Coffee Beans By Region
I've bean around the world…
On this page…
1. Bean Intro
2. Coffee By Region
3. Region Groups
4. Buying Tips
5. Related Reading
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Confronted by the dark, glossy array of little brown beans with exotic names, a coffee market can be a daunting place for the newbie. Should you choose Kenyan Peaberry, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Java, or Ethiopian Mocha? What about Kona coffee, or Colombian Supremo?
If you are looking for a quick overview of world coffee flavors, they can be divided into Latin American, African/Arabian and Asian-Indonesian. For more detail on these three classifications, see the "Region Groups" section on this page. If you are looking for a more in-depth description of a particular regional coffee, read on…
After species, the second biggest flavor determining factor for coffee beans is region of origin. The altitude, soil type, climate and methods of harvesting for a particular region result in flavors unique to coffee beans from that region. Although it would be impossible to describe every coffee from every region on this page, the following table describes the most common coffee beans and their characteristics.
If you want to buy coffee online, Peet's Coffee and Tea has a section that allows you to select coffee by region before ordering. Peet's delivers fresh coffee that is roasted to order. Try Peet's Coffee & Tea. Deep-roasted, delivered fresh, since 1966.
Coffee Beans By Region
| Region |
Acidity |
Body |
Aroma |
Flavor |
Roast |
Notes |
| Brazilian |
mild |
medium |
complex |
dry, spicy, sweet, lingering |
medium to dark |
|
| Colombian |
medium, strong |
medium-full |
heady, full |
rich, sweet, caramelly |
medium |
consistent, good unblended, stronger than Brazilian |
| Costa Rican |
subtle, fine, distinctive |
full |
fragrant |
rich, smooth, sweet, delicate, smoky |
medium to dark |
|
| Ethiopian |
mild-medium |
full |
complex, cinnamon, grassy, pungent |
rich, spicy, gamey, hints of cocoa, winey |
medium |
varied tastes |
| Guatemalan |
medium-high |
heavy |
lively |
rich, chocolaty, soft, mild, subtle, smoky |
medium to dark |
well-regarded |
| Haitian |
mild |
heavy |
faintly sweet |
full, winey, sweet, rich, mellow |
dark |
|
| Hawaiian Kona |
medium-high |
medium |
fragrant, very aromatic, spicy - cinnamon, cloves |
rich, winey |
medium to light |
|
| Jamaican - Jamaican Blue Mountain |
good |
full |
rich |
perfectly balanced, pleasant, lingering |
medium |
perfectly balanced |
| Java |
high |
medium-heavy |
spicy |
exotic, smooth, mellow, musty, smoky, winey |
medium |
|
| Kenyan |
high |
medium |
fragrant |
intense, floral, winey, lemony |
medium to dark |
|
| Kenyan AA or Estate |
medium-high, fruity |
full |
rich, sweet |
mellow, hint of citrus or blackcurrent |
medium to dark |
'AA' refers to the large bean size |
| Mexican |
low-medium, delicate |
medium-light, smooth |
faint |
thin, dry, sweet, hazelnut |
medium to light |
Large Bean, known as the elephant bean |
| Monsoon Malabar |
low, gentle |
full |
spicy |
mellow, full |
medium |
Indian / Aged coffee exposed to hot, monsoon winds |
| Nicaraguan |
low-medium |
light |
faint |
mild, pleasant |
medium to light |
used exclusively for blending |
| Sumatran |
medium |
full, heavy, velvety |
smoky |
exotic, earthy, musty, natural |
dark |
|
| Tanzanian Kilimanjara |
delicate |
good |
good |
rich |
medium to dark |
|
| Yemeni |
delicate |
medium |
fragrant |
dry, sweet, mild, winey |
medium |
|
Coffee Region Groups
The easiest way to categorize coffee beans into regional groups is to divide them into these three locales: Asia-Indonesia-Pacific, Africa/Arabia and Central-and-South-America. Within these three locales, many different coffees are harvested. For in-depth detail on these coffee beans see the above table, otherwise, as a brief guide, the tables below will serve you well:
Region 1 - Latin America |
| Area |
Central and South America, Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico |
| Acidity |
medium to high |
| Body |
light |
| Flavor |
well-balanced, sweet, intense, tangy |
Recommended
Roast |
Mild to medium - to preserve the brightness of the bean without introducing bitterness |
| Accompaniment |
Breakfast, toast, muffins |
Region 2 - Africa/Arabia |
| Area |
African continent, middle-east, Arabia |
| Acidity |
medium |
| Body |
medium, syrupy |
| Flavor |
spicy, wine-like, cocoa, citrus fruits and berries, wild |
Recommended
Roast |
Dark |
| Accompaniment |
Milk chocolate, cheesecake |
Region 3 - Asia-Indo-Pacific |
| Area |
Asia, Indonesia and surrounding pacific islands |
| Acidity |
low |
| Body |
bold, strong, heavy |
| Flavor |
powerful, robust, earthy, smooth, flowery, robust, hearty, bitter tones |
Recommended
Roast |
Dark to Very Dark |
| Accompaniment |
Dark Chocolate, Rich desserts, Caramel |
Try these searches to find coffee beans by region…
If you want to buy coffee online, Peet's Coffee and Tea has a section that allows you to select coffee by region before ordering. Peet's delivers fresh coffee that is roasted to order. Try Peet's Coffee & Tea. Deep-roasted, delivered fresh, since 1966.
OR search for coffee beans at Amazon.com:
Coffee Beans by Region - Related reading …
Click for more about acidity, body, aroma and flavor.
Click for more about coffee blends and single origin coffee.
Click for more about coffee cupping = coffee tasting.
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