The Geography of Coffee

The origins, geography and methods of making coffee

Kang Yue Marc Lee

The Coffee Belt

All of the world's coffee is grown within the tropics of Cancer and Capricon

Arabica and Robusta

The two most common species of Coffee are Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica is known for its sweeter and fruitier flavor profile, while Robusta is known for its nuttier and more bitter flavors

The Coffee Cherry

A precious fruit, the coffee cherry can only be grown in specific conditions. It requires a tropical or temperate climate, without frost and with ample sunlight (Wandering Goat Coffee Roasters, n.d.)

The Coffee Bean

Contrary to its name, the coffee bean is actually the seed of the Coffea plant, and is green in color.

Raw green coffee beans are exported, and only after it is roasted, through the Maillard process, do we get the final brown coffee bean

Coffee Consumption Trends

Coffee Consumption has been growing globally, with the National Coffee Association (NCA) reporting a two-decade high in 2022 (National Coffee Association, 2022).

Increase in Exports

To meet up with this demand in consumption, the amount in exports has also been steadily increasing since the 1990s

As a prized commodity, and lifeblood of many farmers, it is imperative that its terroir is protected

Ethiopia

Italy

Turkey

Japan

Vietnam

Singapore

Indonesia

The United States

Ethiopia

As the birthplace of coffee, the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony conveys special meaning to its people.

Coffee beans are freshly roasted and then ground into a powder with a mortar and pestle, before being added to boiling water in a special vessel called a jebena.

Once the mixture is done boiling, the jebena is held high, and the coffee is poured into small cups. An expert brewer is able to keep the coffee grounds in the jebena, and the coffee is served with sugar. (Ewbank, n.d.)

Italy

The Moka Pot is perhaps one of the most iconic coffee makers there are, and originated from Italy.

Finely ground coffee is placd in chamber B, while fresh water is added to A. It is then screwed into the main chamber C, and placed on the stove.

As the water boils, the pressure builds and is forced through the coffee, resulting in a rich and thick coffee.

Turkey

Turkish coffee is made by grinding the coffee extremely fine, almost into a sand.

It is then added into the cezve with water and placed into a bed of hot sand. The hot sand causes the coffee to begin frothing, which is poured out into a demitasse cup straight from the cezve.

The cezve is then placed into the hot sand once again, and the process is repeated. (Braaksma, 2017)

Japan

The pourover may not have originated in Japan, but it certainly was made popular by the V60 cone dripper, named apty due to the angle of the cone.

A conical filter paper is placed into the cone, where the ground coffee is then poured in. A gooseneck kettle is then used to pour water carefully into the ground coffee, ensuring that there is an even saturation and extraction.

Vietnam

The Phin Dripper is ubiquitous to Vietnam, which produces a strong and dark rich coffee utilizing robusta beans that is added to condensed milk and sugar. (Kumstova, 2018)

Ground coffee is added into the dripper, and water is added in two separate pours.

Singapore

A cloth filter, colloquially known as the coffee sock is used in the preparation of kopi in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

Robusta beans are roasted with margarine and sugar until they are nearly black. It is then added into the coffee sock, and hot boiling water is poured through again and again in the coffee pot until a dark, bitter coffee is obtained. Condensed milk, sugar or evaporated milk is then added if so desired (Falkowitz, 2018).

Indonesia

Coffee is made in a similar manner as Singapore, with a coffee sock. Kopi Joss is consumed in certain regions of Indonesia, where a glowing, red brick of charcoal is added into the coffee.

The Joss name is believed to have arised from the hissing sounds the charcoal makes as it hits the coffee, instantly boiling it (Rummel, n.d.).

The United States

The aeropress was invented by prolific inventor Alan Adler when he could not find a simple single-cup brewer, as most other brewers were batch brewers.

The success and convenience of the Aeropress led to its widespread popularity, and today there are even World Aeropress Championships to determine who can make the best cup of coffee with the Aeropress. (Aeropress, n.d.)

Coffee can only be grown in very specific conditions

Coffea arabica, the predominant coffee crop can only be grown within 64°–70°F. Any increase in temperature hastens the ripening process and degrades the coffee cherry and "bean".

