Geography Department - 2 (see page 1)
Where did your coffee comes from?
(See also - Coffee spreads around the world)
While you sit relaxing with your favorite cup of coffee, maybe you would like to try to imagine where it came from or the process it went through to get into your hands?
The cup of coffee you are holding and enjoying has made an amazing journey from far and exotic places, to your coffee cup It's an incredible process of harvesting, drying, sorting, shipping, and roasting before it finds its way into your cup
It's hard to know what a coffee will taste like based upon its name or where it came from. With a simple breakdown of names, regions, origins and blends, you're on your way to finding your perfect cup of coffee!
The region a coffee comes from determines how a coffee will taste.
Coffee grown in different regions of the world have distinct characteristics of aroma, flavour, acidity and body.
There are four main coffee growing regions in the world
Since coffee requires a specific climate and soil to grow, it is only found below the earth's equator in three main regions; Latin America, Africa/Arabia, and Asian-Indo-pacific. The exception to these places being exotic coffees from Hawaii and Jamaica.
Latin American Coffees
Latin American coffees are grown in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Panama.
The acidity in these coffees is typically medium to high. They have a sweet, tangy, well-balanced flavor and a light body. They are commonly roasted to a mild-medium roast and used for many breakfast coffees.
Latin American Coffee Characteristics
| Region/Name | Acidity | Body | Aroma | Flavor | Roast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian | Mild | Medium | Complex | Dry,
Spicy, Sweet |
Medium-Dark |
| Columbian | Medium-Strong | Medium-Full | Fully | Rich,
Sweet, Caramel-like |
Medium |
| Costa Rican | Subtle | Full | Fragrant | Rich,
Smooth, Sweet, Smokey |
Medium-Dark |
| Guatemalan | Medium-High | Heavy | Pleasant, Invigorating |
Rich,
Chocolaty, Mild, Subtle |
Medium-Dark |
| Java | High | Medium-Heavy | Spicy | Smooth,
Musty, Smokey, Winey |
Medium |
| Mexican | Low-Medium | Medium-Light, Smooth |
Faint | Dry,
Sweet, Hints of Hazelnut |
Medium- Light |
| Nicaraguan | Low-Medium | Light | Faint | Mild, Pleasant | Medium- Light |
African & Arabian Coffees
African/Arabian beans are grown on the continent of Africa, in the middle-east, and in Arabia. They have a medium acidity and medium, syrup-like body. Their flavor can be described as spicy (like wine) and having hints of cocoa as well as citrus and berries. They are usually a darker roast and they pair well with desserts.
African & Arabian Coffee Characteristics
| Region/Name | Acidity | Body | Aroma | Flavor | Roast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopian | Mild-Medium | Full | Complex, Cinnamon, Grassy, Pungent |
Rich, Spicy, hints of Cocoa, Winey |
Medium |
| Kenyan | High | Medium | Fragrant | Intense, Floral, Winey | Medium-Dark |
| Kenyan AA/Estate | Medium-High, Fruity |
Full | Rich, Sweet | Mellow, Hints of Citrus |
Medium-Dark |
| Tanzanian Kilimanjara |
Delicate | Good | Good | Rich | Medium-Dark |
Asia-Indo-Pacific Coffees
These coffees are grown in area such as Asia, Indonesia, and pacific islands. They have a low acidity and a bold, heavy body. Their flavor is typically described as robust, earthy, smooth, floral, hearty, and sometimes having a slight bitterness. They are roasted dark to very dark and they compliment dark chocolate and rich desserts.
