When considering the best coffees on the planet, I went to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) for research. They are the organization that sets the quality standards for specialty coffee, which the public calls “gourmet” coffee. All specialty coffees use arabica beans. The other group of may be the robusta bean, that is of inferior taste quality to arabica. Within these categories, there are several varieties of bean. Arabica beans are grown at a higher altitude than robusta.

Coffee may be the second most traded commodity on the planet and it is graded in a similar manner as wine. The wedding is known as “cupping” and it has a set of strict standards. Winning a cupping is extremely prestigious and has an effect about the prices a coffee grower can get for his crop.

History of these “cupping” winners indicates that three areas of the planet produce the most winners. Interestingly, these regions possess a similar latitude when looking at the planet map. The three regions are Ethiopia, Sumatra and Panama.

Ethiopian/Kenyan Coffee (Africa)

Ethiopian coffee is aromatic, highly flavorful, and also considered to be some of the best coffees in the world. It is also the origin of coffee. The Ethiopian people have a legend that says that the goat herder discovered Ethiopian coffee around 850 AD. This legend claims that the goat herder realized that his sheep were very excited and nearly dancing after eating red berries from the tree. The legend from the founder procedes to say that the herder sampled the red berries for himself and took a few of the berries the place to find his wife who insisted that he drive them to the monks. The monks supposedly threw the berries into a fire and noticed the delicious smell that the berries produced. The monks are said to possess removed the berries from the fire and boiled the berries in water to create the beverage that people now termed as Ethiopian coffee.

Whether this legend holds true, or perhaps in fact just a legend is forever a mystery. Regardless, Ethiopian coffee has been used for religious ceremonies. These ceremonies continue to be held today and if a guest is invited to sign up in the ceremony, it is well known to be a very beautiful experience.

Locally, Ethiopian coffee is served with either sugar, or perhaps in some parts of Ethiopia, salt. Milk or any kind of creamer is never used in traditionally brewing. The process of making the coffee varies by region. In certain regions it’s dry processed as well as in some other regions it is washed. The Ethiopian coffee present in stores today is dry processed.

The operation is often grueling and along with with importing adds to the reason of why Ethiopian coffee could be expensive.

When consumers purchase Ethiopian coffee to become brewed at home, it is advisable to consider fair trade Ethiopian coffee. The obvious reason to consider fair trade is so that the producers of this wonderful product can make use of their hard work. Ethiopian coffee includes a rich, bold, and exciting background and an idea that’s been popular with lots of people for a long time.

Sumatran Coffee (Indonesia)

Sumatran coffee originates from the island in Indonesia called Sumatra. The taste of Sumatran coffee is spicy, herbal, and incredibly distinct. It’s considered to be among the best coffees on the planet and was initially introduced by the Dutch around 1699 when the Dutch desired to take care of the need for coffee to Europe. The Dutch traders knew the difference between Sumatran coffee beans along with other espresso beans by the appearance, which are irregularly shaped and bright green.

Sumatran coffee is one of the best coffees on the planet and has a low acidity that makes it highly favored among other types of coffee. The beans are often grown entirely sunlight and with no chemicals. A highly popular kind of Sumatran coffee, yet thoroughly disgusting in several peoples opinion, may be the kopi luwak Sumatran coffee. The kopi luwak coffee is espresso beans that have been eaten by the small animal known as the luwak. After the luwak digests and excretes the coffee beans, local villagers collect the excreted beans and roast them. These excreted and roasted beans are said to cost about $300 a pound. Of course, not every one of Sumatran coffee originates from the excrement of the luwak. There are lots of other types of Sumatran coffee as well.

Most of the Sumatran coffee beans are processed while using wet and dry processing method. This processing technique is another reason why Sumatran coffee is really popular. Almost every other type of coffee beans are processed by using whether wet method or perhaps a dry method, seldom both.

When choosing Sumatran coffee for use in your own home, an individual need to buy fair trade Sumatran coffee. Fair trade beans are available at various online retailers at gourmet coffee retailers. This insures that the growers take advantage of all the hard work they put in growing this delicious coffee.

Sumatran coffee has a taste unlike every other and once you try it for yourself, you may find that it will quickly replace your current brand or at least be a coffee that becomes your favorites.

