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BRAZIL
This South American country started its coffee industry in the early
1720’s with the help from neighboring French Guinea. By 1845
Brazilian coffee already accounted for the largest portion (45
percent) of world production. Brazil remains the world’s largest
producer with its exports now representing one-third of all the
coffee consumed in the world; as a result, Brazilian
occurrences-such as the 1975 frost and the 1985 drought – greatly
affect the worldwide coffee trade.
Coffee is grown between 650 and 2,600 feet above sea level,
predominantly in the southern central states of Minas Gerais, Sao
Paulo, and Parana. Approximately 300,000 farms known as “fazendas”
grow coffee, the majority of which is strip picked and prepared by
the dry method of processing. Brazil sends 65 percent of its
exportable crop through the port of Santo.
Brazilian Santos –
This is a smooth, full bodies coffee with little bitterness or
acidity.
COLOMBIA
Jesuit missionaries brought the first coffee to Colombia. Father
Romero encouraged his flock to plant coffee beans as a form of
penance. Colombia now supplies about 15 percent of the world’s
coffee and ranks as the second largest producer.
Three Andean mountain ranges known as the “cordilleras,” run from
north to south; the main coffee producing areas fall within the
eastern and central cordilleras, where the soil is volcanic and
altitudes range from 4,000 to 6,000 feet. Colombia’s 300,000 farms
average less than eight acres and tend to be family owned and
operated. The farms produce only wet processed Arabica coffees,
which are hand picked during two harvesting periods – April through
June and October thru January.
Colombia often exports its coffee under the label “MAM” an acronym
for three major growing districts of Medellin, Armenia, and
Manizales.
Colombian Supremo
– This is a full bodied, mellow coffee with a slightly nutty
flavor.
Colombian Excelso
– This coffee is like Supremo but with more intense flavor.
COSTA RICA
Nearly all coffee grown in this Central American country is Arabica,
which was introduced from Cuba in 1779 and first exported in 1820.
The central plateau around San Jose, with an altitude of about 4,000
feet, serves as the major growing area, although coffee also grows
on terraces on the Atlantic and Pacific coastal mountains.
There are 30,000 plantations, known
as “fincas.” The plantations produce only wet process arabica
coffees.
Costa
Rican Terrazzu
– This is a mild coffee with a delicate
acidity, recommended as a breakfast coffee.
JAMAICA
The coffee industry on this Caribbean
Island began in 1725 when its governor brought seedlings from
Martinique and planted them on his estate. About 60,000 Jamaican
farmers now grow coffee, some producing as little as five pounds of
green beans each year.
Mountains cover four-fifths of the
country, the Blue Mountains, in the east and reach a height of 7,400
feet. Coffee is planted on terraces on the mountain slopes 1,500 to
5,000 feet above sea level, and often shaded by avocado and banana
trees. Harvesting of the crop, which is all Arabica coffee, occurs
in August and September.
The Coffee Industry Board certifies
all Jamaican coffee, issuing a “seal of authenticity” to all coffee
exports. Jamaica often ships its higher grades in wooden barrels
rather than burlap bags.
Jamaica produces about 40,000 bags
per year, with Japan purchasing most of the exportable crop.
Jamaican Blue Mountain –
This coffee is
full-bodied and rich in flavor and has mild acidity.
INDONESIA
Indonesia comprises 13,000 Pacific
Islands, 6,000 which are inhabited. Coffee grows on the larger
islands of Java, Sumatra, Celebes, Bali, Flores and Timor.
The Dutch first brought Arabica
coffee to the islands, then known as the Netherland Indies, in the
17th century. Cultivation proved to be so successful
that “Java” became a synonym for all coffee. In the 1820’s,
however, Coffee Leaf Rust destroyed most of the crop. Farmers
replanted, only to see their crops devastated again by military
occupation during World War II. When the war concluded, the new
replantings were robusta seedlings.
Indonesia’s annual production of
approximately 5.5 million bags makes it the world’s third largest
producer. Arabica coffee, which accounts for 10 percent of total
production, is grown at the higher altitudes (up to 5,000 feet) in
volcanic soil.
Java –
This Indonesian coffee offers a slightly smoky
flavor.
Sumatra Mandheling
–
This Indonesian coffee has a heavy, mellow flavor
with little acidity.
KENYA & ZIMBABWE
Despite its proximity to Ethiopia,
Kenya did not begin cultivating coffee until the end of the 19th
century when missionaries arrived with seedlings. The German and
British colonial rulers developed cultivation further. Kenya now
produces about 1.8 million bags of coffee each year, virtually all
wet-processed arabicas.
Most of Kenya’s crop grows north and
east of Nairobi on the plateaus surrounding Mount Kenya, an extinct
volcano that rises 17,000 feet about sea level. Cooperatives
comprising approximately 350,000 farms – each average a half acre -
cultivate coffee at altitudes between 4,900 and 6,800 feet. Kenya
harvests its main crop (80 percent of total production) in March and
April, with a secondary crop harvested in October and November.
The Kenya Coffee Board classifies
coffee by bean size and holds weekly auctions in Nairobi.
Kenya AA –
This coffee is famous for its
aroma, strong flavor, and sharp acidity.
Zimbabwe –
This coffee is typical of Kenya
characteristics, but not as striking.
HAWAII
While the United States consumes the
most coffee in the world, it is among the smallest producers with
about 20,000 bags per year. The two major producing islands are the
Island of Hawaii, which coffee is named Kona and the Island of Kauai
which coffee is named Kope. The first coffee was planted on the
Island of Kauai on the leeward side of the island.
Kauai has more than 4,000 acres of
coffee trees spreading over its rich farmland, which is the largest
plantation in Hawaii. It’s also the largest irrigated coffee estate
in the world – gathering the afternoon rains of Kauai’s high central
mountains in a series of small ponds and reservoirs, channeling it
down to the warm, rolling fields by aqueduct and canal, and finally
delivering it deep into the roots of each coffee tree through an
intricate drip irrigation system.
Cool trade winds sweeping down from
Kauai’s peaks mean a moderate local climate, neither too hot nor too
cold, for growing coffee. Combined with the area’s well-drained
volcanic soil, its temperate climate encourages abundant growth and
consistently large harvests.
Kauai –
This coffee is known for its
striking flavor with a very mild acidity.
YEMEN
Cultivated for hundreds of years is
the original coffee from Arabica. Processed with the dry method,
with the pulp being milled of the beans, Yemen is steeped in
tradition. Coffee trees originated from Ethiopia. Coffee trees
sent out of Yemen are known as “Arabica.” Dutch traders would
travel around the Cape of Good Hope and North to the port of Mocha
and from this port they would begin their journeys to the Indies.
It was from Mocha that trees were transplanted to an island in
Indonesia called Java.
Yemen Mocha –
This unique coffee has a high acidity, light body and a chocolate
taste.
ROAST CHARACTERISTICS AND COLOR
Full City Roast – Dark brown color
with no trace of oil on the beans surface.
French Roast – Very dark brown in
color with a large amount of oil appearing on the beans surface.
Italian Roast – Black in color with a
large amount of oil on the beans surface giving a strong or burnt
taste.
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