Three Major Coffee Growing Regions: Varieties, Characteristics, and Flavor Descriptions

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FrontStreet Coffee currently offers approximately 50 different coffee beans. With so many countries around the world, the global coffee belt can be divided into three major coffee bean producing regions: Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will provide a detailed explanation of the differences between these three major coffee bean producing regions.

The Division of Producing Regions - The Coffee Belt

Coffee is a tropical agricultural crop. Centered around the equator, between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn at approximately 25 degrees north and south latitude, this region is known as the Bean Belt or Coffee Belt. The average annual temperature in coffee belt regions ranges between 16-25°C, with no frost and rainfall between 1600-2000mm. Coffee beans are grown at high altitudes or mountainous areas ranging from 500-2500m, with coffee bean varieties grown above 1500m generally offering better quality. Currently, there are over 70 major coffee-producing countries, which can be divided into three major coffee bean producing regions: Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

African Coffee Producing Countries

As the birthplace of coffee beans, Africa holds a pivotal position in the entire coffee industry. Although the coffee bean variety library has developed enormously, unknown wild coffee bean varieties in Africa remain the greatest treasure in the hearts of coffee researchers. Through cupping African coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee has found that their common flavor characteristics include rich aroma and captivating fruit acidity, with bright acidity that is lively and unforgettable. The drawback is that African coffee often has a somewhat thin body and less prominent sweetness. Representative coffee-producing countries include Ethiopia and Kenya.

1. Ethiopia (Flavor characteristics: Rich floral and fruit notes, lively citrus and berry acidity)

Ethiopia differs greatly from other coffee-producing countries in that it has not been eroded by colonial culture, maintaining the most primitive and pure attitude and culture toward coffee from ancient times to the present. Coffee to Ethiopia is like tea to China - a daily existence. Ethiopia's coffee ceremony involves drinking three rounds of coffee: the first round is Abol, where elders offer blessings; the second round is Tona, when people begin to chat; and the third round is Beraka, meaning joyfully ending the ceremony. In fact, this coffee ceremony is more about promoting interpersonal communication, much like how Chinese people first set out tea utensils when guests visit or when discussing business.

Ethiopia Coffee Cultivation Systems

Ethiopia's coffee cultivation is divided by scale and mode into:

● Forest Coffee (8-10%): Coffee trees coexist with other crops in original forests without any artificial management, and farmers regularly harvest coffee cherries.

● Semi-Forest Coffee (30-35%): Coffee tree growing areas are between forests and the surrounding areas of farmers' living spaces. Like forest coffee, these are naturally grown varieties, and farmers manage the coffee tree growing areas while planting other economic crops.

● Garden Coffee (50-55%): Coffee trees are planted around farmers' living areas and are mostly self-cultivated by farmers.

● Plantation Coffee (5-6%): Large private growers with more processing facilities and production capacity.

Ethiopian Coffee Beans

People who frequently drink Ethiopian coffee should have heard of the Heirloom variety. Most Ethiopian varieties are named with this term, mainly because Ethiopia has so many varieties that it serves as a natural gene bank for Arabica. On one hand, there are numerous varieties making identification and classification difficult; on the other hand, the Ethiopian government,出于保护的考虑, is unwilling to disclose information about these varieties, so they are collectively called Heirloom. precisely because of the variety complexity, mixed cultivation and mixed harvesting occur. FrontStreet Coffee believes this is why Ethiopian beans vary in size.

Ethiopian Coffee Bean Processing Methods

In many people's memory, Ethiopia has always been a region dominated by washed processing. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Ethiopia favors washed processing because it can highlight the floral notes and lemon acidity of Ethiopian coffee, bringing a fresh and clean feeling. In fact, Ethiopia originally mostly used natural processing methods. It wasn't until 1972 that the Ethiopian government introduced washed processing from Central and South America to improve coffee quality, making Ethiopian coffee fresher and more refined, winning more people's favor. FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed coffee has more prominent acidity, better cleanliness, medium mouthfeel, and the most consistent green bean quality, while natural coffee compared to washed coffee has lower acidity, higher sweetness, clearer mouthfeel, but slightly lower cleanliness. In terms of flavor, it produces more berry-like notes and is more complex.

