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Coffee Regions

There are four main coffee regions in the world. The region a coffee comes from determines how a coffee will taste due to differences in growing conditions. Beans grown in different regions of the world have distinct characteristics. These characteristics are tasted through the coffee's acidity, body, aroma and flavor. To learn how to distinguish these characteristics, see how to taste coffee.

Since coffee requires a specific climate and soil to grow, it is only found below the earth's equator in three main regions; Latin America, Africa/Arabia, and Asian-Indo-pacific. The exception to these places being exotic coffees from Hawaii and Jamaica.

Latin American Coffees

Latin American coffees are grown in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Panama.
The acidity in these coffees is typically medium to high. They have a sweet, tangy, well-balanced flavor and a light body. They are commonly roasted to a mild-medium roast and used for many breakfast coffees. Here is a breakdown of many common Latin American coffees and their characteristics:

Region/Name	Acidity	Body	Aroma	Flavor	Roast
Brazilian	Mild	Medium	Complex	Dry, Spicy, Sweet	Medium-Dark
Columbian	Medium-Strong	Medium-Full	Fully	Rich, Sweet, Caramel-like	Medium
Costa Rican	Subtle	Full	Fragrant	Rich, Smooth, Sweet, Smokey	Medium-Dark
Guatemalan	Medium-High	Heavy	Pleasant, Invigorating	Rich, Chocolaty, Mild, Subtle	Medium-Dark
Java	High	Medium-Heavy	Spicy	Smooth, Musty, Smokey, Winey	Medium
Mexican	Low-Medium	Medium-Light, Smooth	Faint	Dry, Sweet, Hints of Hazelnut	Medium- Light
Nicaraguan	Low-Medium	Light	Faint	Mild, Pleasant	Medium- Light

African/Arabian Coffees

African/Arabian beans are grown on the continent of Africa, in the middle-east, and in Arabia. They have a medium acidity and medium, syrup-like body. Their flavor can be described as spicy (like wine) and having hints of cocoa as well as citrus and berries. They are usually a darker roast and they pair well with desserts. Here is a breakdown of many common African/Arabian coffees and their characteristics:

Region/Name	Acidity	Body	Aroma	Flavor	Roast
Ethiopian	Mild-Medium	Full	Complex, Cinnamon, Grassy, Pungent	Rich, Spicy, hints of Cocoa, Winey	Medium
Kenyan	High	Medium	Fragrant	Intense, Floral, Winey	Medium-Dark
Kenyan AA/Estate	Medium-High, Fruity	Full	Rich, Sweet	Mellow, Hints of Citrus	Medium-Dark
Tanzanian Kilimanjara	Delicate	Good	Good	Rich	Medium-Dark

Asia-Indo-Pacific Coffees

These coffees are grown in areas such as Asia, Indonesia, and pacific islands. They have a low acidity and a bold, heavy body. Their flavor is typically described as robust, earthy, smooth, floral, hearty, and sometimes having a slight bitterness. They are roasted dark to very dark and they compliment dark chocolate and rich desserts. Here is a breakdown of many common Asia-Indo-Pacific coffees and their characteristics:

Region/Name	Acidity	Body	Aroma	Flavor	Roast
Monsoon Malabar	Low, Gentle	Full	Spicy	Mellow, Full	Medium
Sumatra Mendheling	Medium	Full, Heavy, Velvety	Smokey	Exotic, Earthy, Musty	Dark
Yemeni	Delicate	Medium	Fragrant	Dry, Sweet, Mild, Winey	Medium

Exotic Coffees

These coffees come from the islands of Hawaii and Jamaica. They are highly sought after and for good reason. They are full of flavor and body and compliment any dessert very well. Here are some of their names and characteristics:

Region/Name	Acidity	Body	Aroma	Flavor	Roast
Kona	Med-high	Medium	Fragrant, aromatic, spicey-w/cinnamon and clove hints	Rich, winey	Medium to light
Jamaican Blue- Mountain	Good	Full	Rich	Balanced, pleasant, lingering	Medium

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