Panamanian Coffee (Central America)

Although Panama may be the smallest of coffee producing countries, they grow most of the top coffees each year. The coffee region surrounds the town of Boquete within the western province of Chiriqui near to the Costa Rican border. Some say Panama has the ideal micro climate to develop coffee receiving winds in the north plus a light mist and cool breeze. The majority of the coffee is grown on farms and it is called an Estate coffee which signifies the farm it’s from.

The process includes hand picking, washing and sun drying. The farms work closely using the indigenous people improving the community with social, medical and educational services. Because of this, fair trade isn’t a concern. It is a harmonious relationship between farm and worker.

For a long time, coffee from Panama was not well-known amongst the public however the quality was apparent towards the traders. So much so, that one trader was caught selling the lower cost Panamanian coffee beans as Hawaiian Kona beans, a significantly well known top end arabica bean.

Currently, Panamanian coffee has come old winning numerous cuppings to the stage in 2003 when the competition was changed. Previously, each entry was individual and Panamanian entrants would win up to five of ten awards. Now, they’ve groupings and each group can produce up to two winners that progress to the next level.

It should be noted that although Panamanian coffee continues to be established because the best in the location, wonderful coffees do come from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Columbia.

Coffee All over the world

Coffee vegetation is grown around the world in areas that have moderate rainfall and nearly all year round sunlight. Areas for example Africa, Arabia, South usa and Southern Asia are well suited for growing coffee and therefore are notable for their large plantations. Other tropical regions for example Hawaii and Jamaica are known for smaller yields of high quality beans. There are only two different types of coffee beans that are accustomed to make beverages, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is considered the better tasting coffee and accounts for about 75 percent of the world’s coffee production, but it’s harder and expensive for grow. Robusta, is less expensive to develop and may thrive in areas that Arabica cannot be grown, but it is considered to have an inferior “bitter” flavor.

Mexico & Guatemala

Mexico began exporting coffee in the late 1800s. Nearly all coffee manufactured in Mexico is exported to the Usa. Unlike many regions of the planet, the majority of the beans grown in Mexico are grown this is not on large plantations, but small family operated farms. Although smaller than Mexico, Guatemala is also famous for its coffee production. First cultivated in the nineteenth century by German immigrants, Guatemala is considered to produce a few of the finest quality espresso beans because of the optimal climate and excellent soil that is found on the southern slopes of the country’s volcanoes. Most other Central American countries also produce a minimum of some coffee including Ecuador, Honduras, Panama and nicaragua , and Nicaragua. Jamaica should also be mentioned as the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is produced there, and is considered by many to become among the finest coffees on the planet.

South America

The climate and geography of South usa, especially the mountainous areas, applies well to coffee production. There are a number of regions in South America recognized for their coffee plantations. Brazil is among the leading producers of coffee in the world producing over twenty million bags of raw espresso beans a year. The country includes a long good reputation for coffee production and it has grown and exported Arabica espresso beans because the 1700s. Both Venezuela and Columbia will also be major South American producers of coffee. Although not as well termed as the standard South American coffee producers, Peru hosts numerous coffee plantations, and it is becoming known as a producer of both “generic” and high quality espresso beans.

Asia

Vietnam has turned into a major producer of coffee within the last many years, producing nearly six million bags of coffee annually. The climate of Vietnam is not optimal for that more delicate Arabica coffee plants, therefore the most of the coffee grown in the country is the hardier Robusta variety. The big islands of Java and Sumatra also both produce significant quantities of Robusta at their lower elevations and Arabica could be successfully grown at the higher elevations of the volcanoes and mountains. Other coffee growing areas in Asia include Timor, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and India.

Africa

Africa was the original home of Arabica coffee plants, and a number of African countries still produce coffee for export. Ethiopia, considered by many to become the very first site that coffee was cultivated produces around four million bags of Arabica coffee beans every year. Coffee exports are particularly important to Ethiopia along with other poor African countries and earns much needed hard currency. Africa is a large continent and due to the variety of climates and geographical features, it includes many different types of coffee plantations. Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya all grow mainly Arabica coffee, while Madagascar and Tanzania grow a combination of both Arabica and Robusta with respect to the local climate and soil. Cameroon produces mainly Robusta, even though some Arabica is grown there.