Latin American Coffee Beans: Introduction to Our Preferred Coffee Sources and Breakfast Blend Overview

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Introduction to Latin American Coffee

There are multiple versions of how coffee was introduced to Latin America. It is generally believed that French naval officer Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu (1687-1774), in 1720, stole one or several coffee seedlings from the royal greenhouse and brought them to Martinique in the Caribbean, thus opening the prosperous coffee business in Latin America. The Latin American coffee growing region refers to countries in Central America, North and South America, and Mexico in North America. The industry often calls coffee from this region "washed coffee," generally using fermentation methods to develop its flavor (Brazil, which uses natural drying methods, is an exception). FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee beans produced in Latin America have a balanced and mild taste, with refreshing acidity and charming cocoa and nut flavors that are perfectly balanced.

Today, Latin America is one of the world's important coffee producing regions, and coffee has become a specialty of Latin America. According to statistics, among the arable land in Latin America today, coffee plantations occupy at least forty-five percent. Due to geographical convenience, Latin American coffee beans are mainly sold to the United States, followed by Europe and Asia. Generally speaking, coffee producing regions are mostly developing countries, while coffee consuming countries are the so-called first world. Although Latin America is a coffee producing region, Latin Americans are also coffee lovers. In addition to common American coffee, mocha, latte, cappuccino, and espresso, each region has its own drinking methods and terminology, which in turn has developed a unique coffee culture.

The original intention of FrontStreet Coffee was not to sell beans, but to taste coffee beans from all over the world. In this process, FrontStreet Coffee's goal is to understand every coffee producing region, different coffee varieties in the same region, different processing methods for the same coffee variety, and establish corresponding databases, as well as comparisons between different coffee producing regions. FrontStreet Coffee hopes to let more coffee lovers understand the world of coffee.

When tasting coffee, FrontStreet Coffee always asks itself the following questions: Which coffee beans from a specific origin best reflect the local optimal climate and first-class cultivation techniques? FrontStreet Coffee looks for coffee beans with local characteristics, which is what French wine manufacturers call: goût de terroir (local flavor).

Coffee Characteristics by Growing Region

Coffee beans from the world's three major growing regions each have their distinct characteristics:

Latin American coffee mostly has a refreshing taste and carries a familiar and pleasant aroma, often reminiscent of nuts or cocoa.

African/Arabian coffee has unique and enticing flavors, emitting floral notes as well as aromas of berries and citrus.

Asian/Pacific coffee has a rich and full-bodied taste with thick body and carries earthy and herbal notes.

Coffee Processing Methods

There are increasingly many coffee bean processing methods available today, and FrontStreet Coffee's beans basically cover all current mainstream processing methods. Coffee from Latin America is generally processed using washed fermentation methods. Rigorous processing can ensure that the produced coffee beans have better quality, lower defect rates, and are large and complete. Coffee from this region generally has a pleasant and wonderful aroma, with a very balanced flavor presentation, typically having special cocoa-like flavors while also carrying refreshing and lively acidity.

Flavor Characteristics of Latin American Coffee

Major coffee producing regions in Latin America (approximately 60%): Brazil's Santos coffee is quite famous; Jamaica's most famous is Blue Mountain coffee, known as the "coffee supreme"; Mexico, Panama, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and other Latin American countries also all produce coffee.

The overall flavor of Latin American coffee is known for its balance, as all coffee flavors can be found in Latin American coffee. The widespread use of wet processing for raw beans is also one of the characteristics of Latin American coffee. Good processing processes also make their bean size larger and more uniform compared to African coffee, with lower defect rates.

Starbucks Latin American Coffee Beans

Starbucks Pike Place Coffee Beans

Starbucks Pike Place is a blend of Latin American coffee beans, first introduced in 1971. This means that however long Starbucks has been open, Pike Place has been sold for just as long!

