Bean variety & origin
Where does coffee come from?
Just as coffee is loved all over the word, it is also produced across the world in a very specific band of tropical regions that runs along the equator known as “The Coffee Belt.”
The two most important coffee-producing countries are Brazil for Arabica and Vietnam for Robusta.
Following these two are Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Mexico on the American continent, and Ethiopia – widely accepted as the birthplace of coffee which produces an excellent quality of washed and natural Arabica – and Kenya in Africa in addition to Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and the Ivory Coast, which are better known for their production of Robusta.
On the Asian continent, India and Indonesia produce both Arabica and Robusta.
The two most important coffee-producing countries are Brazil for Arabica and Vietnam for Robusta.
Different origins, different tastes
Most coffee-producing countries cultivate Arabica and/or Robusta beans and from these produce the more popular varieties including Bourbon, Typica and Caturra or other local varieties that are only grown in that particular region.
Ethiopia and Tanzania produce quality beans that are ideal for roasting specifically for espresso coffee. Coffee plants in Ethiopia still grow in the shade of tall trees in tropical forests and produce a coffee which in the cup is characterized by strong aromas of citrus and jasmine, flowery notes with a very sweet and pleasantly acid taste.
In Tanzania, coffee crops are located in the Great Lakes region in the north-west and on the volcanic highlands in the north-east. Espresso coffee made from this coffee is sweet and sour, with aromatic notes of caramel, fresh fruit and citrus.
In India, coffee is often grown in the shade of tall trees where pepper, cardamom, vanilla and citrus fruits are produced, giving Indian coffees a decidedly bitter-sweet taste that leaves hints of chocolate and biscuit on the palate.
In Central America, Guatemala is particularly attentive to the protection of biodiversity and the quality of production, and its coffee plantations can be found largely in the Western Highland up to an altitude of 2,000m asl. Coffee from this region is sweet in the cup, slightly acidic, full-bodied with aromatic notes of chocolate, honey, caramel and citrus fruits.
In El Salvador, coffee is produced at high altitudes and provides a sweet, sour taste with fruity and caramel aromatic notes.
In Costa Rica, careful attention to the ecosystem and the environment favour sustainable agricultural practices at high altitudes that produce coffees with strong aromas of orange, chocolate, caramel, honey and vanilla and a well-balanced and sweetly smooth taste in the cup.
Finally, Colombia produces coffee almost all year round across numerous production regions and has a welcome acid-sweet-bitter balance in the cup, as well as a good body with aromatic notes of caramel, chocolate, fruit and dried fruit that add a wonderful complexity.
