Knowledge

Species, cultivar, origin: read the label

A coffee name can describe different things.

Understand the choice

Species is a botanical identity, such as Coffea arabica. A cultivar names selected planting material. Origin describes where the coffee was grown, while a brand identifies the business selling it. These can all appear on one bag without being interchangeable.

Put it into practice

Start a record with separate fields for each. If a bag says only “Colombia”, leave the cultivar unknown. If it says “Bourbon”, still ask which producer, harvest and process it refers to. Unknown is more useful than a guessed label.

Keep the conversation useful

Share your actual recipe or experience, identify the coffee or equipment and explain what changed. A clear question with measurements makes the discussion easier for others to answer.

Sources & further reading

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