Ethiopian Coffee Bean Grading

The grading definition for Ethiopian coffee is quite complex. Initially, Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture had a department called the Cupping and Liquoring Unit (CLU) specifically responsible for approving the quality of exported coffee. For washed coffee, export grades were divided into G1 and G2; for natural coffee, export grades were G3, G4, G5, meaning the highest grade for natural coffee was G3. The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), established in 2012, redefined grading. The grading for washed coffee remained unchanged, while for natural coffee, G1 appeared for the first time. This is why G1 and G2 Ethiopian natural coffees now appear on the market, while G3 is gradually disappearing. FrontStreet Coffee uses only G1 grade Ethiopian coffee beans.

Ethiopian Producing Regions

Ethiopia has nine coffee producing regions: Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Harar, Limmu, Illubabor, Jimma, Tepi, Bebeka, and Gimbi. Among these, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Limmu, and Harar belong to Ethiopia's specialty coffee producing regions. Yirgacheffe and Sidamo are particularly renowned.

The Yirgacheffe region (Yirgacheffe) is a small town in Ethiopia at an altitude of 1700-2100 meters, making it one of the highest altitude coffee-producing regions in the world and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. In the rift valley represented by Misty Valley, fog pervades year-round, spring-like seasons prevail, gentle breezes blow, and the cool, humid environment allows thousands of coffee trees to thrive and multiply, nurturing Yirgacheffe's unique floral and fruit aromas intertwined in an unpredictable terroir expression. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the so-called Yirgacheffe flavor refers to rich citrus and lemon fruit acidity, intense jasmine floral aroma, light and elegant mouthfeel with tea-like sensations, drinking like refreshing and clean lemon tea.

The Sidamo region (Sidamo, also translated as Xidamo or Xidamo) is a province in Ethiopia and the superior administrative unit of the famous Yirgacheffe. The Sidamo producing region refers to all producing areas in Sidamo province except Yirgacheffe, and is Ethiopia's southernmost coffee-producing region. The average altitude here is 1400-2000 meters, and the coffee produced has noticeable sweetness, earning it the name "sweet coffee." FrontStreet Coffee believes that natural processed Sidamo has light floral notes, rich berry acidity, and a fermented sensation, with a smoother mouthfeel than washed Sidamo.

FrontStreet Coffee — Yirgacheffe Geddin Co-operative Coffee Beans

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone

Altitude: 1900-2300m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing: Natural

Grade: G1

Brewing flavor: Overall solid mouthfeel with prominent fermentation and tropical fruit notes. As temperature changes, berry and cream flavors emerge, with a persistent citrus sweet and sour sensation lingering between teeth and lips.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommendations for roasting Geddin coffee beans:

Preheat the roaster to 175°C, set the air damper to 3, and heat to 120; return to temperature at 1'32", when the roaster temperature reaches 140°C, keep the heat unchanged and open the damper to 4; at this point, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. When the temperature reaches 166°C, reduce heat to 100, and when reaching 176°C, reduce heat to 80, keeping the damper unchanged. At 8'28", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'38", first crack begins, adjust the damper to 5 (be very careful when adjusting heat, not too low to stop cracking sounds), develop for 1'30" after first crack, then discharge at 193.5°C.

2. Kenya (Flavor characteristics: Strong acidity, prominent cherry tomato and berry aromas)

As is well known, coffee originated in Ethiopia, Africa, and was discovered as early as the 9th century. However, neighboring Kenya only introduced coffee around the early 20th century. During this period, coffee almost circled the entire globe before returning to Africa, and the coffee world was already undergoing new transformations. Kenya can be said to be both a witness and promoter of this transformation.

Kenyan Coffee Beans

SL-28 and SL-34: These are two of 40 varieties developed from a research program led by Guy Gibson at Scott Laboratories, which were cultivated and named in the 1930s. According to SL laboratory botanists, SL28 and SL34 are genetic variants. They account for the vast majority of Kenya's high-quality coffee production, although these varieties are susceptible to leaf rust disease. SL34 has French Mission, Bourbon, and more Typica bloodlines. With copper-colored leaves and broad bean-shaped beans, FrontStreet Coffee through cupping finds that this Kenyan variety has wonderful sweetness, balance, and complex changing flavors, with significant citrus and plum characteristics.

Kenyan Coffee Bean Grading

Kenya grades coffee beans based on bean size and cupping results. According to coffee bean size, shape, and hardness, from high to low: AA or AA+, AB, PB, C, E, TT, T. For AA and AB grade green beans, special grading based on cupping results (not officially recognized by the Kenyan government, established by exporters) includes, from high to low: TOP, PLUS (+), FAQ.

