Introduction to Coffee Growing Regions, Varieties, and Industry Development in Myanmar, Asia

When Myanmar is mentioned, many people think of online fraud in the north, internal conflict and turmoil. Fewer know about coffee cultivation there. Today, FrontStreet Coffee takes you to explore this niche coffee-producing origin.

Myanmar

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country bordering the Myanmar Sea to the southwest, India and Bangladesh to the northwest, China to the northeast, and connecting with Thailand and Laos to the southeast. With a land area of 676,578 square kilometers, Myanmar has diverse geographical features.

The Myanmar flag is rectangular, composed of three horizontal stripes of equal width — yellow, green and red from top to bottom. In the center is a large white five-pointed star that spans the three colored bands and points upward. Yellow represents unity, wisdom, joy and the close solidarity of all ethnic groups. Green symbolizes fertile land, harmony, tranquility and a lush national landscape. Red represents courage and decisiveness, while the white five-pointed star stands for purity, integrity, friendliness and strength.

Myanmar is a country of both land and sea, with a 3,200-kilometer coastline. Its terrain is higher in the north and lower in the south, ringed by mountains to the north, west and east. The northern region consists of high mountains, with the Naga Hills and Rakhine Mountains to the west and the Shan Plateau to the east. Mount Hkakabo Razi, near the Chinese border, stands 5,881 meters above sea level as the country's highest peak. Between the western mountains and the eastern plateau lies the low, flat Irrawaddy River alluvial plain.

Myanmar has a tropical monsoon climate. Most of the country lies south of the Tropic of Cancer in the tropics, while a small portion north of it falls in the subtropics. Summers are hot and humid with a rainy season from June to September, while winters from December to April are dry and mild. The diverse topography of hills, valleys and mountains, combined with hot days and cool nights, creates an excellent ecological environment with few natural disasters — ideal conditions for coffee.

Coffee-Producing Regions

In the late 19th century, British colonists invaded and took control of the country. In the 1930s, Catholic missionaries brought coffee to northern Myanmar's Shan State and began cultivating it. It was not until the 1980s, however, when the local government partnered with the United Nations on a project "aimed at replacing illegal poppy production (used for opium) with coffee trees," that the coffee industry truly began to develop.

Most coffee in Shan State is grown by small farmers, the majority cultivating less than one hectare. Approximately 80% of the coffee grown is Arabica for export, while 20% is Robusta, mostly for domestic consumption. Common varieties include Caturra, Catimor, Bourbon, Typica, S795 and SL34. Harvested cherries are sent to processing stations after picking and sorting.

Coffee cultivation in Myanmar is concentrated mainly in the Nawnghkio, Yaksawk and Pindaya regions of Shan State, as well as the Pyin Oo Lwin region of Mandalay Province. Coffee cultivation has also recently begun in Chin State, Bago Province, the Thandangi region and the Pindaya region.

Shan State

Located in northern Myanmar, Shan State borders Xishuangbanna in China's Yunnan Province and is the largest and most populous state in Myanmar. Most of the region is surrounded by the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and is home to one of Asia's longest rivers, the Salween. Coffee is cultivated at altitudes between 800-1,800 meters.

Mandalay Province

This province lies in central Myanmar and features a diverse landscape combining plateau mountains, plains and hilly forestland. With its varied climate and fertile soil provided by extinct volcanoes, it is highly suitable for agriculture. Most coffee is grown at altitudes between 900-2,000 meters.

Current Status of the Coffee Industry

Myanmar is steadily developing its coffee industry. In 2024, it expanded its coffee cultivation base by 279,000 acres (approximately 170,000 mu). Future expansion plans would help Myanmar's coffee area grow to 300,000 acres (approximately 1.82 million mu), significantly increasing local coffee production within five years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To explore the wider Asian and African specialty map alongside Myanmar, FrontStreet Coffee's introductory lineup covers every major origin. From Ethiopia, coffee's birthplace and Africa's largest producer, start with FrontStreet Natural Huakui and FrontStreet Washed Gedingding Cooperative. Yirgacheffe and Sidama are Ethiopia's best-known regions: after the government introduced washed processing in the 1970s, Yirgacheffe came to be dominated by washed coffees, and today it is subdivided further by processing cooperative — FrontStreet Washed Gedingding Cooperative is a typical Yirgacheffe representative, with jasmine, lemon acidity and berry notes. Sidama is best known for naturals, where tropical fruit and fermented aromas stand out; FrontStreet Sidama Huakui uses a traditional natural process, with main flavors of berry, floral, jackfruit, melon and honey.

From Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, FrontStreet recommends FrontStreet Cerrado Red Bourbon and FrontStreet Queen Estate. Brazilian coffee is largely grown in sun-exposed systems, so the fruit ripens quickly, the bean is softer and the acidity gentle, with good sweetness, a fine, supple entry and overall balance. FrontStreet's Brazilian daily bean comes from the well-known Cerrado region and is prized for being delicious without being expensive, showing typical cream, peanut and cocoa notes when extracted. FrontStreet Queen Estate is planted higher and is a rare Yellow Bourbon variety; beyond Brazil's characteristic compound nut aromas of butter, sunflower seed, macadamia and almond, it carries a sugarcane-like clean sweetness, and whether brewed alone or with milk, its texture is thick and smooth.

From Indonesia, FrontStreet recommends FrontStreet Lintong Mandheling and FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling. FrontStreet Mandheling uses the wet-hulled process, a method invented for the local climate: because Indonesia's weather is changeable and rain is frequent, and because local economic conditions left little funding for washed processing, workers hit on stripping the shell while the bean was half-dry and half-wet to speed drying — giving rise to the distinctive wet-hulled method and the world's unique Mandheling flavor. Wet-hulled FrontStreet Indonesia Mandheling is fuller and smoother than FrontStreet Blue Mountain, even carrying herbal and spice notes, and suits those who dislike acidity. For a higher grade, buy FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling, which undergoes three rounds of hand sorting and one machine sort that drive the defect rate to a minimum, so the cup is cleaner and smoother with clearer woody and caramel notes.

From Colombia, try FrontStreet Huila, FrontStreet Sidra and FrontStreet Big Navel. Colombian coffee is one of the few single-origin coffees sold under a country name. Colombia's climate is mild and humid, and its diversity means coffee ripens throughout the year, with different varieties and regions maturing successively. FrontStreet's Colombian daily bean comes from Huila province, Colombia's most famous specialty region, ringed by mountains with planting above 1,500 meters and the country's most important rivers converging there to bring abundant moisture. Colombian coffee is mostly floral with soft fruit acidity, and FrontStreet Colombia Sidra and FrontStreet Colombia Big Navel are both recommended.

From Costa Rica, look for FrontStreet Mozart, FrontStreet Blackberry and FrontStreet Tarrazu. Costa Rica plants coffee at high altitudes with large day-night temperature swings and fertile volcanic soil all around, producing hard beans (the SHB grade) with elegant aroma. Costa Rican coffee is best known for honey processing, where the mucilage stays on the bean during drying, giving ample sweetness and a clear, lingering character. For a Costa Rican specialty coffee, start with FrontStreet Blackberry, which uses black honey processing, or FrontStreet Mozart, which uses raisin honey processing; both show raisin and blueberry sweetness with osmanthus and rose aromas, and pour-over, cold brew, Americano and latte all bring out the clean sweetness of Costa Rican coffee.

From China's Yunnan, FrontStreet recommends FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean and FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Typica. China has two coffee-growing provinces, Hainan and Yunnan, but Hainan's hot, low-altitude coastal setting cannot support Arabica, so China's specialty coffee is concentrated in Yunnan. FrontStreet Yunnan Small Bean comes from Baoshan and uses washed processing, yielding the traditional nut and chocolate flavors with a soft, balanced body. FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Typica is an ancient Arabica variety planted at 1,300 meters; its cup is cleaner and suits a medium roast, with rich aromas of hazelnut, dried apricot, black tea, caramel and ripe plum.

From Panama, FrontStreet Panama Boquete Washed Geisha is the entry point. Panama is best known for the Geisha variety, and Hacienda La Esmeralda above all, with citrus, berry and floral flavors and a balanced, smooth cup like a completely unsweetened fruit-and-flower tea. Trying Esmeralda can feel extravagant for a beginner, so FrontStreet's baristas recommend the entry-level FrontStreet Boquete Geisha: it comes from Panama's most representative specialty region, with pure varietal genetics and washed processing, so its mandarin-orange sweetness comes through clearly, and its excellent value lets you explore Panama Geisha through different brewing methods.