Asia-Indo-Pacific Coffee Characteristics
| Region/Name | Acidity | Body | Aroma | Flavor | Roast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monsoon Malabar | Low, Gentle | Full | Spicy | Mellow, Full | Medium |
| Sumatra Mendheling |
Medium | Full, Heavy, Velvety | Smokey | Exotic, Earthy, Musty | Dark |
| Yemeni | Delicate | Medium | Fragrant | Dry, Sweet, Mild, Winey | Medium |
Exotic Coffees
These coffees come from the islands of Hawaii and Jamaica. They are highly sought after and for good reason. They are full of flavor and body and compliment any dessert very well. Here are some of their names and characteristics:
| Region/Name | Acidity | Body | Aroma | Flavor | Roast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kona | Med-high | Medium | Fragrant, aromatic, spicey-w/cinnamon and clove hints |
Rich, winey | Medium to light |
| Jamaican Blue- Mountain |
Good | Full | Rich | Balanced, pleasant, lingering |
Medium |
BEAN BELT: From humble origins in Africa, coffee cultivation wandered east and west, eventually forming a belt roughly bounded by the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
Growing regions typically offer moderate sunshine and rain, steady temperatures around 70ºF (20ºC), and rich, porous soil. In return the delicate tree yields beans that are an economic mainstay for dozens of countries and about 25 million people—and, among natural commodities, have a monetary value surpassed only by oil. Of the two main coffee trees, arabicas beget the better beans—and about 70 percent of the harvest. The harsher beans of the hardier robusta tree account for about 30 percent.
National Geographic article
The Japanese gentlemen buried me up to the chin in a shallow grave and left me to compost in 13 tons of soggy ground coffee. Fermentation, induced by pineapple pulp, had heated my pool-size percolator to a barely tolerable 140°F [60°C].
For 2,000 yen ([U.S.] $9.50) and 30 minutes, I steamed in some $10,000 worth of the world’s most popular beverage component, perhaps the best buy in today’s Japan (map). Billed as an antidote for almost everything, this featured attraction at Nishiarai Kouso Sauna Center in suburban Tokyo merely left me limp. And somewhat immodestly clad in a dissolving paper bikini.
If the unique bath did little for me therapeutically, it surely showed how tastes have changed in this land of traditional tea drinkers. A generation ago few Japanese had sampled coffee by the cup, let alone by the tubful. Now Tokyo alone has some 16,000 coffeehouses; the nation, more than 100,000.
None I visited even remotely resembled Europe’s “penny universities” of yesteryear, where scholars, philosophers, and politicians crowded into smoky dens to sip the brew for a penny or two. When an early English (map) coffeehouse suggested customers ante up a little extra “to insure promptness” in service, the gratuity called the tip was born.
Japan’s yen for coffee requires plenty of yen these days—the equivalent of $1.50 a serving. For those who find indoor prices too steep, platoons of curbside vending machines dispense coffee for about 50 cents a can, hot or cold according to the season.
Although new to Japan, coffee had been an eye opener in other places since the ninth century, when according to legend, an Ethiopian goatherd found his flock frolicking about after munching on coffee cherries. He sampled a few and was soon gamboling along with his goats.
From humble beginnings as both food and drink for African tribesmen, coffee evolved into a global phenomenon of extravagant proportions. Among natural commodities in international trade, coffee usually ranks second only to petroleum in dollar value, accounting for 12 billion in 1979.
All 50 exporting countries—led by Brazil (map) Colombia (map), Indonesia (map), and the Ivory Coast [now known as Côte d’Ivoire (map)]—rely upon coffee as a major source of foreign exchange. Some 25 million people depend upon it for their livelihood. And uncounted millions down it by the potful.
This adds up to an amazing piece of action for a peanut-size bean whose sole purpose on this planet is to provide a virtually nutritionless beverage made mildly stimulating by the caffeine it contains—75 to 155 milligrams per cup. (Tea: 28 to 44 milligrams.)
Unlike Brazil, which grows a third of the world’s supply—some five million tons last year—and drinks a third of what it raises, most producing nations consume coffee sparingly. The bean brings more leaving home than staying there.
It’s not their addiction to cafezinhos—demitasse doses heavily sweetened and darkly brewed—that gives Brazilians the jitters. Rather, it’s the chilling thought of a killing frost, which, in 1975, damaged nearly half of the country’s three billion coffee trees and sent retail prices into orbit.
Another such disaster loomed in June 1979, when I talked to Wolney Atalla, the world’s largest coffee grower. Frost had again hit southern Brazil. “The loss of a single tree means the loss of income on that spot for the three to five years it takes to replace it. Multiply that by our 15 million trees, and you can appreciate our concern.”
At Pirajuí, an hour’s flight inland, the cold wave had already blackened large swatches of trees. Atalla’s workers, bleary-eyed, toiled into their third sleepless night, burning oil-soaked sawdust and saltpeter to smudge vulnerable areas with a warming smog. The Atallas, pioneers in this process, saw their efforts pay off in rescued trees.