Kenyan Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Kenya adopts a repeated processing method of fermentation followed by washing. Processing begins on the day of harvest, selecting only the highest quality coffee cherries for pulping and fermentation. Fermentation time is 24 hours, after which clean river water is used for washing. Next, fermentation is repeated for another 24 hours in clean river water, followed by another wash. After repeating this cycle 3 times for a total of 72 hours, it's called the Kenyan 72-hour fermentation washed processing method, abbreviated as [K72]. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Kenyan 72-hour fermented washed processed coffee beans, fermented at low temperatures for extended periods and finally dried through sun exposure, result in beans with brighter, cleaner yet full-bodied flavors.

Kenyan Producing Regions

Kenya has the following 6 major producing regions:

① Nyanbu and Murang'a: Most people's favorite bright acidity and thick mouthfeel are both present here. Plus, it's not far from Nairobi, so many foreign buyers visit during the harvest season.

② Nyeri: Bright blackberry and thick body oils, plus citrus and even floral aromas - the specialty beans here are also a major contributor to Kenya's international fame.

③ Kirinyaga: The flavor here is also bright fruit acidity, with moderate body oils and delicate sweetness.

④ Embu Region: The acidity here is not as strong as Nyeri's, with balanced and clear flavors, and mostly good aftertaste performance.

⑤ Machakos Region: This region has rising potential, with clear fruit acidity and delicate flavors, moderate mouthfeel and delicate, fresh aftertaste that are quite famous, attracting many buyers in recent years.

⑥ Western Region: Its flavor differs greatly from the central regions, attracting buyers with moderately thick sweetness and milder flavors. Some washing stations in this region with hazelnut and mild fruit flavors are also favored by buyers who dislike bright acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee — Kenya Asalia Coffee Beans

Region: Thika, Kenya

Processing Station: Asali Honey Processing Station

Altitude: 1550-1750 meters

Grade: AA TOP

Variety: SL28, SL34

Processing: Kenyan 72-hour Washed

Brewing flavor: Initial taste of plum and cherry tomato flavors, with strong and thick acidity in mouthfeel, prominent sweetness in the middle section with juice-like sensations. Aftertaste features berry aroma and brown sugar sweetness, with green tea aroma.

How does FrontStreet Coffee roast Kenyan coffee beans?

Preheat the roaster to 200°C, set damper to 3, turn on heat after 30 seconds, adjust heat to 160, keep damper unchanged. Return to temperature at 1'34", maintain heat. At 5'30", beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears, entering dehydration stage. Reduce heat to 130, lower heat to enter Maillard reaction. When reaching 178°C, reduce heat again to prolong Maillard reaction time, open damper to 3.5. At 7'45", dehydration completes, reduce heat to 80. At 8'30", wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma transitions to coffee aroma - this is the prelude to first crack, so pay attention to the sound of first crack. At 8'52", first crack begins, open damper fully to 5, reduce heat to 50 to decrease caramelization. When first crack begins, endothermic reaction is stronger, so it's recommended to maintain heat at this stage to prevent stalling. First crack development takes more time, which helps reduce acidity and develop flavor. First crack development time is 2 minutes 10 seconds, discharge at 191.6°C.

Latin American Coffee Producing Countries

Latin America refers to the American regions south of the United States, meaning the continent between 32°42' north latitude and 56°54' south latitude, including Mexico (North America), Central America, the West Indies, and South America. Coffee cultivation in Latin America began in the 18th century and is closely related to Spanish colonial rule at that time. Spanish is also the common language in most Latin American countries, while Brazil primarily uses Portuguese (formerly under Portuguese colonial rule). Latin America's fertile volcanic soil, rainy humid climate, and high altitudes are very suitable for coffee bean cultivation. Latin American coffee is generally processed mostly through washed fermentation, and rigorous processing ensures better quality coffee beans with low defect rates and large, complete beans. Latin American coffee beans are generally known for their balance, typically having rich flavors like cocoa and dark chocolate. Representative coffee-producing countries include Brazil, Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica.

