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| NUMBER ONE--Coffee plants first arrived in Brazil in the 1700s and by 1840, Brazil had become the leader in world coffee bean production. Production peaked in the 1920s when Brazil supplied more than 80 percent of the world's coffee. Its marketshare has declined since the 1950s upon the arrival of increased production outside of Brazil. Nonetheless Brazil remains the number one coffee bean exporter in the world into the 21st century. |
GUEST BLOG—By the National Coffee
Association--The
ideal conditions for coffee trees to thrive are found around the world in along
the Equatorial zone called “The Bean Belt,” located between latitudes 25 degrees
North and 30 degrees South.
Finicky
Arabica grows best at high altitudes in rich soil, while the heartier Robusta
prefers a higher temperature and can thrive on lower ground.
What impacts
the quality and flavor of coffee?
Everything
from the variety of the plant, the chemistry of the soil, the weather, the
amount of rainfall and sunshine, and even the precise altitude at which the
coffee grows can affect the taste of the final product.
These key
variables, combined with the way the cherries (raw coffee beans) are processed
after being picked, contribute to the distinctions between coffees from
countries, growing regions and plantations worldwide.
The
combination of factors is so complex, that even from a single plantation one
finds variation in quality and taste.
Coffee is
grown in more than 50 countries around the world, including:
North America &
The Caribbean
United States - Hawaii
Though
coffee farms are found throughout the Hawaiian islands, it is Kona coffee, from
the large island of Hawaii, that is best known and always in high demand. Here,
nature provides just the right environment for the coffee trees on the slopes
of the active Mauna Loa volcano. Young trees are planted in black, volcanic
soil so new that it often seems the farmers are growing seedlings in rock.
Afternoon shade from tropical clouds forms a natural canopy over the trees to
protect them from intense sun, and frequent island showers give the plants just
right amount of rain. Kona coffee is carefully processed to create a
deliciously rich, aromatic cup of medium body.
Mexico
Small
Mexican coffee farms are more common than large plantations, but with over
100,000 coffee farmers, Mexico ranks as one of the largest coffee producing
countries in the world. Most farms are in the southern states of Veracruz,
Oaxaca and Chiapas. A cup of Mexican coffee generally offers a wonderful aroma
and depth of flavor, often with a pronounced sharpness. It is an excellent bean
for dark roasts and is often used in blends. A Mexican coffee designated Altura
means that it was grown at high altitudes.
Puerto Rico
Coffee was
brought to Puerto Rico from Martinique in 1736, and by the late 19th century,
the island was the sixth leading exporter of coffee in the world. However,
major hurricanes and competition from other coffee producing countries forced
the island to seek other means for economic survival. Today, the coffee
industry is being revived with carefully cultivated coffee from quality Arabica
varieties that are produced to the highest standards. There are two major
growing regions on the Caribbean island: Grand Lares in the south central
region, and Yauco Selecto in the southwest. Both regions are noted for their
beans’ balanced body and acidity, as well as a fruity aroma.
Central America
Guatemala
While
perhaps not as well-known as some of its Central and South American neighbors,
Guatemala's coffee has a distinctive taste quality favored by many for its rich
flavor. There are three main growing regions — Antigua, Coban and Huehuetanango
— each with a breathtakingly rugged landscape and rich volcanic soil. Microclimates
strongly influence the quality and flavor of the “strictly hard beans” (grown
at altitudes 4500 feet/1370 meters or higher). This medium-to-full bodied
coffee has a depth and complexity of taste that is almost spicy or chocolatey.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
produces only wet-processed Arabicas. With its medium body and sharp acidity,
it’s often described as having perfect balance. Costa Rican coffee is grown on
predominantly small farms, or fincas. After harvest, the cherries are
immediately taken to state-of-the-art processing facilities, known as
beneficios, where wet method processing begins. The careful attention to
quality processing and conscientious growing methods have built Costa Rica’s
reputation for fine coffee.
