Coffee Everywhere Around The World

There are as many versions of this story as there are countries that produce coffee (a different version is that Kaldi took the beans to the monks in the monastery because the beans were "heaven sent"). And of course, the biggest question about this story was whether it took place in the land of Arabia Felix (Yemen) or in Ethiopia. You can find as many reference sources claiming one country or the other as the Kaldi's home, so we will leave the story as it is, enjoy the thoughts of the goats discovering the berries and Kaldi's surprise when he came upon them dancing in the field and let you determine from your own readings which country was really Kaldi's home.

Ethiopia - This is the birthplace of the Arabica tree where tribes people still harvest the wild berries. All Ethiopian coffees are distinguished by a winy or fruity acidity, but there are many variations in these characteristics.

The most widely available of the Ethiopian coffees are the Harrar coffees, which are grown on small peasant plots and farms in the Eastern part of the country near the old capital of Harrar. They are called longberry Harrar (large bean), shortberry Harrar (smaller bean), or Mocha Harrar (peaberry or single bean) all of which are completely organic. The Harrars have a winy, blueberry or blackberry-type undertone, good body, and high acidity.

Washed coffees from the western part of Ethiopia are usually sold as Ghimbi or Gimbi and share the winy similarity of the Harrar coffees but often with a richer, more balanced heavier body.

The washed coffees of the southern part of Ethiopia have less of the winy flavor and tend to have a much more fruit-like, fragrant quality. They often appear in specialty stores described either by the district in which they were produced such as Sidamo, or Washed Sidamo, or by terms such as Ethiopian Fancies or Ethiopian Estate grown. The most well known of these is Yirgacheffe which has a strong following in the US. It is distinguished by a strong fruity or floral aroma and a rich, almost menthol taste that makes it one of the most distinctively, flavored coffees in the world. Although other Ethiopian coffees such as Washed Limu, Washed Sidamo, and Washed Jima do not have the explosive fragrance of a Yiracheffe, they are somewhat floral and citrussy and make a fine cup of coffee.

India - India claims to be the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world after Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Ethiopia. However, much of India's coffee is consumed at home. India's main coffee regions are all in the southern region of the country with the three highest elevation regions being Baba Budan, Niligris, and Shevaroys. These three regions produce the most admired specialty coffees with Arabica Plantation A as the highest grade. The Sheveroys district produces the most coffees that reach the American market such as Pearl Mountain and Arabadicool. These are gentle coffees with an intriguing, spicy bouquet almost suggesting hints of nutmeg, clove, and cardamom.

Monsooned Malabar is India's most unusual coffee due to the fact that the beans are exposed to the monsoon winds blowing through the open warehouses during India's rainy season. The reduced acidity and enhanced sweetness produced by this process makes the Monsooned Malabar similar to Indonesian aged coffees. One of the finest is Coelho's Gold.

Kenya - Although coffee growing came late to this nation, Kenya works diligently to assure quality in all of the beans that they export. The main coffee growing region stretches south from the slopes of 17,000-foot Mt. Kenya, and most coffee sold in specialty stores comes from this region and often carries the name, Nairobi, which is the name of the capital city. Kenyan coffee is graded by the size of the bean - AA is the largest, followed by A and B. The best Kenyan coffee, called Estate Kenya, is more expensive than other Kenyan coffees, but it is well worth the price with its large body, winy acidity, and black currant flavor and aroma. Although Kenyan coffee is similar to Arabian Mocha and Ethiopian Harrar in its winy aftertaste, it has a full-bodied richness that Harrar and Mocha lack.

Tanzania - Most Tanzanian coffees are grown near the border of Kenya on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. The Kilimanjaro ones are usually called Kilimanjaro or Moshi, and the ones from Mt. Meru are called Arusha. Moshi and Arusha actually refer to the respective main towns and shipping points of these coffees. Smaller amounts of Arabica are grown much further south between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa and are usually called Mbeya (after one of the principal towns) or Pare (a market name). For all Tanzanian coffees, the highest grade is AA followed by A and B. Most Tanzanian coffees are characterized by the winy acidity typical of African and Arabian coffees. They are medium to full-bodied and quite rich in flavor. Most Tanzanian coffee sold in the United States is peaberry (a grade made up entirely of coffee from fruit that produces a single, rounded bean rather than twin flat-sided beans) and is sold at a premium due to the special flavor characteristic possessed by this coffee.

Uganda - The bulk of this coffee's production is a robusta used in instant coffees and inexpensive blends. Uganda does have one excellent Arabica that is grown on the western slopes of Mt. Elgon on the Kenya border and is known as either Bugishu or Bugisu. Its winy acidity is similar to Kenyan coffees, but Bugishu or Bugisu is usually lighter in body.

