Coffea racemosa

Over 130 Coffea species are known so far. They grow wild across sub-Saharan Africa, on Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands, and as far as the Indian subcontinent. This botanical diversity is like coffee’s periodic table: every possible cup can be traced back to one of these species. But parts of this system are vanishing — erased by human activity and climate change.

Climate change, in particular, is forcing us to rethink coffee. While the industry searches for short-term fixes and wrestles with profitability through new Arabica hybrids, the truly exciting ideas are emerging in botanic gardens, universities and small, dedicated networks.

Researchers such as the teams around Aron Davis (Royal Botanic Gardens) and Piet Stoffelen (Plantentuin Meise) are drawing attention to species with real potential: Coffea racemosa, for instance. True to its name, this raceme-bearing species grows along Mozambique’s hot, sandy coasts, ripens in just three months, and contains exceptionally little caffeine. Its tiny beans (screen 7–8) make it unsuitable for industrial processing, but a discovery for research and for flavor.

As we’re building a new partnership with Miyoisi in Mozambique, we’ve gotten our hands on a special mini lot from Brazil: 1 kg of Racemosa from our partners BMP Farmers in Espírito Santo. The plants originally come from Mozambique and were brought to Brazil by coffee researcher Prof. Fabio Partelli as part of a research project. Together with a team of experts, we roasted, cupped and closely examined this remarkable coffee and offering a small preview of what the future of coffee might hold.

The first challenge was roasting. With minimal data and maximum risk given the tiny seeds, we began with a few trial roasts of Arabica var. moka before attempting our first run with Racemosa.

On the Ikawa Pro100X, the first batch over 100 g was slightly underdeveloped, but in tasting, that actually wasn’t a bad thing.

Bean appearance: tiny yet surprisingly uniform. The yellowish color and open cell structure suggest an extended fermentation.

An analysis with the Lighttells CA-700 showed a caffeine content of 49.1 mg/dL (≈ 491 mg/L) and a chlorogenic acid (CGA) content of 92.2 mg/dL (≈ 922 mg/L), measured six minutes after infusion during a cupping session. These values fall within the range of light Arabica- or Racemosa-typical brews and confirm Coffea racemosa’s characteristic chemical profile: moderate caffeine alongside a high proportion of chlorogenic acids. The very light, slightly underdeveloped roast explains the elevated CGA value, as lower thermal load leaves little room for degradation. The CGA-to-caffeine ratio (≈ 1.9) underscores the sample’s mild, fresh character with potentially pronounced acidity and low bitterness. While the absolute values are indicative due to the simplified analytical method, the measurement is meaningful for comparisons across species or roast levels. Overall, the results point to a chemically lively, sensorially nuanced sample that supports Coffea racemosa’s potential as a distinct specialty-coffee species.

Later that evening at NKG Quality with Gloria, the readings were confirmed virtually unchanged.

The first cupping took place five days after roasting at Roestlabor. Beneath the slightly peanutty/green-pea note of the underdeveloped roast, we found grape, a sweet, juicy body, and spicy–herbal–floral aromas reminiscent of coriander seed, scented geranium, and lemongrass. This coffee is unlike anything we’ve tasted so far—and it tastes full of promise.

Since the first roast was slightly underdeveloped, we roasted two additional 50 g batches with Matt at Rose Coffee Roasters. One was an “Italian roast” with visible oils; the other was “medium to dark.” While the Italian roast showed hardly any nuance, the medium roast once again revealed Racemosa’s juicy, spicy character.

The coffee continues to challenge us. We’re reserving 800 g of Racemosa for special coffee events and for comparison with Racemosa from Mozambique in early 2026.

Until then, tastings are strictly in the spirit of research. If you’d like to taste Racemosa with us, sharing the experience and recording data are essential.