Starbucks Breakfast Blend Coffee Beans

In 1998, Starbucks introduced this coffee bean for those who prefer a mild taste. The roast level of Breakfast Blend coffee beans is lighter than most Starbucks coffee beans. The roasters use excellent heat control to roast the coffee beans perfectly, bringing out the roasted aroma and flavor of this coffee bean. If you wake up in the morning wanting to drink a coffee that's not too intense but still want to taste rich texture and flavor, Breakfast Blend coffee beans would be your best choice. This coffee bean carries lively citrus aroma and ends with a clean finish as a perfect conclusion.

Representative Latin American Coffee Countries

Brazil

Flavor Characteristics: Mild, moderate acidity and bitterness, gentle aroma

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, with total production accounting for 1/3 of the world, holding 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. Brazil has a wide variety of coffee types, but due to its large production and low-cost characteristics, there are not many excellent coffee varieties, often used for blending with other coffees.

Colombia

Flavor Characteristics: Acidity and berry aroma, with caramel notes, full of sweetness

Colombia is one of the world's largest quality coffee producing countries, a dazzling gem on the world coffee map, and a coffee land favored by God. Colombia's producing regions are very wide, with Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales being the most famous, habitually collectively referred to as "MAM".

Honduras

Flavor Characteristics: Not sour or astringent, high body and aroma, suitable for beginners

Honduras produces two very high-quality coffees that are highly regarded by coffee lovers. One is "Highland Coffee" grown at altitudes of 1000-1500 meters. The other is "Selected Highland Coffee" grown at altitudes of 1500-2000 meters, representing Honduras's highest level. Most Honduran coffee is exported to the United States and Germany.

Panama

Flavor Characteristics: Represented by Geisha, with distinctive bright acidity

Panama coffee is world-famous for Geisha, and the reason is inseparable from Panama's unique natural geographical conditions. Panama is the southernmost country in Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Costa Rica to the north, and Colombia to the south—it is an important isthmus connecting North and South America. Influenced by these geographical factors, Panama has complex and varied microclimates, which have also created the unique flavor of Panamanian coffee.

Costa Rica

Flavor Characteristics: Chocolate aroma and nutty flavors, moderate acidity

Coffee beans produced in the high latitude regions of Costa Rica are world-renowned. Its three most famous origins are Tarrazú, located south of Costa Rica's capital San Jose, as well as the Central Valley and Western Valley regions.

Guatemala

Flavor Characteristics: Bitter and aromatic, excellent taste

World-renowned, exceptionally flavorful coffee is grown in the central region of Guatemala. Coffee beans from here mostly carry roasted and cocoa aromas, with slightly stronger acidity. Slightly acidic, mellow, and smooth, it is the best material for blended coffee. Its classification is divided into seven levels according to altitude. Those from highland origins are more mellow and fragrant, while coffee beans from lowland origins have relatively lower quality.

Peru

Flavor Characteristics: Chocolate, rich acidity, thick and smooth

Peru uses planned cultivation for coffee growing, which has greatly increased coffee production. Peru's main producing regions are in the north and central areas, with nearly 70% of Peru's coffee coming from the north, mainly organic cultivation.

Ecuador

Flavor Characteristics: Medium body, layered acidity and higher sweetness

Ecuador's main producing region is Manabi province. This area is dry and coastal, with gentle altitudes between 300-700m, making it Ecuador's largest coffee producing region, with its Arabica production accounting for half of the country's total.

Jamaica Blue Mountain

Flavor Characteristics: Rich and mellow, perfect combination of sweet, sour, and bitter flavors, without bitterness, moderate and perfect acidity, lasting fruit flavor

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee has high reputation, low production, and long history. It can be said that even if you haven't had specialty coffee, you've heard of Blue Mountain coffee.

Bolivia

Flavor Characteristics: Obvious fruit tones, sometimes with floral notes

Due to transportation difficulties, Bolivia's coffee development speed has been limited, but the quality is not compromised at all—Bolivian beans are of very good quality. Especially when Japanese contestant Miki Suzuki won the world runner-up at the WBC (World Barista Championship) held in Seoul in 2017 with Bolivian Geisha, Bolivia as a coffee producing country became further known to people.

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