1. Brazil (Flavor characteristics: Low acidity, heavy nutty notes, excellent body)

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and also the world's second-largest coffee consumer (first is the United States). Although Brazil faces more natural disasters than other regions, its plantable area is sufficient to compensate. In 2020, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil's progress in harvesting this year's coffee was delayed, but analysis suggests this year's export volume is expected to set a new record. (This information comes from Coffee Finance Network reports)

Brazilian Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Before 1990, Brazil almost entirely used rough natural processing methods, which made Brazilian beans susceptible to woody or earthy flavors because coffee cherries undergo two to three weeks of sun exposure, and when encountering rain and re-moistening, they easily develop musty flavors. To change this situation of being dependent on weather, in 1990 Brazil leveraged its relatively dry climate characteristics to develop the semi-natural method (Pulped Natural) to shorten processing time. In the natural processing method of removing coffee cherry skin and pulp, ripe pulp is easily removed, while immature green cherry skins are difficult to process, allowing for a second screening to filter out immature fruits and unify the maturity of coffee cherries. Compared to natural processing, FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee beans processed through this selection method have improved cleanliness and maturity, bringing more consistent mouthfeel coffee. The introduction of semi-natural processing doesn't mean all Brazilian producing regions use it. The Cerrado region with lower humidity still primarily uses natural processing, with semi-natural processing being secondary there. However, the Red Bourbon from the Cerrado region that FrontStreet Coffee acquired is processed using the semi-natural method.

Brazilian Producing Regions

Brazil has 21 states, with 17 states producing coffee, but 7 states have the largest production, accounting for 98% of the total national production. These are:

São Paulo (Mogiana, Centro-Oeste)

Paraná (Norte Pionerio do Paraná)

Bahia (Planalto da Bahia, Cerrado da Bahia, Atlântico Baiano)

Espírito Santo (Montanhas do Espírito Santo, Conilon Capixaba)

Minas Gerais (Sul de Minas, Cerrado Mineiro, Chapada de Minas, Matas de Minas)

Rondônia (Rondônia)

Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro)

Brazilian Coffee Bean Grades

① Grading by defect rate: From high to low, seven levels: No2-No8. Distinguished by the number of defective beans per 300g, using a deduction system. Deduction of 4 or less can be classified as No2 (No1 situation with no defective beans is rare and cannot maintain consistent supply).

② Grading by bean size: 17 and 18 screen sizes are the highest grades.

③ Cupping quality grading: From high to low: Fine Cup, Fine, Good Cup, Fair Cup, Poor Cup, Bad Cup. FC (Fine Cup) and GC (Good Cup) are more common.

④ Flavor profile grading: From high to low: Strictly Soft (very smooth), Soft (smooth), Softish (somewhat smooth), Hardish (unpleasant), Rioy (iodine-like off-flavor).

FrontStreet Coffee Brazil — Queen's Manor Coffee Beans

Region: Mogiana

Altitude: 1400-1950m

Variety: Yellow Bourbon

Processing: Natural Processing

Brewing flavor: Sweet, clean beans. Using semi-natural processing makes her acidity slightly brighter yet well-integrated with sweetness, with some even having tropical fruit aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommendations for roasting Queen's Manor coffee beans:

Preheat roaster to 200°C, adjust heat to 150, set damper to 3. Return to temperature at 1'30", maintain heat. At 5'10", beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears, entering dehydration stage. Reduce heat to 125, open damper to 3.5. At 8'20", dehydration completes, wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma transitions to coffee aroma - this is the prelude to first crack. When reaching 178°C, reduce heat to 80, pay attention to the sound of first crack. At 9'14", first crack begins, open damper fully to 5. First crack development time 3'00", discharge at 201°C.

2. Colombia (Flavor characteristics: Acidity and berry notes with caramel aroma, very sweet)

Colombia is the world's third-largest coffee producer, located in the tropics with varying climates depending on terrain. The eastern plains and southern Pacific coast have tropical rainforest climates, mountainous areas at 1000-2000 meters altitude have subtropical climates, and the northwest has tropical savanna climate. Rich topography, low latitude, high altitude, and diverse microclimates give Colombia a place in the specialty coffee field. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee finds that Colombian coffee has full mouthfeel with relatively heavy body. It features nut, chocolate, and caramel aromas with smooth, pleasant fruit acidity.

