How did Brazil become the leader in global coffee production?

Brazil has ranked first in global coffee production since 1960. In 2021, after a once-in-a-century drought and severe frost, output still reached 46.88 million bags of 60 kilograms. Three hundred years ago no coffee tree grew there; seeds arrived through Portuguese officer Francisco de Melo Palheta, who reportedly carried them back hidden in a bouquet from French Guiana.

Brazilian coffee production rose fast: by the 1830s it accounted for about 30 percent of world supply, and by the 1840s roughly 40 percent. Coffee bean grades and regional distribution, including Cerrado, shape what buyers taste. Cerrado Red Bourbon from the Front Street daily bean series represents the classic Brazilian profile of nutty, chocolatey sweetness with low acidity.

Brazil has held the top spot in global coffee production since the 1960s. Even after a once-in-a-century drought and frost, its total production in 2021 still reached 46.88 million bags. This coffee powerhouse, so pivotal today, had not a single coffee tree three hundred years ago. How did coffee seeds reach Brazil? And what flavor profile does the Red Bourbon from the Cerrado region offer? This article systematically covers the core knowledge of Brazilian coffee, from historical origins, grading systems, and regional distribution to brewing parameters, and introduces the Cerrado Red Bourbon from the Front Street Coffee daily bean series, which represents Brazil's classic flavors.

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Recent reports on coffee market prices have appeared frequently, and most of them mention the same country—Brazil. Since 1960, Brazil has consistently ranked first in global coffee production. When Front Street reviewed production data from various countries, it noted that Conab, the Brazilian government's food supply and statistics agency, reported Brazil's total coffee bean production in 2021 as 46.88 million bags (60 kg/bag), and this figure was already the result after Brazil suffered a once-in-a-century drought and severe frost in producing regions that reduced output.

History of Brazilian Coffee

When Front Street reviewed historical records on the spread of coffee, it found that although Brazil is now the perennial world champion in coffee production, about 300 years ago not a single coffee tree could be found on this land. Brazil's current achievements in the coffee industry are owed to a Portuguese military officer named Francisco de Melo Palheta. During his diplomatic mission to French Guiana, he became acquainted with the governor's wife, and the two unexpectedly developed a romance. When the Portuguese officer was preparing to return to Brazil, the governor's wife gave him a bouquet of flowers, in which coffee seeds were hidden. After the officer returned to Brazil, he planted the seeds. Thanks to Brazil's climate conditions being highly suitable for coffee cultivation, the coffee trees quickly adapted to the local environment and spread southward.

By the 1830s, Brazil's coffee bean production already accounted for 30% of the world's total; in the 1840s it climbed to 40%. By around the 1920s, Brazil's coffee production even held an 80% share globally. At that time, Brazil's main coffee export destination was the United States, but with the outbreak of the Great Depression in the United States, Brazilian coffee prices plummeted by nearly 90%. Americans lost the economic ability to import Brazilian coffee, causing coffee inventories in Brazilian warehouses to swell sharply and prices to keep falling. To stabilize the coffee price market, the Brazilian authorities ultimately decided to burn billions of pounds of coffee beans.

Brazilian Coffee Bean Grades

Labels such as Kenya AA, Yirgacheffe G1, and Blue Mountain No. 1 are commonly seen on the market. Front Street has introduced these in many origin-related articles; these are the producing countries' grade expressions for green coffee beans. But why have you never seen something like Brazil AA? This is because Brazil's coffee bean grading system differs from those of the above countries. Friends who visit Front Street's store will easily notice the ID card of Brazilian green coffee beans.

On burlap sacks of Brazilian green coffee beans, words like "Brazil NY.2 SC – 17/18 FC" are often seen. To understand this information, it needs to be split into three parts. They respectively represent the green beans' defect rate, bean size, and cup quality.

[Defect Rate]

The defect rate is divided into 8 levels.

[Bean Size]

Green beans are screened using screens based on 1/64 inch, and screen sizes typically range from 14 mesh to 20 mesh.

[Cup Quality]

Fine Cup, Fine, Good Cup, Fair Cup, Poor Cup, Bad Cup. Generally speaking, Fine Cup (FC) and Good Cup (GC) are more common.

