There are clear differences between African and American coffee beans in terms of flavor expression and processing methods, and Central and South America, as an important global coffee-producing region, has given rise to many specialty coffees with distinct styles. Starting from representative origins such as Guatemala, Colombia, and El Salvador, this article sorts out the differences between African beans and American beans, and introduces the types and characteristics of Central and South American coffee. Guatemala is famous for its rich microclimates and high-altitude hard beans, Colombia brings a clean and balanced flavor through washed processing, and El Salvador shows a fresh and sweet regional character. The article also includes Front Street Coffee's recommendations for the Guatemala El Zapote Farm SL28 and Colombia Santa Rita for coffee lovers' reference.
An introduction to the types and differences between African beans and American coffee beans
Guatemala is a coffee origin that cannot be ignored and is a typical representative of coffee flavor diversity. Guatemala SHB (strictly hard bean) is almost synonymous with high-quality coffee as commonly known. This is because there are more than 300 microclimates here, along with tall mountain ranges, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, huge volcanic lakes, the Mexican plains... and abundant geographical and climatic resources.
[Guatemala El Zapote Farm SL28] (winey natural processing, medium-dark roast) -- pineapple, dried apricot, red wine. El Zapote Farm has added a winey natural batch with a unique flavor, especially since the SL28 variety is still a rare variety in Central America. Growing coffee also requires sunlight and appropriate shade, and planting on fertile land or volcanic ash soil is most suitable. Therefore, coffee-producing areas are widely distributed across South America, Central America, the West Indies, Asia, Africa, Arabia, the South Pacific, and Oceania. For example, Ethiopia and Tanzania in Africa; Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Costa Rica in Central and South America; and Vietnam and Indonesia in Southeast Asia are all major coffee-producing areas. In 1721, French naval officer Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, after enduring many hardships and obstacles, brought the first coffee sapling from Africa to Martinique in Latin America. This was the origin of coffee cultivation in Latin America. Because France was under Bourbon dynasty rule at the time, the Arabica coffee planted in Latin America acquired another name that is still widely known in the coffee industry today: "Bourbon." Today, Bourbon is already an important branch of Arabica coffee. The overall flavor of Latin American coffee is known for being balanced, and all coffee flavors can be found in Latin American coffee. The widespread use of wet processing for green beans is also one of the characteristics of Latin American coffee, and the good processing also makes its bean shape larger and more uniform than African coffee, with a lower defect rate.
[Colombia Santa Rita] (washed, medium-dark roast) -- cane sugar, clean, medium body. Santa Rita Farm is located in Antioquia Department, Colombia, and uses traditional methods to process coffee: coffee cherries are picked by hand, then the coffee fruit undergoes traditional washed processing, and after processing the coffee beans are spread on raised beds to dry in the sun. The environment around the Andes Mountains gives this coffee-growing area fertile volcanic soil and exceptional water resources.
El Salvador
El Salvador's coffee quality is also extremely high, and its flavor is unique: strong balance, fresh and lively, mild mouthfeel, sweet and pleasant, one could call it "pure natural beauty." This is because of the fertile soil here, suitable altitude, good climate, planting techniques passed down through generations, and excellent tree varieties.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