South America
Colombia
Colombia is
probably the world's best-known coffee producer and ranks second worldwide in
yearly production. A high standard of excellence is maintained with great pride
and careful growing on thousands of small family farms across the country. Such
care and attention results in consistently good, mild coffees, with a
well-balanced acidity. The rugged Colombian landscape provides the perfect
natural environment for growing, but the terrain makes it difficult to
transport the harvested coffee beans to production and shipment centers. Even today, this is often done by mule or
Jeep. Colombian Supremo, the highest grade, has a delicate, aromatic sweetness
while Excelso Grade is softer and slightly more acidic.
Brazil
Brazil is
the biggest coffee producing country in the world, with seemingly endless
expanses available for its production. Coffee plantations in Brazil often cover
immense areas of land, needing hundreds of people to manage and operate them to
produce huge quantities of coffee. Both Arabica and Robusta are grown, and the
climate, soil quality and altitude determine which variety will grow best in
which region. A fine cup of Brazilian is clear, sweet, medium-bodied, and
low-acid.
East Africa
Ethiopia
Coffee
legend tells of the discovery of the first coffee trees in Ethiopia -- it’s not
hard to believe that coffee originated where wild coffee tree forests are still
the primary harvesting source. Generally
wet processed, coffee from Ethiopia comes from one of three main growing
regions — Sidamo, Harrar, Kaffa — and often bears one of those names. In the
cup, an Ethiopian coffee tends to offer a remarkable and bold statement: full
flavored, a bit down-to-earth and full bodied.
Kenya
Kenyan
coffee is well-known and well-liked, both in the United States and Europe. The beans produce a sharp, fruity acidity,
combined with full body and rich fragrance.
Coffee is grown on the foothills of Mount Kenya, often by small farmers.
Kenyan producers place an emphasis on quality and as a result, processing and
drying procedures are carefully controlled and monitored. Kenya has its own
unique grading system. Kenyan AA is the largest bean in a 10-size grading
system, and AA+ means that it was estate grown.
West Africa
Ivory Coast
The Ivory
Coast is one of the world's largest producers of Robusta coffee, which is
strongly aromatic with a light body and acidity. This variety is ideally suited
for a darker roast, so they’re often used in espresso blends.
The Arabian
Peninsula
Yemen
In the
country where coffee was first commercially cultivated, coffee is still grown
in the age-old, century-proven manner. Within the small, terraced gardens of
family farms, you can almost always find a few coffee trees. Since water is scarce in this arid land,
coffee beans grown here tend to be smaller, and more irregular in size and
shape. Lack of water also means that the coffee cherries will be dry processed
after harvest. The result is that Yemeni coffee has a distinctive taste that is
deep, rich and like no other.
In ancient
times, when coffee was shipped from the famous Yemeni port of Mocha to
destinations all over the world, the word Mocha became synonymous with Arabian
coffee. The Dutch combined Arabian
coffee with coffee grown on the island of Java to make the first coffee blend
-- and one that is still well-known today -- Mocha Java.
Asia
Indonesia
Indonesia,
one of the world's largest countries, is composed of thousands of islands.
Several of the larger islands — Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi — are known
throughout the world for fine quality coffee. The coffee plant was introduced
to Indonesia by Dutch colonists in the 17th century, and the country soon led
the world's production. Today, small coffee farms of 1-2 acres predominate and
most of it’s dry processed. Indonesian
coffees are noted for a pronounced rich, full body and mild acidity.
Indonesia is
also known for its fine aged coffees, which were held over a period of time by
farmers who wanted to sell them at higher prices. Warehousing gently ages the
coffee in Indonesia's warm, damp climate and results in a coffee prized for
even deeper body and less acidity. This
process cannot be matched — even with today’s technology.
Vietnam
Coffee
originally came to Vietnam in the mid-nineteenth century when French
missionaries brought Arabica trees from the island of Bourbon and planted them
around Tonkin. More recently, coffee has been re-introduced and the coffee
industry is growing so rapidly that Vietnam is rapidly becoming one of the
world's largest producers. Today, small plantations, located in the southern
half of the country, produce mostly Robusta coffee. With light acidity and mild body with good
balance, Vietnamese coffee is frequently used for blending.
OTHER COFFEE PRODUCING NATIONS:
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