Areas around the world have their own special coffee bean selections. These areas include African, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, the Pacific and South America.
From Africa, the Ethiopian Arabica beans that include the Harrar, one of their most prized coffees. It has medium to light acidity, full body with mocha flavor and winey aftertaste. Sidamo bean characteristics are a spicy smooth taste, earthy flavor with medium body and low acid. Yirgacheffe beans have a prevalent tart taste of lemon and are larger in size. These prime coffee beans are grown in the Horn of Africa. Kenyan Arabica coffee beans are grown at 5,000 ft. above sea level. They have a full-bodied sharp acidic, intense flavor with a dry winey after taste. Malawi Mapanga is a fine single origin coffee bean that has a fine tangy acidity and fruity blackberry overtones. Most Tanzanian Arabicas are grown near the Kenyan border on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru and have similar characteristic to those from Kenya. Tanzania is also the home of the Peaberry bean, which is also called caracoli. The personal opinion on the peaberry bean remains mixed. The Zambia AA is also one of the best coffees in Africa. It has a snappy acidity and medium body. The Zambia Salimba Coffee is milder than the Zambia AA with a medium body and lower caffeine content.
In Asia there are two countries that grow the original Arabica beans. Arabian traders from Yemen during the 1600’s introduced the coffee bean to Indonesia. These original beans are distinctively spicy, lightly acidic with deep overtones that produce an earthy, yet rich flavor. Monsoon Malabar grows the same beans in the southern parts of India. They are a low acid coffee with a full body with spicy aftertaste. This coffee is characterized as a mild flavored coffee without bitterness.
In the Caribbean, the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee came from France by way of Martinique. It is one of the most sought after coffees in the world; and, it carries a high price due to that demand.
In Central America, the Costa Rican Tarrazu comes from a hard Arabica coffee bean that has a distinctive vibrant flavor. The Guatemalan Antigua, an Arabica hard bean, has characteristics of heavy body, medium acidity, rich floral aroma and smooth finish with a long aftertaste. The Honduran Marcala is another Arabica hard bean coffee that has a slightly fruity aroma and sweet flavor. The Mexican Altura Coatepec is a highland grown shaded coffee that has high acidity, medium body, rich aroma, and full flavor. The Nicaraguan Matagalpa Estate premium coffee is grown at a high altitude where it is shady. Its characteristics are a light to medium body, medium acid and bright flavor while the Panama Boquette is a mild and sweet coffee with medium body, medium to high acidity with winey flavor.
In the Pacific, Hawaiian coffees have multiple sources of origin; some sources include the Ismaili Mocha from Yemen in Arabia while others include a Typica variety from Guatemala. The continuous cross breeding of these varieties on the island of Hawaii has created the unique Kona coffees and established some. Kona also produces Kona Extra Fancy with a mild body, light to medium acidity, slightly floral aroma, and smooth finish. Hawaii also grows a Kona Peaberry. The Papua New Guinea highlands grow Arabica beans at around 5,270 feet. The result is a coffee variety called Arabica Yellow Catuai with characteristics of medium acidity, medium to full body, slightly fruity aroma, and tangy flavor.
From South America comes Brazil Bourbon Santos coffee that is a lower altitude coffee. It is grown between 650 and 2600 feet and yields a bold cup of coffee with a heavy body and creamy texture. High altitude Arabica Colombian Supremo coffee beans are the premium coffee of Colombia. It is a well-rounded coffee that yields a full body, light to medium acidity and a rich flavor.
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