The Sidra variety is the crossing of two of the greatest varieties in the coffee industry, namely Red Bourbon and Typica. It is called a hybrid variety because it brings together the best elements of the two parents.
Crossbreeding coffee varieties is nothing new. Farmers and laboratories have been crossing new varieties for several years, but the goal is usually to create better yields. Perhaps they want to combine the disease resistance of one variety with the high yield of another to make a fertile, reliable new variety.
But the process doesn't always have to happen in the lab. Nature itself has been doing it for centuries, and the great number of varieties are far from being explored. One can also never be 100% sure exactly where a particular subspecies comes from.
The Sidra belongs to the naturally crossed hybrid varieties. It probably originated in Ecuador, and fortunately it brings together the strengths of Red Bourbon and Typica. Typically, Sidra coffees have a full sweetness balanced with a crisp acidity. This balance of flavors makes Sidra a popular, highly talented variety that has also seen much success in barista competitions.