South Africa, Indonesia and Hawaiian Coffee.

Yemen - This country provides us with what is considered the most traditional of the world's coffees. It is still grown as it was 500 years ago, on terraces on the sides of semi-arid mountains and naturally dried. Because no chemicals are used in its production, it is truly organic. The most famous, Arabian Mocha, has a medium to heavy body, good acidity, and chocolate undertones. It is thought that the chocolate tones of Yemen Mocha have caused some to tag the Mocha name on to any drink that combines hot chocolate and coffee. But the true nature of the name comes from the fact that Arabian Mocha was originally shipped through the ancient port of Mocha. Two famous market names for the Yemen Mocha coffee are Mattari and Sanani. Mattari mochas are known for their full body and chocolate overtones and are often described as winy, spicy, and nutty, while Sanani have a wild, fruity acidity. The market name Sanani also often describes a blend of coffees from various regions west of the Sana Mountains and often produces a cup of coffee that is less acidy and less powerful than the Mattari. Other coffees from Yemen are sold under the market names of Hirazi (acidy and fruity, but a little lighter than Mattari) and Ismali (less powerful than Mattari).

Zambia - The coffee from Zambia that is currently available in North America specialty stores is produced by large estates. The most prominent are Terranova and Kaplings which are medium-bodied with a somewhat winy taste, and a floral aroma.

Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) - Coffee from this country is mainly grown in the mountainous Chipinge region in eastern Zimbabwe and it shares the winy-toned, acidy coffee flavor of East African coffees although many importers rank Zimbabwe with the best Kenyan coffees. The best grade is AA. Smaldeel and La Lucie are two of the most prominent estate names.

Indonesia and New Guinea
This area of the world boasts some of the most famous coffees that are distinguished by their full body, richness, and an acidity that is both pronounced and gentle at the same time.

Hawaii - The growing district on the southwest corner of Hawaii, the "Big Island" of the Hawaiian chain, lays claim to the most famous and most traditional of Hawaiian coffee, Kona, which brews up a cup of coffee known for its medium body and buttery, spicy characteristics.

Java - Java led the world in coffee production from Dutch-planted Coffea Arabica trees until the rust disease virtually wiped out the industry. Most of Java's coffee now is robusta, but Arabica is also making a modest comeback on several of the older estates in Java. The most common names for Java Arabica found in American specialty stores are Jampit and Blawan. Java coffees are light in body and often have a smoky fragrance with just a hint of nut, spice or vanilla.

Old Java Coffee (also known as Old Government and Old Brown) describes a Java Arabica that is stored in warehouses for two or three years. This long aging process allows the coffee to gain body and sweetness and lose acidity. Old Java disappeared from the market after World War II, and although it is making a comeback, it is still difficult to find in the United States. If you are looking for a cup of coffee with a taste similar to that of Old Java, try an aged Sumatra or India's Monsooned Malabar.

New Guinea - Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and is where coffee labeled New Guinea or PNG is grown. New Guinea coffees are grown either on large estates or by peasants on smaller estates. The estate New Guinea coffees that reach North American specialty stores are Sigri (grown in the Western Highlands Province) or Arusafa or Arona (both grown in the Eastern Highlands Province). Both coffees are less acidic and aromatic than Sulawesi coffees, but they still make a good cup of coffee with an earthy body and a fruity aroma.

Sulawesi (formerly Celebes)
The island of Sulawesi sits in the middle of the Maly Archipelago. The Sulawesi coffees most likely to be found in specialty stores today are called Toraja, named after the people of the region, or Kalossi, after a regional market town. These are also referred to as Sulawesi Toraja or Celebes Kalossi. Both Toraja and Kalossi are coffees that are low in acidity with a deep body almost resembling maple syrup. Both are outstanding coffees, similar in nature to Sumatran coffees, and are considered some of the world's finest.

Sumatra - Two of the most famous coffees and best of the world's coffees come from Sumatra's arabica beans, Mandheling and Ankola, both of which are grown in west-central Sumatra near the port of Pandang. Some consider the Mandheling to be the most full-bodied coffee in the world. Although it has low acidity, it still has enough acidity to make it an interesting cup of coffee. The Linton mark of Mandheling is probably the most admired coffee of all. Both Mandheling and Ankola are hard to find, but they are still modest in price.

Other coffees of Sumatra include the Gayo and Aceh with the Aceh coffee most likely to reach specialty stores in the US being the Gayo Mountain Washed Arabica that is similar to the Linton/Mandeheling but is sweet and lighter-bodied.