Brazilian Coffee Producing Regions

Most of Brazil's coffee-growing areas are located in plains. The plains are vast, and the regions lie in temperate climate zones with suitable temperatures. Coffee-producing regions are mainly distributed in: Bahia, Minas Gerais, Sao Paolo, Mato Grosso And Mato Grosso Do Sul, Espirito Santo, and Parana.

[Bahia]

The Bahia producing region began growing coffee as early as the 1970s. Unlike Colombia's fine mountains and waters, relying on high-tech agricultural techniques and excellent-quality coffee varieties, coffee produced in Bahia has attracted increasing attention.

[Minas Gerais]

This producing region is by far Brazil's most important coffee-producing region; nearly half of Brazil's coffee comes from Minas Gerais. It has fertile soil and relatively high altitude, making it a perfect growing region for Brazilian specialty coffee. Within this state, Cerrado is even more of a classic Brazilian coffee region, and the characteristics of Brazilian Cerrado coffee beans also represent the classic taste of Brazilian coffee. In Front Street's daily bean series, there is a bean from Cerrado used to represent Brazil's main flavor. Because it has a rich coffee aroma, it is suitable for many brewing methods, such as moka pot, pour-over, American drip machine, espresso machine, etc. Everyone can purchase it at Front Street's Tmall flagship store.

To help coffee beginners quickly find a producing region they like, Front Street's daily bean series selects representative beans from various distinctive producing regions. And to let everyone better experience the most basic terroir of the producing regions, Front Street's daily beans are all washed processed when selected, except Brazil, which is semi-washed. That is because the semi-washed processing method is the traditional processing method of Brazilian coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee: Brazil Red Bourbon Coffee Beans

Region: Cerrado, Brazil

Altitude: 1000m

Variety: Red Bourbon

Processing Method: Semi-washed

[Sao Paulo State]

Sao Paulo State is perhaps better known for its export port, the Port of Santos, but Sao Paulo State is also a place where coffee is grown. The state's Mogiana region also has the capacity to produce specialty coffee of excellent quality. It has fertile soil, a perfect altitude range (900 to 1100 meters), complex terrain, and suitable temperatures.

[Mato Grosso And Mato Grosso Do Sul]

This producing region has low coffee output. Because the terrain is high but the average altitude is around 600 meters and flat, it cannot meet Arabica's requirement of 1200 meters for cultivation altitude, making it more suitable for animal husbandry.

[Espirito Santo]

Espirito Santo is the producing region with the second-highest coffee output within Brazil. Nearly 80% of the coffee plants here belong to the Robusta species. Coffee from this producing region has rich fruity notes and high acidity.

[Parana]

Parana is the coffee-producing region closest to the southernmost end of the world. Parana accounts for only 2.5% of Brazil's land area, but it produces 25% of Brazil's crops. The altitude here is relatively low, and the climate tends to be cool.

How to Brew Brazilian Coffee?

The Brazilian coffee beans on Front Street's bean list are medium-dark roasted, highlighting aroma while also having a certain body. Front Street's baristas always use the KONO dripper when brewing Brazilian coffee beans. Because the flow rate is slow, the coffee grounds and water can fully contact each other.

Dripper: KONO dripper

Dose: 15 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Water temperature: 88°C

Grind size: EK43s#10.5 (75% passing rate on China standard No. 20 sieve)

Front Street's baristas use a three-stage pouring method for the water, making the final cup richer in layering.

First pour 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. Because Front Street's Brazilian coffee beans are medium-dark roasted and freshly roasted within 5 days, you can see a very beautiful blooming "hamburger." Then pour the second stage of water up to 125 grams for segmentation. When the water level drops until the coffee bed is about to be exposed, pour the third stage up to 225 grams and stop pouring. Wait for the water in the dripper to drip completely, then remove the dripper. Total extraction time is 2'00".

When pouring the third stage, note that if the water level is higher than the coffee bed on the dripper wall, some water will flow down along the edge of the dripper, giving the cup a "watery" taste. If the water level is too low, some coffee grounds will not participate in the extraction process, and the final cup will taste relatively weak.

This Red Bourbon from the Cerrado region at Front Street has the classic Brazilian coffee flavor. Because Brazilian coffee cultivation uses sun-exposed planting, the coffee cherries ripen quickly, resulting in a soft-bean flavor. When brewing, you can smell peanuts and nuts. On the palate it is very smooth and comfortable, with low acidity, caramel sweetness, and a dark chocolate finish.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.