Coffea liberica is a coffee variety that exists alongside Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta. Its market share of only one percent is extremely small and relatively insignificant for the coffee trade. This is mainly due to its special taste characteristics. Liberica coffee is characterised by its tart, intense and low-sugar flavour, which does not meet the expectations of consumers in the major importing nations. It contains a high amount of caffeine and is mainly consumed in the growing countries themselves or by people who come from the growing regions. The beans are known to be hard, dry and less juicy, which makes processing difficult. For this reason, Liberica coffee is considered an inferior variety and is traded at comparatively low prices.
Originally, the Liberica plant comes from West Africa, but today it is also cultivated in countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and Sierra Leone. Liberica is extremely hardy and also thrives in less suitable locations. Nevertheless, like other coffee varieties, it prefers a warm climate with sufficient rainfall and low temperature fluctuations. It is very resistant to parasites and diseases. The fruits ripen for about 14 months on trees and bushes that can sometimes reach a height of 15 to 20 metres. Compared to Arabica or Robusta, the Liberica plant has an above-average yield.
