Understanding Countries and Their Different Coffee Beans

By Damian Papworth


There's so much more to drinking coffee than just knowing whether you want a cappuccino or a shot of espresso. What really makes the drink are the beans, and the art of growing good beans is akin to the difference between a bottle of cheap wine and the finest Brunello from Montalcino.

The great tasting varieties of coffee are lucky, because they're made from products grown on the sides of volcanic mountains, or assisted in their harvesting by exciting and exotic animals, in the far-flung regions of the world. That's why the coffee tastes so great, not the brewing process. For a little bit of information on some varieties of coffee beans, or the countries that grow them, read on.

Sulawesi Toraja Kalossi One of the most popular and rare varieties of Arabica coffee around, these coffee beans grow at extremely high altitudes on the island of Sulawesi. The coffee is full-bodied, slightly more acidic than the similar Sumatra blend, and known for its fruit and dark chocolate undertones. As far as Malaysian coffee goes, this is one of the finest beans coming out of the area, and it commands high prices.
Kape Barako One of the types of coffee grown in The Philippines, not many people are familiar with Kape Barako, because of an infestation of Coffee Rust in the 1990s that almost wiped out the plants forever. A type of Liberica species, the coffee, when available, is popular with gourmets, who enjoy a blend where it's mixed with Arabica to get the best tasting coffee with a distinct aroma.

Aloha Island Coffee Pods Some of the best coffee in the world comes from Hawaii, really the only place in the States where coffee beans thrive. The type of beans, Kona, come in many varieties, but the absolute best are produced at a private coffee plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii, located right on the slopes of Mauna Loa, the famous volcano. It's the volcanic soil, coupled with rainfall and tropical sunshine, that makes these beans grow so well here, resulting in a cup of coffee that's incredibly smooth and not at all acidic.

Santos Leave it to Brazil to make one of the most interesting coffee beans in the game. Instead of high acidity, like so many other varieties of Arabica coffee, this bean instead produces a light-bodied brew with surprisingly low acidity. The hot, humid climate in Brazil is what makes the beans so low in acidity, and the lower growing elevation means that harvests can be timed to when the fruit on the plant still smells sweet, which carries over into the beans once roasted.

In recent years, a growing movement for fair-trade coffee has made regular consumers aware that the beans they enjoy don't always come from people who are being fairly compensated for their hours toiling in the fields. In fact, harvesting coffee beans, whether you're on a hillside in Kenya or the jungle in Columbia, is extremely hard work, and it definitely deserves a fair wage. The best way, therefore, to buy coffee a lot of the time is by going through these fair-trade groups.

Now that you know the history of some of the world's more popular types of coffee, including the coffee beans they're made from, you can hold your own at a number of dinner conversations, as well as make a more informed choice in the grocery store. Best of all, you'll be able to choose beans that lead t
Santos Leave it to Brazil to make one of the most interesting coffee beans in the game. Instead of high acidity, like so many other varieties of Arabica coffee, this bean instead produces a light-bodied brew with surprisingly low acidity. The hot, humid climate in Brazil is what makes the beans so low in acidity, and the lower growing elevation means that harvests can be timed to when the fruit on the plant still smells sweet, which carries over into the beans once roasted.

In recent years, a growing movement for fair-trade coffee has made regular consumers aware that the beans they enjoy don't always come from people who are being fairly compensated for their hours toiling in the fields. In fact, harvesting coffee beans, whether you're on a hillside in Kenya or the jungle in Columbia, is extremely hard work, and it definitely deserves a fair wage. The best way, therefore, to buy coffee a lot of the time is by going through these fair-trade groups.

Now that you know the history of some of the world's more popular types of coffee, including the coffee beans they're made from, you can hold your own at a number of dinner conversations, as well as make a more informed choice in the grocery store. Best of all, you'll be able to choose beans that lead to a greater cup of morning coffee, for yourself and your family.




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