The only major export country susceptible to frost, Brazil, suspended all shipments pending assessment of damage. And uneasy importers, fearing a shortage, went on a buying spree. Inevitably, prices rose, even though Brazil’s actual losses fell far below the first dire predictions.
Several international experts summed up coffee’s swings in much the same way: “We have long periods of low prices, short periods of high ones. When highs occur, farmers rush in to plant. Once the tree begins bearing, it churns out beans without too much effort for the 12 to 30 years of its normal life. Overproduction follows; prices fall. Farmers tear up their plants and put in more stable crops. A disruption in coffee supplies starts the cycle all over again.”
Producers and consumers agree that the only sensible solution is to limit output to what the market can absorb, plus a standby reserve, and sell at prices reasonable to both sides. But what’s reasonable?
Since 1963, 24 import and 44 export countries have cooperated through their London-based International Coffee Organization to stabilize the situation. By imposing a quota system, they can limit the outflow of beans from producing nations in times of oversupply. These controls, in force to sustain prices only until the market does so normally, have been applied twice: from 1963 to 1973 and again in October 1980.
Despite yo-yo conditions and a 100 percent increase in living costs in the United States (map) over the past decade, coffee remains one of the least inflated prepared beverages: five cents a brew-it-yourself cup.
Coffee Geography is Coffee Flavour
Most of the world’s coffee is grown between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, on plantations in Africa and Arabia, Latin America and on Pacific islands
Because each of these regions has different soils, climates and cultivation methods, the coffees they produce vary greatly by taste. Each is a unique treasure.
Coffee Geography
Coffee in Brazil
Coffee was introduced in Brazil by Francisco de Mello Palheta in 1727 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Today, Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and is becoming a significant player in the specialty coffee industry.
The vast majority of farms in Brazil are less than ten hectares in size. According to the Diagnóstico da Cafeicultura em Minas Gerais, 71% of farms are less than 10 hectares, 25% of farms had less than 50 hectares, and only 4% of farms were larger than 50 hectares.
Today, Brazilian coffees have become more than just blenders. Now that they are not pre-blended for us we can roast them properly to amplify their diverse characteristics. Then, if desired, we can blend the roasted coffees together to achieve a richer, bolder, and smoother espresso blend.
Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and produces around 25% of the world's supply of coffee. Eighty percent of this is Arabica.
Coffee in Columbia
Coffee was introduced to Colombia in the early 1800s. Today Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Maragogype cultivars (varieties) are cultivated.
Freshly roasted Colombian coffee is rich in flavor, moderate to good body, bright acidity, and is intensely aromatic. Colombia produces about 12% of the coffee in the world, previously second only to Brazil prior to the emergence of Vietnam.
Coffee in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is known as 'the little Switzerland' of Central America. It has one of the best coffee industries, having developed its production of quality coffee over many years. The flavours are quite complex, being delicate and having a fine subtle acidity.
Coffee in Ethiopia
Many believe that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee (not South America, which some believe). The indigenous coffee trees (which some experts say, are the only native coffee trees in the world) first grew in ancient "Abyssinia," which is now present day Ethiopia. These trees blossomed in an area called "Kaffa" and the trees were called "Kafa," which may as well be the root word for coffee. In the tenth century, coffee was considered a food.
The production of coffee has not changed much since the 10th century. Nearly all of Ethiopia's coffee bean production is still by hand, from the planting of new trees to the final pickings, which are then sent to the big warehouse in Addis Ababa. Many women work in these warehouses, earning about $20 a month.
In 1989, coffee accounted for 63% of the countries exports. Coffee, contributes (domestic) to about 20% of the governments revenue. About 25% of the entire population depends directly or indirectly on coffee for its livelihood.
Coffee in HawaiiI
Coffee Trees arrived in Hawaii in the early 1800's. The British warship H.M.S. Blonde brought coffee trees to Hawaii, from Brazil, in 1825. Chief Boki, Governor of Oahu, had acquired coffee trees in Rio de Janeiro, on his way back from London.