There is one other, rather interesting coffee from Sumatra known as Kopi Luak coffee. The method of processing this coffee is rather unique in that that the coffee beans are excreted from a small animal called a luak or palm civet after the animal has eaten and digested the beans. Kopi Luak is rare and commands the highest price of any coffee on the market, above $250 per pound when it is retail roasted. Some say the taste of this coffee is pleasant, low-key, and full-bodied. Others describe it as a rich heavy flavor with hints of caramel or chocolate. You can read more about Kopi Luwak here.

Coffees are usually classified by the region or country in which they are grown. There are almost as many coffee-growing regions in the world (and associated coffees) as there are keys on a piano, and just as each piano key has its own unique sound, each coffee region produces a coffee with its own distinct flavor and characteristics. Below is information that will help you take the mystery out of the various regions and the types of coffee they produce.

Latin America and The Caribbean

In general, coffees from the countries in this region are straight forward in their flavor. These coffees are distinguished by a light body and sharp acidity. Many of these coffees have a light, fruity taste. But, as you will see, the coffee from each country has its own, distinct characteristics and flavor.

Brazil - This country is the world's largest coffee producer (approximately 35% of the world's coffee) and has unique contrasts in its coffee with Santos at the one extreme, known for its mild, moderate acidity and Rio at the other extreme, known for its much harsher, medicinal flavor.

Santos coffee, named for one of the principal ports through which it is shipped, is the most traditional Brazil coffee and comes from the Bourbon strain of Coffea arabica brought to Brazil in the eighteenth century from the island of Bourbon (now Reunion). During the first three or four years of production, the coffee trees produce a small, curly bean called Bourbon Santos. After that time, the beans begin to grow larger and flat, and this coffee is called Flat Bean Santos and is cheaper and less desirable and popular than Bourbon Santos. Bourbon Santos is Brazil's finest grade of coffee, and the best of these coffees are usually traded as Santos 2, or Bourbon Santos 2, if the coffee comes from trees exclusively of the bourbon variety. The 2 refers to the highest grade of Bourbon Santos coffee. On specialty coffee menus, the 2 is usually dropped and the coffee is sold as Brazil Bourbon Santos or Brazil Santos. If a coffee is labeled only as Brazilian, it is most likely a Santos.

Another uniquely Brazilian coffee is the Rio, which derives its name from its peculiar medicinal flavor that coffee people called Rioy. This coffee is popular in New Orleans, but people in New Orleans often add chicory to the coffee.

Due to the Brazilian government's deregulation of the coffee industry, large farms often market their coffees directly to consuming countries without the constraints of government-mandated grading structures. This means that coffees similar to Santos or Bourbon Santos reach American markets directly from large and small farms called fazendas. Some of the names of the fazendas that may be seen on specialty menus include Ipanema, Monte Alegre, Boa Vista, Lagoa, Lambari, Fortaleza, and Corcampo. All of these fazendas produce excellent coffee.

Colombia - This country produces 12% of the world's coffee supply, second in the region to Brazil, which produces 35% of the world supply. Colombian coffees have a medium body, medium acidity, and understated fruit tones.

Most Columbian coffee is grown at high altitudes on three mountain ranges called cordilleras. The central and eastern cordilleras produce the best coffee with the most famous coffees being Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales. Medellin is the most well known of the three with a heavy body, rich flavor, and balanced acidity. Armenia and Manizales have less body and acidity. The eastern cordillera produces Bogota and Bucaramanga. Bogota is considered one of the most famous of the Colombian's finest coffees and contains less acid than Medellin. Bucaramanga has a low level of acid and a rich body and flavor.

Colombian coffees are grown on small peasant holdings and delivered to collection points managed by The Columbian Coffee Federation where coffee is stored and graded according to rigorous national standards with Supremo being the highest grade and Extra the second grade. Often the two grades are combined into a more comprehensive grade called Excelso. If the only qualifying adjective you see on a Colombian coffee is one of these grade names, you are receiving a coffee from The Colombian Coffee Federation. Unfortunately, it is also at these collection points, that coffees from different farms are often blended together and lose some of the uniqueness in this blending process. As a matter of fact, Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales are often blended together and sold in the United States as MAM.

Columbia is trying to revive its specialty coffee production in order to have a distinguished product rather than the blends that have become characteristic of coffee from this country. Most of the new product is grown by traditional cultivars, either bourbon or typica and display more character than a traditional Colombian. Most are produced in the southwestern part of the country with the most popular ones marketed by their regional names of Narino, Cauca, and Southern Huila. The Cauca region coffee is also sold under the market name of Popoyan.

