There’s nothing quite like making the perfect brew in your beautiful ceramic pour over coffee maker. When you brew it yourself, you have control over the water temperature, the grind size and the type of beans you use. Have you ever wondered about the different types of coffee and where they come from? Do you have a preference for a certain regional coffee?
Surprisingly, coffee is grown in many different countries around the world, yet most coffee beans come from the top five producers. The soil and climate in each country lends each regional coffee distinct flavors. Coffee connoisseurs are able to spot the differences and have preferences for specific regional coffee.
Top five producers
Most of the coffee that we drink comes from five countries that grow the most beans. These countries rely on coffee bean exports as a large part of their country’s GDP.
1) Brazil
Brazil’s regional coffee farms high up in the rain forest are the perfect climate for growing Arabica. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brazil grows more than 1/3 of the world’s coffee. Coffee is a huge part of the Brazilian economy. There are approximately 300,000 coffee farms all across the country. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of Arabica beans. This regional coffee is the most popular in North America.
2) Vietnam
Vietnam started producing coffee beans in the 1980s and quickly shot up to become one of the top producing countries in the world. The USDA expects Vietnam to produce 29 million bags of coffee in 2021. Vietnam produces mostly Robusta beans, which are a highly-caffeinated and strong tasting regional coffee bean. This type of bean is most popular in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
3) Colombia
Most consumers in North American are familiar with Colombian coffee. Regional coffee farms in Colombia produce mostly Arabica beans. They are ranked #3 in production and export around 14.3 million bags per year.
4) Indonesia
Indonesia mostly produces Robusta beans. The country boasts 1.2 million hectares of regional coffee crops, most of which are run by independent farms. Indonesian coffee farmers also specialize in some rare regional coffee beans that are difficult to find including Kopi Luwak, which is the most expensive coffee in the world.
5) Ethiopia
According to Investopedia, Ethiopia was the fifth largest coffee producer in 2020 exporting 7.3 million bags. Most of the regional coffee farms in Ethiopia grow Arabica and is thought to have originated there.
Regional Coffee Flavors
Differences in growing conditions like soil, temperature, precipitation, and humidity slightly alter the taste of coffee. That is why a package of coffee will not only state the type of coffee, but also the country of origin. Regional coffees have different flavor profiles that connoisseurs are able to taste.
Brewing the Perfect Cup
Part of the fun of being a coffee connoisseur is tasting regional coffees and different roasts. The best way to experiment is by brewing with a ceramic pour over coffee maker like the premium version sold by Kajava Mama. Not only can you experiment with type and roast of beans, but you can also alter the water temperature and grind in order to create the absolutely perfect cup of coffee.
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