Colombian Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Colombian coffee beans are mainly processed using washed methods. With the popularity of special processing methods and Colombia's "all-welcome" approach to coffee bean innovations, increasingly more special processing methods are applied to Colombian coffee beans. In washed processing, coffee farmers first pour harvested coffee cherries into large water tanks. Underdeveloped, inferior beans will float to the surface, while mature, full cherries will sink to the bottom. At this point, the defective fruits floating on the surface are removed. Then a pulp screener is used to remove the outer skin and pulp of the coffee cherries. At this point, the coffee beans still have a slippery layer of mucilage attached.

Coffee beans with mucilage are placed in fermentation tanks for 16-36 hours. During this process, microorganisms decompose the mucilage. After fermentation is complete, large amounts of clean water are used to wash away residual mucilage from the coffee beans. Finally, the cleaned coffee beans are sun-dried.

Colombian Producing Regions

Colombian coffee cultivation regions are divided into two parts. One part is located in central Colombia, mainly producing commercial coffee beans at low altitudes around 1000m. This area is called MAM, where M refers to Medellín, the capital of Antioquia department; A refers to Armenia, the capital of Quindío department; and the other M refers to Manizales, the capital of Caldas department. Coffee beans from this central region have low acidity and thick body with good sweetness, somewhat similar to Indonesian Mandheling flavor. The other part is located in central-southern Colombia, where past SCAA Coffee of the Year winners have originated. This area is dotted with volcanoes and is a specialty coffee-producing region with hidden treasures. This region includes Tolima, Cauca, Huila, and Nariño departments.

FrontStreet Coffee — Colombian Huila Coffee Beans

Country: Colombia

Region: Huila

Altitude: 1500-1800 meters

Variety: Caturra

Processing: Washed Processing

Brewing flavor: Nuts, dark chocolate, caramel, soft fruit acidity.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommendations for roasting Huila coffee beans:

Yangjia 800N, batch size: 480g. Preheat roaster to 180°C, set damper to 3, heat to 130; return to temperature at 1'42". When roaster temperature reaches 140°C, set damper to 4. When roaster temperature reaches 150.6°C, yellowing point at 6'20", bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When reaching 180°C, reduce heat to 100, keep damper unchanged. At 8'45", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 10'20", first crack begins, open damper fully, develop for 1'50" after first crack, discharge at 196°C.

3. Panama (Flavor characteristics: Represented by Geisha, with distinctive bright acidity)

Panama coffee became world-famous for Geisha, which is closely related to Panama's unique natural geographical conditions and specialized fine management model. After Panama opened the canal in the late 20th century, many American elites moved south, partly for work needs and partly to explore business opportunities. It was during this time that coffee developed rapidly, establishing Panama's position in specialty coffee. In 2004, Panama's Geisha coffee first revealed its fragrance and achieved successive excellent results, earning Panama the title "birthplace of the exceptional Geisha coffee" and making it the new hegemon in the specialty coffee world. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee finds that Geisha coffee has rich floral notes, citrus-like acidity, and honey-like sweetness.

Panama Coffee Bean Processing Methods

When it comes to Panamanian coffee beans, most are of the Geisha variety. For processing Geisha coffee beans, washed and natural processing methods are commonly used. Washed processing can best reflect Geisha's original floral and fruity acidity flavors, while natural processing adds richness and sweetness on this basis.

Panama Producing Regions

Panama has four main coffee producing regions: Boquete, Volcan, Santa Clara, and Piedra de Candela. The Boquete region includes well-known estates like La Esmeralda, Elida, and Kotowa.

FrontStreet Coffee — La Esmeralda Washed Green Label Coffee Beans

Region: Boquete, Panama

Estate: La Esmeralda

Altitude: 1600-1800m

Variety: Geisha

Processing: Washed Processing

Brewing flavor: Rich jasmine floral aroma, high sweetness, citrus, berries, juice-like sensations, cream, green tea, orange peel, cantaloupe - overall rich flavor layers with floral and citrus aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommendations for roasting Green Label Geisha coffee beans:

Preheat roaster to 190°C, heat to 150, set damper to 3. Return to temperature at 1'36", when roaster temperature reaches 140°C, open damper to 4, reduce heat to 130. When roaster temperature reaches 150.8°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When roaster temperature reaches 166°C, adjust heat to 110; keep damper unchanged. At 7'55", when reaching 176°C, adjust heat to 90. Ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8'30", first crack begins, open damper to 5, when reaching 187°C adjust heat to 60. First crack development 1'30, discharge at 193.5°C.

