As of today, almost 2 billion pounds of coffee are being sold from Colombia. It might not be as large as what Brazil can supply, but this still makes Colombia one of the most famous countries that supply coffee all over the world. What’s interesting about Colombia is that unlike Brazil, which focuses on quantity, Colombia ensures that its coffee beans are of top quality at all times unlike many other South American coffee beans. They are really competitive when it comes to the quality of their coffee, and they even have a gourmet coffee bean variety that’s popular around the world.
Read about South American Coffee.
In this article, you’re going to learn more about Colombian coffee beans, how they are traded, their history, and a lot that will make you fully understand how awesome the country is when it comes to providing one of the best coffee beans in the entire world. There are a range of sellers that offer Colombian coffee beans for sale. After reading this article, when you go to buy Colombian coffee beans you will know what to look for to get the best quality (Gourmet Coffee).
The Past And The Present
Colombia has a rich history when it comes to its own discovery of coffee and how they were able to cultivate it with excellent quality. As of now, there are 500,000 small farms across the country that cultivate and supply coffee beans to exporters and local sellers. It’s very remarkable that the coffee industry of Colombia is prosperous despite coffee beans got introduced to the country back in the late 18th century. Take note that Ethiopians discovered coffee back in the 9th century. That’s hundreds of years of waiting until Colombia discovered coffee.
Nowadays, the effect of climate change has affected the coffee bean farms all over Colombia. The rate of pests and plant diseases has increased as well, limiting the coffee bean supply further. But despite all these, Colombia still retains its quality as one of the top suppliers of coffee beans around the world.
Geography And Trade
Colombia is known to be a very large country. Due to a part of the country’s economy being taken over by the coffee bean industry, there are several farms situated in the Northern, Central, and Southern regions of the country – all have the right altitude and climate needed to grow the finest coffee bean strains. As of today, farming regions have begun to open from the far Eastern regions of Colombia, too. This just shows that despite climate change, the product of coffee will remain consistent for everyone to enjoy.
Colombia has a renowned region called the “Coffee Belt”, which is located in Central Colombia. Specifically, these are the Quindio, Caldas and Risaralda regions. On the other hand, regions such as Manizales, Armenia, and Medellin, which are known as the MAM subregions, are also known to produce the best quality coffee beans. Due to the dry and wet seasons of the country, farmers can harvest twice a year for all of the present coffee trees on the farm. This is the reason why they can create top-quality coffee beans in enormous amounts.
The North and South areas of Colombia provide different types of coffee beans due to the difference between the two in terms of the coffee beans’ growth conditions. The Northern region is known to have an abundant Java coffee bean farm, which is often harvested around November. Due to the lower elevations and temperatures of the area, the Java coffee beans have distinctive notes that are reminiscent of chocolate. This also grants the coffee beans lower acidity with a fuller-looking body.
On the other hand, the Southern regions have farms located at higher altitudes, which slows down the ripening process of the cherries. The coffee beans here are known to have a stronger level of acidity, making them perfect for those who are conscious of their health. As for the central region of Colombia, the coffee here varies a lot already.
Types of Colombian Coffee Beans
Now that you know the background of the whole Colombian coffee bean trade, let us introduce you to the known coffee bean strains in the country. Here are the following:
- Arabica – The Arabica coffee bean might have originated in Ethiopia, but it was Colombia that refined the quality of the coffee bean to the point where the country became the number one supplier of this aromatic and flavorful coffee bean strain. The Typica is the finest type of Arabica that was ever grown in Colombia, where the coffee cherries grow at higher altitudes to maximize the taste of the coffee once brewed.
- Bourbon – a popular coffee bean strain in Colombia. It was discovered back in the late 1800s. This is a rarity and is considered somewhat of a luxury because it is harder to grow, as the plant is prone to diseases.
- Caturra – Caturra is the cross between the Arabica and Bourbon strains. This was discovered back in the 1910s and is responsible for one-half of the entire Colombian coffee bean supply in the country.
- Castillo – The Castillo coffee bean strain completely replaced Caturra overtime when it comes to mass production, as it’s more affordable, disease-resistant, and versatile in terms of growth conditions.
- Maragogipe – This strain is a mutation of the Arabica coffee bean plant that’s distinctive for its large bean size. These are also considered as gourmet coffee in the country.
So what are you waiting for? Go buy coffee beans and brew some quality coffee beans. If you don’t have any you can even get coffee beans delivered to you.
