| In this article we look at the origins of coffee from the | | | | producers in the world. |
| South American continent. | | | | The best Peruvian coffees are high grown arabicas, |
| Brazilian Coffee - Brazil produces roughly a third of the | | | | which are flavourful, aromatic, gentle, and mildly acidy, |
| worlds' coffee, but the bulk of it is of the Robusta | | | | and they are highly valued for their blending properties. |
| variety and is not considered to be of high quality. It is | | | | Ecuadorian Coffees - In 2007 Ecuador produced |
| mainly used for blending, and the Brazilians have | | | | nearly a million bags of both arabica and robusta |
| always had the priority of low price over quality. | | | | coffees. These coffees are medium-bodied and fairly |
| However there are some excellent Arabica coffees | | | | acidy, with a straightforward flavour typical of most |
| grown around the Sao Paulo region, where the well | | | | Central and South American coffee. |
| know Santos or Bourbon Santos bean are produced. | | | | Whilst the country has everything to produce top |
| Another popular variety is the Rio, a dry-processed | | | | quality coffees, in fact most of the coffee exported is |
| bean with a characteristic medicinal-like flavour. | | | | aimed at low price rather than high quality. Much of the |
| Considered a defect by most westerners it is | | | | coffee is consumed within the country itself. |
| however much loved in the Balkans and | | | | Venezuelan Coffees - Venezuela used to produce |
| Middle-Eastern countries. | | | | large quantities of coffee comparable to that of |
| Coffee From Colombia - Colombia produces a large | | | | Colombia but since the discovery of oil it's past glories |
| amount of excellent and consistent quality - | | | | have waned substantially so that today Venezuela |
| predominately Arabica - beans each year. It is now the | | | | only produces around 7% of Colombia's production. |
| biggest producer of Arabica coffees on the planet. | | | | Most of this is drunk by the Venezuelans themselves. |
| The standard Colombian coffee is wet-processed, and | | | | Unsurprisingly the best arabica Venezuelan coffee |
| is grown by small farmers or smallholders - mostly in | | | | comes from the far western corner of the country - |
| the three main mountain ranges (called cordilleras) - | | | | the part that borders Colombia. |
| and collected, processed, milled and exported by the | | | | Coffees from this area usually are called Maracaibos, |
| Colombian Coffee Federation. It is all well balanced, has | | | | after the port through which they are shipped. The |
| excellent consistency and can range from a superb, | | | | best-known Maracaibo coffees are Caracus, |
| high-grown, mildly fruity flavour, to a rather ordinary, yet | | | | Cúcuta, Mérida, Trujillo, and |
| still fruity coffee. | | | | Táchira. Regardless of market name, the |
| The coffee industry in Colombia is known the world | | | | highest grade of Venezuela coffee is Lavado Fino, |
| over for its high quality production. | | | | (fine washed) |
| Peruvian Coffees - Despite domestic political problems, | | | | Look out for my other articles in this series of coffees |
| Peru still manages to figure among the top ten coffee | | | | from around the globe. |