What Coffee Varieties Are Grown in World-Famous Brazil? What Makes Pour-Over Brazilian Coffee Beans Special

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What varieties are grown in Brazil's massive coffee production? What special flavors do hand-poured Brazilian coffee beans have?

The World's Largest Total Production

When mentioning the foremost coffee-producing region in the coffee industry, South America's Brazil undoubtedly takes the lead. Its coffee production accounts for about one-third of the world's total output, with an average annual export volume of 20-30 million 60kg bags of coffee beans. It is not only the largest country by area in South America but also the global champion in production volume. Within the same golden coffee growing belt, South America also has the world's second-largest coffee exporting country—Colombia. Although Colombia's production is about half that of Brazil, it still accounts for about 15% of the world's total output. And because it only produces Arabica coffee beans, its quality is relatively stable.

In terms of flavor characteristics, South American coffee beans are generally neutral with smoother flavor profiles. Brazilian coffee has a smooth and mild taste that can be enjoyed as a single origin or suitable for adding milk to make lattes, cappuccinos, and other specialty coffees, and is widely used for blending. In comparison, Colombian coffee has a richer aroma with moderate bitterness. It is not only recommended for single-origin drinking but is also commonly found in blended coffees to increase sweetness and balance the bitterness of other coffees. South American coffee has thus become a regional flavor particularly preferred by Asians.

Brazil Coffee Association and Cup of Excellence Competition

In 1991, Brazil established the Coffee Association and began improving bean varieties to match the quality of high-altitude extremely hard beans. With the assistance of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), Brazil held its first Cup of Excellence competition in 1999. After years of witnessing and guidance from international cupping experts, its flavor has gradually gained recognition, breaking the stereotype that Brazilian coffee lacks specialty quality.

Characteristics of Brazilian Coffee

Brazilian coffee generally refers to coffee produced in Brazil. There are many varieties of Brazilian coffee, and the vast majority are unwashed and sun-dried. They are classified according to their producing state name and shipping port. Brazil has 27 states, with 17 states producing coffee, but 4 states have the largest production, accounting for 98% of the national total. Brazilian coffee has lower acidity in its taste, combined with the sweet bitterness of coffee, making it extremely smooth to drink, with a faint grassy aroma, light fragrance with slight bitterness, sweet and smooth, leaving a refreshing aftertaste.

Brazilian Coffee Origins

Brazilian coffee generally refers to coffee produced in Brazil. There are many varieties of Brazilian coffee. Like other Arabica coffees, Brazilian coffee is called "Brazils" to distinguish it from "Milds" coffees. The vast majority of Brazilian coffee is unwashed and sun-dried. They are classified according to their producing state name and shipping port. Brazil has 27 states, with 17 states producing coffee, but 4 states have the largest production, accounting for 98% of Brazil's national total. They are: Paraná state, São Paulo state, Minas Gerais state, and Espírito Santo state. The southern Paraná state has the most astonishing production, accounting for 50% of the total output.

Brazilian coffee is a low-acidity, medium-roasted coffee bean from the world's coffee center. As a high-quality coffee variety, Brazilian coffee can be enjoyed as single origin or blended.

• Flavor characteristics: Mild, moderate sweet and bitter, gentle aroma
• Best roast level: Medium roast

Brazilian coffee has lower acidity in its taste, combined with the sweet bitterness of coffee, making it extremely smooth to drink, with a faint grassy aroma, light fragrance with slight bitterness, sweet and smooth, leaving a refreshing aftertaste. For Brazilian coffee, there are no particularly outstanding advantages, but also no obvious drawbacks. This flavor is mild and smooth, with low acidity, moderate body, and a faint sweetness. All these gentle flavors mixed together make it the best test for the taste buds, which is why many Santos fans love this coffee. Because it is so mild and ordinary, Santos is suitable for medium-level roasting and the most popular brewing methods, making it the best ingredient for espresso and various specialty coffees.

Among them, the most famous is Santos coffee, which has a fragrant and mellow taste. It can be brewed directly or mixed with other types of coffee beans to create a blend, which is also an excellent choice.

Other types of Brazilian coffee such as Rio, Paraná, etc., do not require much care and can be mass-produced. Although the taste is relatively rough, they are still good value coffees. Due to their distribution throughout Brazil, the quality varies, and they have their own standards (classified by impurity content as NO.2-NO.8, by bean size as NO.13-NO.19, and by taste into six grades). Almost all Arabica varieties have good quality and stable prices, with the most famous being "Brazil Santos," which has been an essential component of blended coffees and familiar to the public since ancient times. Recently, "Torma Cup" has also received high evaluations.

