Have you ever looked at a bag of coffee and noticed how it’s often named after the country of origin? Here’s why that’s important:
Coffee, originally known as Al-Qahwa in Arabic, was discovered by the Sufis of Yemen who received beans from Yemen and were the first to brew it as a drink when they understood its energising properties and learnt to use them for their night prayers.
From there, it rapidly spread all over the world not only as a drink but as a crop.
Here’s 5 of the top producing countries today
1 - Brazil
Home to the Amazon rainforest, Brazil is a huge country with a tropical climate, which makes it the perfect place to grow coffee. Which it does, and tons of it. Brazil is the world’s largest grower and exporter of coffee, and chances are your last cup was made with a Brazilian coffee. Because of the strong body and balanced flavors, Brazilian beans are perfectly suited for darker roasts, which makes these beans the leading choice for espresso.
2 - Ethiopia
(photograph from Sprudge)
The birthplace of the bean. The legend of Kaldi’s goats states that a shepherd noticed his herd was acting excited and strange after they ate some berries off the ground - intrigued, the shepherd collected these beans and took them back to his village, and the rest is history!
3 - Yemen
(photo from Port of Mokha)
It is believed that the berries Kaldi discovered were only truly understood when they traveled to Yemen, and were boiled in hot water which really brought their magic to life. From here, word and coffee spread all over the world thanks to the trade hub that was the Port of Mokha, which is why Mokha (or mocha) is such a commonly seen term in coffee shops. Yemeni coffee is still recognised as some of the best in the world, with innovations and new varieties being discovered constantly. However, due to the invasion of the country and the ongoing humanitarian crisis; the farmers are struggling and the rare beans that are exported are far too expensive to be easily accessible. These coffees are often roasted very light to bring out their sweet and floral notes.
4 - Panama
Have you ever heard of or drank a geisha? Panama is a country smack in the middle of North and South America and also the global supply chain thanks to the Panama Canal. Which made it a illustrious breeding ground for special varieties, and gave rise to the Panama Geisha - one of the most critically acclaimed and highly sought after types of coffee beans. In 2019, the winning coffee of the Best of Panama SCA auction sold for a record breaking $1029 per pound! Panama Geishas are very tricky to process and roast, which means you should be careful when ordering one and ensure the roaster you’re buying from knows how to make the most of it.
5 - Vietnam
Vietnam may not be as well known for its coffee as it is for surviving invasion, but the country is actually the second largest exporter of coffee. Vietnamese producers specialize in the Robusta variety; which although shunned by the specialty industry, is loved by the growing country itself and drank through a special brewing method. Vietnamese iced coffee uses a unique dripper for brewing and a chunk of condensed milk is added to balance the bitterness of the coffee. We definitely recommend trying this out if you can find an authentic version!