Colombia is known for making the best Arabica coffee with its rich, versatile taste profile that all coffee enthusiasts love and appreciate. It has the right combination of wake-me-up properties and flavours that will leave our taste buds tantalized.
But what makes Colombian coffee better than the rest? The taste and aroma of coffee whittles down to three main factors:
- Where it’s grown (things such as the altitude of the crop, temperature, sunlight, wind, and more)
- The hard work of coffee pickers and processors (a meticulous process that requires excellent attention to detail)
- The type of coffee bean – (Arabica coffee is better than Robusta)
Note: You can easily verify the authenticity of locally grown Colombian Arabica coffee with the PGI and the Cafe de Colombia certifications.
1. Where it’s Grown
Coffee is a rather sensitive crop that needs the right kind of conditions to grow and thrive. Colombia happens to have the perfect geography that favours a superior product.
Colombian coffee is grown within the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). ITCZ means natural air currents migrating from the south and north converge along the Equator, lending Colombia its unique climate conditions.
Coffee cultivation occurs in the high slopes of the Colombian Andean mountains, at altitudes ranging from 400 to 2500 meters above sea level. These cultivations are usually surrounded by banana plants and other trees which provide essential shade from the mid-day sun.
The mountainous terrain, coupled with high rainfall and just the right amount of sunlight creates the perfect conditions for the coffee.
2. The Hard Work of Colombian Coffee Pickers and Processors
The quality of Colombian coffee is a testament to the hard work and expert fingers of thousands of coffee pickers. The entire process is time-sensitive and too delicate. Every single coffee is handpicking, a practice that cannot suppress by machines. No machinery can accurately judge the grade of ripeness for coffee cherries.
Once they have identified ripe coffee cherries, the coffee pickers carry them to the ‘beneficio’ for further processing. The beneficio then converts the ripe coffee cherries into coffee beans through subsequent stages of pulp removal, cleaning, mucilage removal, washing, and sun drying. This process is known as ‘traceability’ and plays a crucial role in sustainable coffee farming.
Coffee farmers’ skills and eagerness to maintain premium quality standards is what Colombian coffee is today.
It is worth mentioning that the roasting process is equally important, and, it is where the added value means the profit in the coffee business for today’s market.
3. The Type of Coffee – Arabica Beans are Better
The two types of coffee beans are known as Arabica and Robusta (though there are other varieties produced within these two species). Colombia’s climate is attuned towards the Arabica varieties of coffee plants, allowing it to grow 100% Arabica beans – no other country can make this claim.
Why does this matter? Arabica beans have a superior aroma and taste profile while containing less caffeine content with strong notes of acidity!
Acidity is an essential organoleptic characteristic that is vital in helping you brew the perfect a cup of coffee.
Wrapping Up
Based on geographical biodiversity, intuitive processing methods, and, quality of coffee, Colombia is reputed to be the biggest producer of superior coffee products in the World. If you are looking forward to world-class coffee, make sure to give Colombian coffee a try.
At Coffee Supermarket Limited, we offer 100% authentic locally-sourced Colombian coffee products fresh from the processing plants. We carry both PGI and Café de Colombia certifications and their famous logos, proving the nature of all our products. Click here to learn more.
