What is Peaberry Coffee Beans?

green beans


What is a Peaberry & How is it Different To Regular Coffee Beans?

 

‘Peaberry’ - also referred to as ‘caracoli’ or ‘caracol’ in Spanish - refers to the natural mutation where only one bean forms inside the coffee cherry and develops a small and round pea-like shape.

Normally a coffee cherry produces two beans, side by side, producing a flat surface where the beans push against each other as they grow. Where only one beans forms, it develops a round ‘pea’ like shape because there is nothing for it to grow against and flatten it, it is also generally much smaller in size then twin beans. This mutation can occur in Arabica or Robusta varietals and species, and is not influenced by altitude, region, cultivation or processing methods… it simply occurs at random in approximately 5-10% of coffee grown all across the Bean Belt. [1]

Why does this mutation occur? There is a biological explanation.

It is suspected that a peaberry bean occurs when the ovule fails to be fertilized or there is failure in the growth of the endosperm, which can be caused by external factors. These factors could include insufficient pollination, environmental conditions or even genetic defects. Peaberries are also more likely to appear on the outer areas of the plant where the beans are more exposed and the journey for nutrients to reach the bean is longer. [2]

Peaberry vs Regular Coffee beans

The term is first and foremost and descriptor of this naturally occurring anomaly, but is also the official term for this coffee beans screen size. According to ‘The World Atlas of Coffee’ (2014), written by James Hoffman [3], “Peaberry (PB) is a grade based on the smallest whole beans (not broken pieces though).”(n.p.)

According to Kenneth Davids in his book ‘Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying’ Fifth Edition (2013) [4], “peaberry grades are considered superior to normal grades from the same crop, apparently on the basis that… the good stuff that ordinarily goes into a double bean goes into only one bean. I am not sure peaberry tastes better than normal beans from the same crop, but it does taste different. Typically, peaberry is more buoyant and more brightly acidy, more complex in the upper aromatic ranges of the profile but somewhat lighter in body than comparable normally shaped beans.” (82)

While the flavour or superfood status of the peaberry is not necessarily superior to its regular double bean counterparts because of its development, but there are other valid arguments. One argument is that the peaberry is favoured for roasting, because the round shape allows the beans to roll more effectively and creates a more even and consistent roast profile. Another argument is great quality control. The mills and farmers are more careful about picking and grading the peaberry coffee beans and separating them from the normal beans, which ensures a higher level of quality. [5]

If you would like to try some peaberry for yourself, Crema Coffee Garage currently have some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Peaberry single origin in stock.