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The Coffee Belt

Seen on a world map, the coffee-growing regions form a band between 25 degrees north and 25 degrees south latitude. Every major coffee-producing country lies inside this band, which is why it is known as the Coffee Belt.

Arabica is grown mainly in South America (except for parts of Argentina and Brazil), the countries of Central America, Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia and others) and Asia (including parts of Yemen, India and Papua New Guinea). Smaller amounts are also grown in China, in Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan.

In subtropical climates the growing latitude is generally 16 to 24 degrees, with altitudes of 550 to 1100 meters. These regions need clearly defined rainy and dry seasons so that the crop ripens on a predictable annual cycle; Mexico, Jamaica and Zimbabwe are typical examples. Closer to the equator, the latitude is usually below 10 degrees and coffee has to be planted higher, at around 1100 to 2000 meters. Constant rainfall there encourages more frequent flowering, often producing two harvests a year; Kenya, Colombia and Ethiopia belong to this group.

Beginner Coffee Bean Varieties

When you start out, you only need to remember two names: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is known as "small-fruit coffee" and accounts for 75% to 80% of world production. It originated in East Africa and is the most traditional coffee species, but it tolerates drought, frost and pests poorly, which is why producing countries keep breeding improved cultivars. Robusta is "medium-fruit coffee" and accounts for about 20% of world production. Its beans are larger than Arabica, the plant resists disease better and the caffeine content is higher, but the cup is sour and astringent with a coarser flavor, so it is used mainly for instant coffee.

Roasting

Roasting determines the color, aroma and taste of coffee and is the key step that turns raw green beans into roasted beans. Both the heat and the length of the roast shape the final flavor. Roasts are grouped into light, medium and dark, and each group is divided into several finer degrees.

Light-roasted beans usually still show a little cinnamon-colored residue on the surface; in the cup they are not only sharply acidic but also carry grassy notes. Medium-roasted beans bring the oils to the surface and take on an oily brown color. They keep the bean's original character while releasing aroma, balancing sourness, sweetness and bitterness with a distinct mouthfeel; the famous Blue Mountain coffee is medium roasted. Dark-roasted beans have an oily surface that can turn almost jet black, and the cup becomes sweeter and more mellow, which suits a strong espresso.

Recommended Beginner Coffee Bean Brands

For beans that are easy to start with, FrontStreet Coffee roasts a range of dependable single origins, including Yirgacheffe, Panama Geisha and Indonesian Mandheling. Each one is a solid choice in both sourcing and quality, and they are priced so that beginners can explore them without hesitation. A 227-gram (half-pound) bag costs only about 80 to 90 RMB. At 15 grams of grounds per pour-over, one bag makes roughly 15 cups, which works out to about 6 RMB per cup of single-origin coffee, far less than the dozens of RMB charged in most cafes.

FrontStreet Coffee is a small independent roastery with a wide and varied bean list, carrying both famous and lesser-known origins.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For an approachable Chinese origin, start with FrontStreet Yunnan Small-Batch Coffee, grown in the Baoshan region. It is washed and medium roasted, giving a gentle cup of nut and chocolate sweetness with a light plum-like acidity, and its friendly price makes it a popular first taste of Yunnan coffee.

To go a step further, FrontStreet's 2013 Sun-Dried Typica comes from the roaster's own Yunnan estate at an altitude of 1,300 meters. Typica is one of the oldest and purest Arabica varieties, and the traditional natural process gives a cleaner, fuller cup with more pronounced sweetness and acidity, layered with hazelnut, dried apricot, black tea, caramel and ripe plum.

For espresso drinkers, the FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend combines Yunnan Small-Batch with Brazil Cerrado. The Brazilian component supplies mixed-nut aroma and a balanced body, while the Yunnan component carries chocolate and citrus notes, so the americano is balanced across sweet, sour and bitter with a nutty, brown-sugar sweetness, and as a latte it is smooth and creamy with an almond character.