4. Costa Rica (Flavor characteristics: Chocolate aroma and nutty flavors, moderate sweet and sour sensations, mellow)

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to grow and commercially promote coffee. Afterward, Costa Rica broke free from Spanish colonial rule, and the local government began to strongly support the coffee industry with a series of policies, promoting the development of private estates. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee finds that this country's coffee tastes quite mild and smooth, with acidic, sweet aromas harmoniously coexisting with chocolate and nutty bitter flavors, resulting in very balanced overall flavors.

Costa Rican Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Most Costa Rican coffee beans are processed using the locally invented honey processing method. FrontStreet Coffee believes that honey-processed coffee has balanced acidity and sweetness, and like natural processing because it undergoes sun exposure, the coffee bean's own aroma is also amplified, with rich body. As honey processing technology has matured, people have created improvements to honey processing, developing raisin honey processing, which increases the difficulty of honey processing but produces coffee beans with more intense fermentation and aromas, giving coffee white wine-like mouthfeel and balanced acidity.

Costa Rican Producing Regions

Costa Rica has eight major coffee producing regions: West Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba, and Guanacaste. Among these, Central Valley, Tarrazu, and Tres Rios are most famous.

FrontStreet Coffee — Costa Rica Canet Musician Series · Bahia Coffee Beans

Country: Costa Rica

Region: Tarrazu

Altitude: 1950m

Processing: Raisin Honey Processing

Grade: Strictly Hard Bean (SHB)

Variety: Caturra

Brewing flavor: Smells like rice wine fermentation aroma, tastes like sweet and sour sensations of ripe tropical fruits and berries, with nut and cream flavors, caramel aftertaste, and light floral notes in the finish.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommendations for roasting Bahia coffee beans:

Preheat roaster to 180°C, adjust heat to 130, open damper to 3. Return to temperature at 1'43", maintain heat. At 140°C, keep heat unchanged, open damper to 4. At 6'15", beans turn yellow, grassy aroma disappears, entering dehydration stage. When reaching 151°C, reduce heat to 100, keep damper at 4. When reaching 176°C, adjust heat to 70, keep damper unchanged. At 8'15", dehydration completes, wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma transitions to coffee aroma - this is the prelude to first crack. At this point, pay attention to the sound of first crack. At 9'40", first crack begins, open damper fully to 5, keep heat unchanged. First crack development time 1'45", discharge at 196°C.

Asian Region Coffee Beans

Asian region coffee production is second only to Latin America, with Vietnam being Asia's number one coffee-producing country. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee believes that Asian coffee has higher body than both Latin American and African coffees, but less elegant acidity, with woody, herbal, and spicy notes. Low, mellow aromatic tones are more prominent than uplifting fruity acidic aromas. Representative coffee-producing countries include Indonesia and China's Yunnan province.

1. Indonesia (Flavor characteristics: Excellent body, herbal and deep aromas)

Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia, with its coffee history dating back to 1696 when Dutch coffee farm owners attempted to find broader coffee cultivation areas. After extensive exploration, they finally settled on Java Island in Indonesia. After 30 years, Indonesia had established sufficient foundation in the coffee market. However, today, Indonesia's coffee representative is Mandheling, which is actually not surprising because much of the Java coffee originally exported to Europe came from the Sumatra region, and Mandheling comes from Sumatra. Therefore, Sumatra can be considered an important coffee-producing area in Indonesia.

Indonesian Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Mandheling mostly uses Sumatra's unique coffee bean processing method - wet hulling. Due to local weather with frequent rainy days and constant typhoons, it's impossible to achieve the good weather required for natural processing, and the local economy is not good enough to use the more expensive washed processing method, thus giving rise to the locally distinctive wet hulling method. In the first stage, a wooden huller removes the skin and pulp, followed by 3 hours of fermentation, then drying to reduce moisture content to semi-dry semi-wet 30-50%. In the second stage, the mucilage and parchment layer are removed, and drying continues for 2-4 days until moisture content reaches 12-13%.

In addition to regular wet hulling, there's also aged wet hulling. Coffee beans are first processed through regular wet hulling, then stored in warehouses for 2-3 years. The warehouse environment must be cool and ventilated, with regular turning of beans to prevent mold and decay. During this period, the coffee bean's acidity gradually weakens and converts to sugars, and the color also becomes deeper, mostly yellowish-brown or dark brown. Mandheling coffee beans processed using this method are also called aged Mandheling coffee beans.