The coffee was planted in Manoa Valley on Oahu, and from a small field, trees were introduced to other areas of Oahu and neighbor islands. Reverend Samuel Ruggles moved trees to Captain Cook, Kona in 1828. Hanalei Valley on the North Shore of Kauai was home to the first coffee plantation. Coffee was established in the valley in 1842, but was wiped out in 1858 by coffee blight, a scale insect.
In the late 1800's efforts to establish coffee plantations were defeated by economics. Small farms averaging less than 5-acres in size replaced the Kona coffee plantations.
By the 1930's there were more than 1,000 farms and as late as the 1950's there were 6,000 acres of coffee in Kona. At the turn of the last century there was coffee on all the major Hawaii islands, and now 100 years later, there is once again coffee on all the major islands. There are 6,500 acres in coffee statewide and annual production is 6 to 7 million pounds of green bean.
Coffee in Guatemala
This relatively small country boasts one of the most climatically diverse regions in the world. The soil, rainfall, humidity, altitude, and temperature vary enough that several distinct coffees are produced in Guatemala.
Probably one of the best known is (Genuine) Antigua, which is considered by many in the industry as one of the leading single origin coffees in the world. It has good flavour and body, particlarly when roasted to enhance the chocolate tones, and typical Central American sparkling finish.
Coffee in India
Most Indian coffee is grown in the southern states of Karanataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Indian coffee is typically wet-processed and is smooth, sweet, and medium bodied. At its best Indian coffee reaches the flavor characteristics of Pacific coffees, but at its worst it is simply bland and uninspiring.
Indian coffee is best known for it's Monsooned coffee. This is where the beans are layed out in warehouses and dried by the strong monsoon season winds.
Monsooned coffee mutes the acidity and has a heavier body often appropriate to add depth to a espresso blend. The best monsooned coffee is Monsooned Malabar.
Coffee in Indonesia
Indonesia is currently the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world. Coffee has a colourful history, and has played an important part in the growth of the country.
Indonesia is blessed with an ideal geography for coffee growing. The longitude and latitude of the country means that the island origins are all well suited micro-climates for the growth and production of coffee.
Coffee in Jamaica
Jamaican coffee is one of the most expensive coffees in the world and therefore can be disappointing. The best estates are Wallenford, Mavis Bank, and Old Tavern.
Be wary of Blue Mountain coffees that do not list the estate name, do not say 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain, or sell for less than $100 per kg. Since the coffee is so expensive it is best to try and find a quality local roaster who can ensure freshness.
Coffee in Kenya
Kenyan coffee is auctioned in Nairobi every Tuesday during harvesting season. This practice has lead to fierce price wars for the best crops.
Kenyan coffee is wet-processed and the grade of Kenyan coffee is designated by the size of the bean where AA is largest followed by A and B, which are successively smaller.
Kenyan coffees have a distinctly bright acidity and potent sweetness with a dry winy aftertaste. Among the best Kenya's one can find intoxicating black-currant flavor and aroma.
Coffee in Mexico
Coffee was first planted in Mexico in the late 1700s. Mexican coffee is generally uncomplicated and is used as a base for blending. The coffee is typically light bodied and nutty, but can have a heavier body, brighter acidity, and overtones of chocolate.
The most popular cultivars cultivated are Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Caturra, and Maragogype.
Coffee in Tanzania
In terms of the Tanzania coffee character, it belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees, bright (acidy), and mostly aggressively flavorful of which Kenya is certainly the dominant coffee.
Coffee in Yemen
Yemen, is one of the oldest and most traditional of the world's coffees. It is also one of the finest.
Yemen mocha is a dry- processed coffee and is marked either Mattari or Sanani. Yemen Mocha is characterized by a bright acidity, musky fruitiness, earth, sweet spice, roasted nuts, chocolate, wood, and tobacco. Sanani Mochas are described as having a more balanced fruity character, while Mattaris have a heavier body and chocolate overtones.
Coffee in Vietnam
Vietnam is the world's largest producer of Robusta coffee, and has recently overtaken Colombia to be the second largest producer overall. Therefore we include them for being a significant producer, not because we think they do good coffee.
Coffee in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe, formerly known as lower Rhodesia until independence in 1980, has produced great coffee since production was introduced in the 1960s. These coffees are often overshadowed by the great East African coffee: Kenya. But they can have great balance, complexity, body and finesse.
