Colombia is the world's second-largest producer of Arabica coffee beans after Brazil. Everyone is familiar with the chocolate-like flavor characteristic of Colombian coffee beans. We also know that coffee originated in Ethiopia—so if no one had brought coffee seeds or seedlings to Colombia, how would Colombian coffee exist today? However, there is much debate about the origins of coffee cultivation in Colombia, and one theory suggests that coffee may have been introduced by Jesuit monks in 1723 and gradually spread to various regions, becoming an economic crop.
It was not until the 19th century that Colombian coffee became commercialized, and by the late 19th century it held a pivotal position, with coffee becoming one of the main sources of revenue for the Colombian government. By the early 20th century, Colombia had established a logistics system that enabled smallholder coffee farmers in remote areas to export their beans more efficiently, so smallholder coffee exports accounted for about 50% of total exports.
If you go to the supermarket looking for Colombian coffee beans, there is a good chance you will see the label "
MAM". Some might think that "MAM" is a single producing region. Front Street needs to clarify here that, strictly speaking, "MAM" is made up of three major producing regions:
Medellin
(Medellin), Armenia,
Manizales
(Manizales). These three major regions are the most well-known commercial coffee-producing areas.
Colombia's specialty coffee-producing regions are generally in the south. Next, let Front Street introduce these regions one by one:
The Antioquia region is where Colombian coffee first took root. Most of this area is high in altitude, near the high mountains of the Andes, and it is an important coffee-producing region in Colombia.
Boyaca is one of the earliest regions in Colombia to cultivate coffee. Today, the Boyaca region has more than 10,000 smallholder coffee farmers, and each farmer carefully processes carefully selected coffee cherries at their own managed processing station. This region has a long history of cooperation with the FNC.
The Cauca region is adjacent to Tolima and Huila and is a region certified for Colombian coffee origin. Its average altitude is around 1,700 meters, with 80% of the terrain being mountainous. Two major volcanoes nearby, Sotara and Petacas, provide fertile volcanic soil for coffee cultivation in the Cauca region.
The Huila region is the most famous specialty coffee-producing region in Colombia. Located on one side of the Andes, near Colombia's second-highest peak, the Nevado del Huila volcano, its fertile soil, lush forests, and humid climate are very suitable for cultivating coffee. Several important rivers in Colombia converge in the Huila region, bringing abundant water resources and moisture.
The Narino region is the first coffee-producing region to receive Colombian coffee origin certification. The terrain in Narino is steep, and there are active volcanoes; the Galeras volcano brings a great deal of fertile volcanic soil to Narino.
The Santander region is a famous specialty coffee-producing region in northern Colombia. Its lower altitude and higher temperatures give Santander coffee a more intense flavor and a rounder mouthfeel. As of 2020, the Santander region had 32,000 coffee growers and 37,000 coffee farms. After cupping coffee beans from the Santander region, Front Street found that the coffee beans have a strong flavor, a long finish, and a unique fresh herbal note.
The Tolima region is Colombia's third-largest coffee-producing region, producing 12% of Colombia's coffee beans. The Andes and the Magdalena River basin completely surround the Tolima region, making it remote.
Those who follow Front Street's daily beans series may notice that Front Street's daily beans series is made up of beans from various iconic producing regions. Among them is this Colombian Huila coffee bean.
The Huila region is Colombia's largest specialty coffee-producing region. It is not only the region with the largest coffee output in Colombia, but its coffee quality is also astonishing. In 2013, the Huila region became a certified Colombian coffee origin region.
Walk into a Front Street store and ask the barista which region would represent Colombia if only one could be chosen. Front Street's baristas will all answer the Huila region. Colombian Huila coffee is characterized by slight fruit acidity, rich nutty and chocolate flavors, and a balanced flavor profile.
Everyone says that excellent ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods. The same applies to coffee. Washed coffee beans can present the most basic flavors of the producing region, and the mouthfeel is also the cleanest and brightest; natural process coffee has a richer aroma, more obvious sweetness, and a thicker mouthfeel.
Front Street Coffee Colombia Huila
Producing region: Colombia Huila
Altitude: 1,500–1,800 meters
Processing method: Washed process
African coffee beans are mostly light-roasted to highlight acidity, Asian coffee beans are mostly dark-roasted to highlight body, while American coffee beans are mostly medium-roasted to highlight their aroma. Front Street's roaster considered the need to highlight the nutty, chocolate, and other tonal qualities of Colombian Huila coffee and enhance caramel-like sweetness, so a medium roast was used.
When Front Street Coffee's baristas brew this Colombian Huila coffee bean, based on the bean's basic flavors and roast level, they use hot water at 90°C to extract as much aroma as possible. However, to avoid bitterness from over-extraction due to water that is too hot, a Hario V60 dripper with a faster flow rate is chosen. At the same time, to give the final cup a richer layering, Front Street recommends a three-pour method.
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: 80% passing a No. 20 sieve
First pour 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom, then slowly pour the second stage in a circular motion with a small stream until 125 grams, wait until the water level in the dripper drops to 1/2, continue pouring the third stage until 225 grams, and finally wait until the water has completely passed through into the container below before removing the dripper. The total extraction time is about 2 minutes. The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