Indonesian Sumatra Producing Regions

Famous coffee-producing regions in Sumatra include the Gayo Mountain area (also known as the Aceh region), Lintong region, and Sidikalang region. Common Mandheling comes from the Lintong region, which best represents typical Mandheling flavors. The so-called premium Mandheling on the market, also known as Golden Mandheling, comes from the Lake Tawa region (a micro-region of the Gayo Mountain area).

FrontStreet Coffee — Golden Mandheling Coffee Beans

Region: Gayo Mountain, Aceh, Sumatra

Altitude: 1100-1600 meters

Variety: Ateng

Grade: G1, 3 times hand-sorted

Processing: Wet Hulling

Brewing flavor: Herbal, spicy, thick and clean, high balance, rich nut and caramel aromas with chocolate notes, persistent aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee's recommendations for roasting Golden Mandheling coffee beans:

Preheat roaster to 200°C, set damper to 3, adjust heat to 160°C after 1 minute, keep damper unchanged. Roast until 5'40", temperature reaches 148°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration completes, adjust heat to 140°C, damper to 4. At 9'40", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'54", first crack begins, reduce heat to 60°C, open damper fully (be very careful when adjusting heat, not too low to stop cracking sounds), discharge at 204.5°C.

2. China Yunnan (Flavor characteristics: Melon and fruit aromas, nutty notes, tea-like sensations, thick body)

Yunnan has the earliest history of coffee cultivation in China. In 1892 (18th year of Qing Emperor Guangxu's reign), French missionary Alfred Liétard planted the first coffee tree in Zhugula Village, Binchuan, Dali, beginning the history of coffee cultivation in mainland China. The Lujiangba area in Baoshan, with its dry-hot valley climate, is very suitable for coffee cultivation because backed by the Gaoligong Mountains, coffee plantations can reach altitudes of 1500 meters. In 1952, Baoshan region conducted its first trial planting, exactly halfway through China's century-long coffee history. Early village introductions were all fine Arabica varieties, mainly Typica and Bourbon. Through cupping different Yunnan coffee beans over these years, FrontStreet Coffee finds they have the light aroma of melons and fruits, bright plum-like acidity, brown sugar sweetness, nutty aftertaste, prominent sweetness, rich aroma, and thick mouthfeel.

China Yunnan Producing Regions

Yunnan's coffee cultivation is mainly distributed in Lincang, Baoshan, Pu'er, and Dehong. These areas have natural resources of low latitude, high altitude, and large day-night temperature differences, making Yunnan a golden cultivation area for producing high-quality Arabica (small bean) coffee. Because Yunnan did not initially demarcate regions well for coffee bean cultivation, this led to ambiguity in grading and selection.

Yunnan Coffee Bean Processing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee visited Yunnan during the planting season and truly experienced what a rainy season means. Sunny for a few minutes, raining for half an hour. precisely because of the perennial rainy season and unstable climate, most Yunnan coffee beans are processed using washed methods. Harvested cherries are processed with a depulper to separate most of the pulp from the coffee beans, then the parchment coffee is guided to a clean water tank, soaked in water for fermentation to completely remove residual pulp layers. In the past (about five years ago), washed processing was often the first choice for quality coffee bean processing. Through water processing, underripe and defective beans can be selected out due to buoyancy differences, and the fermentation process is better controlled, so unlike natural beans which may have off-flavors, the cup shows clear fruit acidity, slightly stronger complexity, and cleaner characteristics (no negative flavors like astringency or sharpness).

FrontStreet Coffee — China Yunnan Coffee Beans

Coffee origin: China, Yunnan, Baoshan

Coffee variety: Typica

Production altitude: 1200M

Quality grade: AA

Processing method: Washed

FrontStreet Coffee's recommendations for roasting Yunnan Huaguoshan coffee beans?

Preheat roaster to 200°C, set damper to 3, adjust heat to 160°C after 1 minute. Return to temperature at 1'32", roast until 5'40" when beans turn yellow, temperature reaches 149°C, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration completes, keep heat unchanged, damper to 4. At 6 minutes, adjust heat to 140, at 7 minutes, adjust heat again to 120. At 8 minutes, ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8'37", first crack begins, adjust heat to 90, open damper fully to 5. At 9 minutes, reduce heat to 20°C. First crack development 2'00", discharge at 196°C.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473