Africa, South America & Asia : Does Coffee from different continents taste different ?
Have you decided to take the next step in the coffee world but you don't know where to start from ? Try to explore coffee flavours and aromas and spot the differences between American, African and Asian Coffee !
The climate conditions, the altitude, rainfalls, the soil composition are some of the parameters that affect not only the quality, but also the flavor of the coffee. Coffee lovers have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of flavors and tastes that can satisfy any particular taste. Scattered in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, coffee producing countries cultivate varieties with distinct features that can be roughly categorized based on their continent origin.
Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Carribean)
Central American Coffees are often characterized by balanced flavors and aromas. Their taste varies between soft sweetness and fruity acidity, while their aroma can be described as "pure". Their aromatic pallet includes fruits, chocolate, nuts and spices. Some of the world’s most expensive and quality coffees, such as Panama's Gesha and Jamaica Blue Mountain originate from Central America.
South America (Colombia, Brazil, Equador, Bolivia)
South American coffees are quite similar to those of Central America: they are generally gentle and light, with similar fragrances. Of course, there are two countries that deserve their own, separate mention: Brazil and Colombia. Brazilian coffees have a strong aftertaste, are creamier and usually have chocolate notes, while coffees from Colombia are usually sweeter, with lower acidity. South and Central America coffees are probably the most popular choice among coffee lovers as they have consistent quality and balanced fragrances. For the same reason, most coffee shop owners usually trust south American coffees, as they give good results with various brewing methods and are suitable for a wide range of tastes. You can taste the aroma of South American Coffees through Contego Pura Energia Colombia a blend that consists from 100% arabica beans from Brazil.
Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya)
Africa, and more specifically Ethiopia, is coffee’s birthplace, and many coffee enthusiastes claim that African coffee is the most "pure" form of coffee, while for many African countries, coffee is a key pillar of their economy. There are significant variations in African coffee, depending on the country of production, but are generally characterized as complex, fruity and with floral fragrances. African coffee is usually stronger that Latin America Coffee, having strong body, while the range of their fragrances is larger, with traces of blueberries, tomatoes, spices, tropical fruits and citrus. The strong diversification of African coffee is due to the dozens of wild coffee varieties that still survive throughout the continent, but also to the different ways of processing the coffee beans: generally, the "dry" processing method emphasizes fruity scents, while the "wet" emphasizes the notes of citrus. Take a taste of real African Coffe with the King Hadhramaut blend by Julius Meinl, consisted by 100% arabica beans from Kenya & Ethiopia.
Asia (Indonesia, India, Philippines)
Asia's coffee varieties are generally not very popular in the western world, although there are coffee lovers who adore “pacific coffee”. Asian coffees generally tend to be regarded as inferior to African and South American coffees, as their aromas are more earthy, less acidic, with increased bitterness and often a salty aftertaste, while their lovers identify aromas of molasses and syrup. Southeast Asian coffees divide coffee lovers : they tend to have both fanatic followers as well as sworn enemies. By trying the Cosmai Raja blend you will try excellent Asian Coffee, since it is made up of selected Robusta grains from India that carry a special aroma and the distinctive strength of the Indian Robusta.
Of course, we should not ignore the fact that coffee’s taste and quality vary even between two coffee producing countries. Even for coffees cultivated in the same region, there are many factors that are crucial to coffee’s taste and quality. The quest for coffee that suits ones’ own, personal taste is a very interesting process, a trip to the exotic deeps of three continents!
