica prefers to grow in shade, and also matures differently
What most people "in the know do not know is that there are over 40 varieties of Arabica, and each one of then is distinctly different. The original variety of Arabica that left Africa through trade and smuggling is now called Arabica "typica". Typica has made its way back to Europe via the Dutch (from Mysore in India).
Through in breeding typical became Arabica "bourbon". Bourbon became the main plant that was used to seed the plantations in the "new world", which now dominates the coffee trade. The most dominant is actually a more inbreed version of bourbon and Brazilian plants, called Catura, which is well know for its poor taste but it yields more than bourbon and can grow in the sun.
"Typica" represents only 10% of the grown Arabica, and less than 14% of Arabica is shade grown, which produces the best taste nuances.
If you are a coffee drinker then look for shade grown coffee only
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