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Kent

Coffea arabica var. kent

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Key facts
Scientific name
Coffea arabica var. kent
Parent variety
Typica
Origin
Kent estate, Mysore region, India
Developed
1920s
Disease resistance
Moderate rust tolerance
Flavor profile
Mild, sweet, balanced
Kent
Photo: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Kent is a Typica-derived selection developed on the Kent estate in India's Mysore region in the 1920s, one of the earliest varieties bred specifically for some resistance to coffee leaf rust. Higher-yielding than standard Typica, it was exported to East Africa, where it influenced early Kenyan and Tanzanian plantings before the SL selections. Kent represents one of the first organised attempts to combine yield, resistance, and quality.

At a glance

  • Scientific name: Coffea arabica var. kent
  • Parent varieties: Typica
  • Identified: 1920
  • Flavor: Mild, sweet, balanced.
  • Aroma: Soft, sweet.
  • Disease resistance: Moderate (early rust tolerance)
  • Cup potential: Good

See also

Sources & further reading