The Best Coffee Regions of the World
If you're anything like most people, you aren't functional in the morning until you've had your first cup of joe. But some bleary-eyed folks are luckier than others. They live in the top coffee-producing countries in the world, so their morning brew is superior to most!
The Coffee Belt
The "coffee belt" is an imaginary line that stretches across the globe. Covering parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, it's basically a giant rubber band that hugs the equator.
What does this area have to do with coffee, you may ask? Well, all of the world's best java is grown within the coffee belt. Its proximity to the equator produces the ideal climate, rainfall, altitude, and soil conditions to grow top-quality coffee beans.
You can thank the farmers, too, for knowing precisely how to harvest and cultivate the beans with techniques that have been perfected over centuries.
Let's talk about some of the best coffee in the world, some of which come together to create Gaffle’s signature blends.
Colombia
Colombian coffee has a reputation for greatness, and this reputation is well deserved. It's grown wild in the Andes Mountains. Weather and soil conditions are perfect for producing high-quality beans, and experienced coffee supply chains ensure that they're kept in pristine condition when they're shipped worldwide.
As for flavor, you can expect smooth, sweet mouthfuls from Colombian coffee. It's often described as having a nutty or chocolatey taste. Others say that they can taste caramel, red fruit, or hints of citrus. All flavors are harmoniously balanced for a truly excellent cup of coffee.
Panama
Have you heard of "gesha" or "geisha" coffee? Despite the name, you won't find it in Japan. It hails from Ethiopia, but it's most famously produced in Panama, where misty mountains grow delicate coffee trees with rare and valuable beans. Their yield is 20 - 30 percent less than regular coffee trees, and farmers must pick the beans by hand.
The end result is an extremely expensive cup of joe. Some bags of geisha beans have been auctioned off for thousands of dollars!
If you can get your hands on it, however, geisha coffee has a flavor profile unlike any other. It's fruity, aromatic, and almost tea-like with lightness and sweetness. It's made with some of the best coffee beans on the planet, and you can taste the difference in every sip.
Ethiopia
You can't talk about the best coffee beans in the world without talking about Ethiopia! It's the native home of the coffea arabica plant, so some folks call it the birthplace of coffee as a whole.
Ethiopian coffee is known for its fruity, floral flavors. Think blueberry, bergamot, citrus, and jasmine. You usually enjoy it as a light or medium roast with a smooth profile.
If you want to drink coffee like the first people in the world, get yourself a cup from Ethiopia.
Guatemala
If you like a stronger taste to your coffee, look for something from Guatemala. This region produces rich, complex, and full-body flavors that can taste almost spicy. Prolific coffee-growing areas include Antigua, Atitlán, Huehuetenango, and San Marcos.
How does Guatemalan coffee get its flavor? Time. Its best coffee beans are matured slowly. They grow around lake shores and the edges of volcanoes where the soil is deep and moist. Rather than hastily harvesting the beans that emerge from this earth, farmers wait until they're fully grown and bursting with flavor. Only then are the beans cultivated, packaged, and shipped to your doorstep.