Coffea racemosa, also known as racemosa coffee and Inhambane coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It has naturally low levels of caffeine, less than half of that found in Coffea arabica, and a quarter of that in Robusta coffee.
Coffea racemosa is endemic to the coastal forest belt between northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and Mozambique, found in an area less than in size. It was widely cultivated by the Portuguese during the 1960–1970s in Mozambique; only two plantations, at Ibo Island and in Hluhluwe, remained.
Cultivation Coffea racemosa is an open-branched shrub or small tree growing up to tall. It has white to pinkish singular flowers ( in diameter) or in few-flowered clusters along the branches, which bloom between September and February. The fruit is near-spherical in shape and purple to black when ripe. The fruit is harvested from the wild for local use as a coffee. The beans are one third of the size of Arabica beans. The beans are roasted and ground to a powder then used to make coffee. Salt is sometimes sprinkled over them as they are roasted.
See also Coffea
References
External links
World Checklist of Rubiaceae What Kind of Coffee Is The Least Strong