Costa Rica - Most Costa Rican coffee is grown near the capital city of San Jose. The most famous coffees from this region are San Marcos di Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia, and Alajuela. They are full-bodied, sweet and have a lively acidity. One of the most famous coffee growing estates in Costa Rica is the La Minita estate, and coffee from this estate is now becoming available in specialty stores and is usually labeled Costa Rica La Minita or La Minita Tarrazu.

Dominican Republic - Coffee from this country is often called Santo Domingo, which was the Dominican Republic's former name. Coffees are grown in moderate altitudes on both slopes of the mountain range that runs through the center of the island. This country provides coffees that are full-bodied with moderate acidity which are best suited for dark-roasted espresso blends. The four main market names are Cibao, Bani, Ocoa, and Barahona.

El Salvador - Salvadorian coffee is usually mild and fragrant with just a hint of sweetness and mild acidity, although this region can occasionally produce a coffee that is deep and acidy like the finest Guatemalan coffees.

Guatemala - Guatemalan Antigua coffee has a medium body with hints of smoke, spice, flowers, and occasionally chocolate. Other coffees from this region include Atitlan and Coban. Antiguan coffees range in acidity from gentle to aristocratically powerful.

Haiti - Although Haitian coffee disappeared from the market during the mid 1990s, today there is a cooperative of over seven thousand farmers (called Cafeires Natives) that produces a specialty coffee from Haiti called Haitian Blue. Unfortunately, with so many participating farmers, it is difficult to control quality, which contributes to a problem with consistency. However, at its best Haitian Blue provides a rich, full coffee with a dry tone balanced by sweetness.

Honduras - Marcala Region Coffee - This variety of coffee is grown in a region near the El Salvador border. Most of the coffees from this region are blended with beans grown in other areas of the country.

Jamaica - Jamaican Blue Mountain also known as Jamaican High Mountain coffee was once a superior coffee with a nutty aroma, bright acidity, and almost a beef bouillon-type flavor. However, due to overproduction and "stretching" of the boundaries of the Blue Mountain region, the coffee is not always made from "true" Blue Mountain beans and often contains beans that are grown at a lesser altitude than Jamaican Blue Mountain. The resulting product is fairly rich with an understated acidity.

There is also a Jamaican Low Mountain coffee, but it is far inferior to Jamaican High Mountain and is often used as filler in cheaper coffee blends.

Mexico - Altura (High) Coatepec - Grown in the mountainous region of Mexico near a city of the same name, Altura Coatepec is light bodied and nutty with a chocolate tang and an acid snap.

Nicaragua - Coffees from the Prodocoop cooperative mill in the Segovia region have the typical acidity of Central American coffees along with a deep, resonant, chocolate-type fullness. Other coffees come from the Jinotega and Matagalpa regions and have moderate acidity, a medium body, and a nut and vanilla bouquet.

Panama - All premium Panama coffees are produced in the western part of the country, near the border with Costa Rica which explains their resemblance to coffees from the Tres Rios region of Costa Rica. These coffees are often used for blending, but they can stand very well on their own as a breakfast brew.

Peru - In general, Peruvian coffee is aromatic and has good flavor, medium body, and mild acidity. It is widely used in dark-roast blends and as a base for flavored coffees. Coffee from the Chanchamayo Valley in the high Andes has the best reputation of the Peruvian coffees, and the Cuzco region also produces a good coffee. The highest grade is AAA. Northern Peru is also expanding a line of good quality, certified organic coffees.

Puerto Rico - Yauco Selecto is a coffee produced at elevations above 3,000 feet in the southwestern mountains from the trees of the bourbon variety. It is powerful coffee with a fragrant, fruity sweetness that is typical of the Caribbean taste. Another Puerto Rican coffee called Alto Grande is occasionally sold in the American specialty market.

Venezuela - Generally, coffees from Venezuela are low in acidity and are often delicate and somewhat sweet. The highest quality Venezuelan coffee is grown in the western part of the country near the Columbian border. Coffees from this area are generally called Maracaibo, which refers to the name of the port through which they are shipped. The best-known Maracaibo coffees are Merida, Trujillo, and Tachira. Merida displays fair to good body and a sweetly pleasant flavor and is most likely to be found in specialty stores in the United States. Tachira has the rich acidity, medium body, and the occasional fruitiness found in Colombian coffees, as does Cucuta, which is actually grown in Colombia but usually shipped through Maracaibo.

Coffees from the coastal mountains are generally marked Caracas after the capital and are shipped through La Guaira. Caripe is a coffee from a mountain range close to the Caribbean and provides the soft, gentle type of coffee, which is so typical of the Caribbean islands.

Venezuelan, although difficult to find, is often worth the hunt since it can be used to balance sharply acid coffees in blends and is quite good drunk straight.

Regardless of market name, the highest grade of Venezuela coffee is Lavado Fino.