Brazilian Coffee Varieties

Although coffee has diversity, Brazilian coffee suits popular tastes. For example: coffee produced in the northern coastal region has a typical iodine flavor that reminds people of the sea after drinking. This coffee is exported to North America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Another interesting and worth-seeking coffee is washed Bahia coffee. This coffee is not easy to find because, after the United States, Brazil is the world's largest coffee-consuming country, and many fine coffees can only be found in its domestic market.

In Brazil, the largest production is of Robusta coffee. This coffee is sold in supermarkets. Brazilian Robusta coffee is sold under the name Conillon, accounting for 15% of total production.

In some estates in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil, ancient Bourbon coffee is cultivated. These estates, such as Capin Branco and Vista Allegre, also sell old Bourbon variety coffee on the market. Although from the same region, these coffees have their own characteristics. Capin Branco coffee has a smoother taste than Vista Allegre coffee, while Vista Allegre coffee is strong and dark, both with low acidity. However, like all Brazilian coffees, they are best enjoyed when fresh, as they become more acidic with age. These coffee growers have organized themselves into the Specialty Coffee Association of Brazil.

Brazil is vividly described as the "giant" and "monarch" of the coffee world. There are approximately 39.7 billion coffee trees there, with small farmers now growing 75% of Brazil's total coffee production. The number of people engaged in coffee production in Brazil is 2 to 3 times that of Colombia, which is the world's second-largest coffee-producing country.

In terms of natural conditions, Brazil is located in a tropical region with a tropical rainforest climate in the north that is hot and humid year-round, suitable for tropical crop growth. Coffee trees are sun-loving crops, and sufficient sunlight is a condition for their growth. Historically, Brazil was a Portuguese colony for a long time. To meet Western European demand, it engaged long-term in single-crop cultivation, developing tropical plantation economies. Thus, Brazil's coffee was its pillar industry for a long period. From a market perspective, coffee and its processed products, rich in caffeine, have stimulating effects and play an important role for predominantly mental worker groups, thus having enormous significance in modern society and broad market prospects. In summary, Brazil's coffee production ranks first in the world.

Unlike in the past, Brazil's economy now depends less on coffee, with coffee accounting for only 8%-10% of GDP. Before World War II, Brazil's total coffee production accounted for 50% or more of the world's total; now it's close to 30%. However, the country's influence on world coffee, especially on coffee prices, is pivotal. For example, two frosts in 1994 caused a surge in global coffee prices.

Since introducing coffee trees from French Guiana in 1720, coffee production has gradually become a science. Before 1990, the Brazilian government strictly monitored the coffee industry, with both harsh interference and price protection measures, and the country always implemented minimum price protection measures for farmers, resulting in coffee overproduction. Before World War II, surplus inventory reached as much as 78 million bags, which later had to be burned or dumped in water to destroy.

Since the free market opened in 1990, the original "Brazilian Coffee Administration" (IBC) was replaced by the country's non-investment administrative agency—the National Economic Association, which pursues a non-interference policy, allowing producers and exporters to negotiate directly. Exporters' business activities are supervised by government legislation, and relevant departments register legitimate exporters.

This largest coffee production area, with various grades and types of coffee accounting for one-third of global consumption, holds a place in the global coffee trading market. Although Brazil faces natural disasters several times higher than other regions, its plantable area is sufficient to compensate.

The coffee varieties here are numerous, but its industrial policy focuses on mass production and low prices, so there aren't many premium-grade coffees, but it is a good choice for blending with other coffees.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations:

V60 dripper, 15g coffee grounds, water temperature 90°C, grind level 3, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

30g of water for blooming, blooming time 30s

分段: Pour water to 110ml and stop, wait for the water level to drop to 1/3, then slowly pour water to 225ml and stop.

Washed Yirgacheffe will have brighter acidity, like citric acid, with a lighter taste, more obvious citrus aroma, and some tea-like notes in the finish.

Other Drip Extraction Suggestions:

• French Press: Recommended grind level 3.5-4, water temperature 90°C
• AeroPress: Recommended grind level 2.5, water temperature 90°C
• Pour-over: Grind level 3.5, water temperature 91°C
• 3.5 grind - 90°C water temperature

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