Coffees from different areas of the world – as well as different micro regions – can all taste different. When we talk about those areas in terms of coffee, we talk about regions, or origins.
Coffee regions, or origins, are simply where the coffee is grown in the world or within a country.
Should you care about coffee regions?
Why should you care what region the coffee was grown in? Let’s ask a similar question, but about wine. Should you care where a wine is from? Isn’t it true that wine from Rioja, Spain, tastes different than wine from Bordeaux, France or one from Napa Valley in California?
The terroir (a fancy-sounding term meaning the soil, amount of sun or rain, temperature, or altitude where the grapes are grown) affects the final tastes. Also, each area may have their distinct wine-making traditions.
Not surprisingly, growing coffee is similar to growing grapes: different areas produce different tastes.
What makes coffee regions different?
Each region of the world produces coffee that has slightly different taste profiles. Conditions such as altitude, climate, soil and processing traditions change the tastes you get in the cup. So some regions produce coffee with more body, some with more acidity, some that are sweeter, others that are fruity.
But that shouldn’t be confusing – it should be exciting. We get to try coffees from all these different countries and be blown away by the differences.
What are those regional differences? With so many coffee producing countries around the world, it’s not fair to lump them together in broad regions – but this article isn’t long enough to go into every region in detail.
So here’s a very quick overview.
What tastes will you get in the cup?
Central America – can be spicy, complex, fruity, and with a good body
South America – Colombia produces generally sweet coffee (think caramel or raw sugar) and good body. Brazil produces low-acid, medium bodied coffee that can be sweet or bitter depending on the species, and often have chocolate notes.
East Africa – Coffees from countries like Kenya or Ethiopia can be quite fruity and sharp.
Asia – Indonesian coffees are full and rich, often smoky with mild acidity. Vietnam produces Robusta coffee, which are generally blended.
Hawaii – volcanic soil and plentiful rain produce rich, full bodied coffees
Learn more about regions and coffee tasting
In the end, learning to distinguish one coffee-growing region from another comes down to practice. But coffees from around the world and taste them to find out how one coffee tastes different from another.
Tip: Don’t buy coffees that are roasted dark, since the tastes of the origins will be covered up.
Our coffee courses go into the tastes behind the coffee regions.
From Coffee Plant to Your Coffee Cup discusses how coffee tastes change due to terroir, species, and processing.
Taste Coffee like a Pro delves into how to taste coffee just like the professionals do.
Our Export Coffee Workshop takes you into coffee regions around the world.