Prolonged exposure to temperatures over 86°F ruins the crop, and will render the plant incapable of producing fruit. (Scott, 2015)

As such, protecting the Coffee Belt is imperative if the world wishes to continue enjoying this wonderful drink

Exploring the Coffee Belt

Africa

Africa is the birthplace of coffea arabica, the flowering plant that produces the coffee cherry and bean.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, where an apocryphal tale recounts how a goat herder, Kaldi, found his animals energetic after chewing on some red berries that he had found (Lokker, 2020).

The beans here are known for their sweet berry and peachy flavors

Rwanda

Rwanda also offers some of the best coffee that Africa has to offer, bringing floral, zesty and fruity flavor notes

South America

South America is currently the largest producer of coffee, exporting over 46% of the total 60kg bags of coffee between 2019 and 2020

Brazil

Brazil is by far the largest exporter of Coffee in South America and in the World. Brazillian coffee exhibits a low acidity, with a nutty and smooth chocolate flavor (Nomad Coffee Club, n.d.)

The largest exporter

Brazil accounts for 75% of the coffee from South America, and 35% of the global exports, and is threatened by frost events brought about by a changing climate

Microregions of Brazil

The hills and temperate climate of Brazil makes it perfect for coffee cultivation (Volsi, Telles, Caldarelli, & Camara, 2019), and allows Brazil to account for 35% of global coffee exports

Colombia

Colombian Coffee is known as one of the best in the world, and the "Coffee Cultural Landscape" of Colombia has been declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage site (UNESCO, n.d.).

Like Brazilian coffee, Colombian coffee is renown for its low acidity and its fruity and floral attributes

Asia

Coffee is grown in the Vietnam and Indonesia, where the soil is fertile and nutrient rich.

Vietnam

A dark roast Robusta, Vietnamese coffee is an intensely dark concotion that is mixed with condensed milk and sugar

Indonesia

Indonesia is a sprawling archipelago along the equator, with rich and fertile volcanic soil providing the perfect location for growing coffee.

Each island imparting a unique flavor profile, coffee in Indonesia is preferred for its deep earthy notes (thequeenbean.blog, 2020).

Processing coffee

The coffee cherry first has to be processed before the green bean (or the unroasted coffee bean) can be obtained.

Different production methods have an impact on the way the coffee will taste

Washed

The Washed process requires the farmer to "wash" off the fruit layers and mucilage off the coffee cherry, leaving behind only the bean.

The process prevents the fruit layers from fermenting and imparting additional flavors (Ospina, 2018).

Natural

The Natural process is the exact opposite of the Washed process.

The entire cherry is left to ferment and dry in the sun. As the flesh begins to ferment, it imparts sugars and nutrients, changing the flavor of the bean (Wolcheck, 2015).

Honey

The Honey process is an in-between the Washed and Natural Process

In the Honey Process, the peel of the cherry is removed, leaving behind some mucilage, which is then left to dry

This mucilage begins to resemble honey, giving rise the term "Honey" processing (CV. Buah Berdikari, n.d.).

Here's what you need to know when you buy a bag of coffee

Every bag of coffee is covered in details that you might miss, but provide a wealth of information

Origin

The origin of the coffee tells you where it was grown, and where it was produced. Here, Chamí, refers to the Lot, and Colombia is where it was grown

Varietal

Consider how different grapes produced different wines. Merlots or Chardonnays are both types of wine, yet taste different. Likewise, different varietals of coffee will exhibit different flavor notes. Here, the varietal is of a "Natural Castillo Blend"

Process

The raw fruit has to be processed before it can be converted in to a bean that can be used to make coffee. This refers to the process used to extract the seed or "bean" from the fruit. In this bag, the fruits underwent a Natural Process

Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes. These are the flavors that the coffee roaster has found after tasting the coffee in a process called cupping

Roast Date

Coffee is best when freshly roasted, and quickly grows stale when exposed to oxygen in the air. Hence, look out for the roast dates when buying a bag of coffee

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages globally (British Coffee Association, n.d.), and is likely second only to water As consumers, it is important for us to understands its origins, and its production in order to make an informed decision when we consume this drink. Coffee is a precious fruit that can only be growned in specific conditions, and it matters that we know the terrior and climate, and protect these places.