Exotic Coffee Bean Flavors From Around The World
Do you know that coffee can be sweet? Fruity? Or Chocolatey even?
There are delicate coffee, full-bodied coffee, rich coffee, and deeply-flavored coffee.
As well as exciting notes and aromas of all different fruits and floral scents you can imagine!
You see, getting to know your coffee beans, and the different flavors they provide, is the first step in really enjoying your coffee.
After all, one of the greatest joys of coffee is finding that perfect cup.
(And of course, you’ll soon be able to wow your friends with your newfound expertise on the exotic flavor profiles of, say, that delicious Kenyan Coffee the next time you sit down with them!)
So let’s get right into it!
A Quick Introduction: What Is Coffee?
First things first: coffee beans are seeds grown from coffee trees.
When these seeds are dried, roasted, and ground, they turn into their brown, earthy counterparts: coffee beans.
If left unprocessed, these seeds can be planted and grown into coffee trees.
Today, coffee seeds are planted in large beds, and sometimes in shaded nurseries. They require plenty of watering and shade until they are strong enough to stay permanently rooted.
Planting generally takes place during the wet season so soil remains moist while roots grow firmly entrenched in the soil. Factors such as plant variety, soil chemistry, weather, amount of rain and sunshine, and even the altitude of where the coffee is grown, and how these seeds are harvested, all greatly influence the taste of the final product.
(A more detailed explanation of what makes coffee plants happy.)
Different combinations of these factors give us the wide, rich, and complex scope of flavors of coffee found in different regions all around the world.
Even from one plantation alone, we can still find significant differences in quality in taste.
So now that we understand the nuances of coffee growing, let’s take a look at all the unique flavors and profiles of coffee from different regions around the world.
North America & The Caribbean
United States — Hawaii
There are a variety of coffee farms throughout the Hawaiian Islands, but Kona coffee from the Big Island of Hawaii is best known and in highest demand.
Young trees are planted in black, volcanic soil from the slopes of the active Mauna Loa volcano with afternoon shade provided by tropical clouds. This provides a natural canopy over the trees to protect them from the sun and frequent island showers. All of these factors lead to a “just right” balance of rain, sun, and soil, making Kona coffee known for its delicious, rich, aromatic cup and medium body.
Mexico
There are over 100,000 coffee farmers in Mexico, ranking it as one of the largest coffee producing countries in the world. Interestingly, smaller Mexican coffee farms are more common than larger plantations.
Either way, most of these farms lie in the southern states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, bordering to the equatorial zone known as the “Bean Belt.”
Generally, you can expect Mexican coffee to be full with wonderful aroma and depth of flavor, often with a notable sharpness.
It is an excellent bean for dark roasts, often used in blends.
PS: A Mexican coffee noted as Altura means that it was grown at higher altitudes.
Puerto Rico
Although Puerto Rico was the sixth leading exporter of coffee in the world, major hurricanes and competition from other coffee producing countries forced the island to other means of economic survival.
Fortunately, today the coffee industry is experiencing a revival with a cultivation of quality Arabica varieties produced to the highest standards.
Central America
Guatemala
Guatemalan coffee is known for its rich flavor. It is grown in three main regions: Antigua, Coban, and Huehuetanango, all rich with volcanic soil.
These beans are often grown at altitudes 4500 feet (1370 meters) or higher, and their flavors range from medium to full bodied, with a depth and complexity that is almost spicy or chocolatey.
Costa Rica
There are only wet-processed Arabicas produced in Costa Rica. They are known for their medium body and sharp acidity, often described as the “perfect balance” of acidity and body.
These beans are often grown in small farms, known as fincas. After harvest, cherries are immediately taken to state-of-the-art facilities, beneficios, where wet method processing begins.
The tremendous amount of attention to quality processing and environmentally friendly growing methods have built a fine reputation for Costa Rica’s coffee.
South America
Colombia
Colombia ranks second in worldwide coffee production. As one of the world’s best known coffee producers, there is a high standard of excellence and quality maintained through thousands of small family farms around the country.
Their excellent commitment to care and attention results in consistently good mild coffees with well balanced acidity.
Although the rugged Colombian landscape provides the perfect environment for growth, the terrain often makes transporting these beans an issue. Even to this day, transportation is done mostly by mule or Jeep.