The most popular method of drying the coffee is in the sun, followed by six to eight weeks of conditioning. This, coupled with the unique growing conditions and the care that the farmers take in cultivation, results in a coffee that has a rich aroma and slightly spicy flavor with medium body.
Top Ten Coffee-Producing Countries
(based on the number of 132-pound [60-kilogram] bags produced during the 1997-98 crop year, according to the U.S. National Coffee Association)
Brazil (22.5 million bags)
After arriving from French Guiana in the early 18th century, coffee quickly spread and thrived in Brazil. Today Brazil is responsible for about a third of all coffee production, making it by far the heavyweight champion of the coffee-producing world. Though many connoisseurs believe that Brazil’s emphasis on quantity takes a toll on quality, many also praise the country’s finer varieties. Brazil is the only high-volume producer subject to frost. The devastating 1975 frost, in particular, was a boon to other coffee-growing countries. Two 1994 frosts raised prices worldwide. Notable Beans: Bahia, Bourbon Santos
Colombia (10.5 million bags)
Colombia is the only South American country with both Atlantic and Pacific ports—an invaluable aid to shipping. The crop’s economic importance is such that all cars entering Colombia are sprayed for harmful bacteria. Colombia’s coffee grows in the moist, temperate foothills of the Andes, where the combination of high altitude and moist climate makes for an especially mild cup. Notable Beans: Medellin, Supremo, Bogotá
Indonesia (6.7 million bags)
The Dutch unwittingly gave coffee a nickname in the late 17th century, when they began the first successful European coffee plantation on their island colony of Java (now part of Indonesia). Top-grade arabicas are still produced on Java as well as on Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Flores, but the Indonesian archipelago is most notable as the world’s largest producer of robusta beans. Notable Beans: Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi (Celebes)
Vietnam (5.8 million bags)
French missionaries first brought coffee to Vietnam in the mid-1860s, but production remained negligible as late as 1980. In the 1990s, however, Vietnamese coffee production has been ratcheted up at a furious pace. At least one trader worries that the industry is growing too quickly for its own good. “The crop’s growing so fast that there’s not an equivalent growth in processing, so you’re looking at quality problems,” he said from Daklak, Vietnam’s main coffee-growing region. Notable Beans: Vietnam specializes in robusta production.
Mexico (5 million bags)
Coffee came to Mexico from Antilles at the end of the 18th century, but was not exported in great quantities until the 1870s. Today approximately 100,000 small farms generate most Mexican coffee, and most of the beans come from the south. Mexico is the largest source of U.S. coffee imports. Notable Beans: Altura, Liquidambar MS, Pluma Coixtepec
Ethiopia (3.8 million bags)
The natural home of the arabica tree and the setting for most of coffee’s origin legends, Ethiopia is Africa’s top arabica exporter and leads the continent in domestic consumption. About 12 million Ethiopians make their living from coffee, whose name is said to be a derivation of “Kaffa,” the name of an Ethiopian province. Notable Beans: Harrar, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe
India (3.8 million bags)
According to legend, India is the birthplace of coffee cultivation east of Arabia. Today coffee production is under the strict control of the Indian Coffee Board, which some say reduces economic incentive and thereby lowers quality. Notable Beans: Mysore, Monsooned Malabar
Guatemala (3.5 million bags)
German immigrants initiated serious coffee cultivation in Guatemala in the 19th century. Today the country’s high-grown beans, particularly those grown on the southern volcanic slopes, are among the world’s best. Notable Beans: Atitlan, Huehuetenango
Côte d’Ivoire (3.3 million bags)
In the mid-1990s Côte d’Ivoire was the number five coffee producer and second largest robusta producer. Why the decline? Some speculate that an emphasis on volume and a lack of investment and planning have lowered quality and per-acre productivity. Today most exports end up as mass-market coffee in Europe, especially France and Italy. Notable Bean: Côte d’Ivoire specializes in robusta production.
Uganda (3 million bags)
Though Uganda grows precious little arabica, it is a key producer of robusta. That humble, hardy bean accounts for 75 percent of the country’s export revenue and provides employment for 80 percent of all rural workers. Efforts to diversify aside, Uganda is likely to remain beholden to the bean for the foreseeable future. Notable Bean: Bugisu