Colombian Supremo, the highest grade, has a delicate, aromatic sweetness, while Excelso Grade is softer and slightly more acidic.
Brazil
As the biggest coffee producer in the world, coffee plantations in Brazil cover seemingly endless amounts of land, requiring hundreds of people to manage and operate.
Both Arabica and Robusta are grown. A fine cup of Brazilian is clear, sweet, medium bodied, and low in acidity.
PS: The Official Winner of the 2018 World Brewer’s Cup, Emi Fukahori, used Brazilian Coffee from Daterra to brew her championship cup!
East Africa
Ethiopia
With coffee legend citing the origin of coffee in Ethiopia, wild coffee trees are still known as the primary harvesting source. Coffee in Ethiopia comes from three regions: Sidamor, Harrar, and Kaffa, and they are generally wet processed. Ethiopian coffee is known for its remarkable and bold flavor — full flavored, down to earth, and full bodied.
PS: The Winner of the 2019 World Brewer’s Cup, Du Jianing, used Ninety Plus Coffee from Ethiopia to brew her final award winning cup!
Kenya
Kenyan coffee is well-liked and well known in the US and Europe. It’s known for its sharp, fruity acidity, combined with full body and a rich fragrance.
Kenyan coffee is grown on the foothills of Mount Kenya often by small farmers. There is a high standard on quality, which has led to its own grading system: Kenyan AA is the largest bean size 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 largest worldwide producers of Robusta coffee, known for its strongly aromatic character with a light body and acidity.
This coffee is suited best for a darker roast, and often used in espresso blends.
The Arabian Peninsula
Yemen
Yemen is where coffee was first commercially cultivated. Here coffee is still grown in its traditional manner. There is a lack of water, which leads to its distinctive rich and deep taste.
It is from the famous Yemeni port of Mocha, that the word became synonymous with Arabian coffee all around the world. From there, the Dutch combined Arabian coffee with coffee grown in the islands of Java to make the world’s first coffee blend, still famous today — Mocha Java.
Asia
Indonesia
Indonesia, one of the world’s largest countries, is composed of thousands of islands. Some of its larger islands, Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, are known worldwide for their quality coffee.
The plant itself was introduced to Indonesia by Dutch colonists in the 17th century.
Indonesian coffee is noted for its pronounced, rich, full body and mild acidity. More so, Indonesia is also known for its fine aged coffee, which started as a way for farmers to sell coffee at higher prices by holding them longer over a period of time.
Warehousing in Indonesia’s warm and damp climate produces coffee prized for its deeper body and lower acidity — a process that cannot be matched even with today’s technology.
Vietnam
The French introduced coffee to Vietnam in 1857.
Today, Vietnam has grown to be one of the world’s largest coffee producers.
Small plantations are spread in the southern half of the country, producing mostly Robusta coffee known for its light acidity, mild body, and good balance, frequently used in blending.
A Final Word — Appreciating Coffee
Now that you understand the nuances of tastes, aromas, and bodies of different coffees grown around the world, your coffee journey has just gotten started!
For more useful & important information regarding coffee, please take a look at the links below.
How to Taste Your Coffee (Cupping) Like A Pro:
How to Brew Your Coffee Like A Champ (Literally)!
Arabica vs Robusta: The Difference Between Coffee Beans!
References:
https://www.ovalware.com/blogs/coffee-value/planting-and-harvestinghttp://www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/10-steps-from-seed-to-cup
http://www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/coffee-around-the-world
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/amp/pin/351210470910416703/
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/Better_Coffee_Harvest_0.jpg
https://arbordayblog.org/coffee/visiting-coffee-farm-santa-rosa-guatemala/
Pictures:
https://www.bellezaskincare.com/userfiles/Have-a-Cup-of-Coffee-and-Get-Beautiful.jpg
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https://sgl-assets.imgix.net/files/article_hero/hawaiian-coffee-farm-plantation-taste-tour-hawaiian-coffee-kona-coffee-via-magazine-shutterstock_397348294.jpg?w=1440&h=720&crop=faces,edges
https://www.centralhoteles.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cup-of-coffee-1414919_1920-1-1024x621.jpg
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