When we talk about specialty coffees, we discuss regions. In fact, one of the goals on our Specialty Coffee Workshop and our Coffee Pro Workshop is to try coffee from several coffee-growing regions in Colombia. What are regions?
It’s simple – it’s where the coffee is grown in the world or in a country. You’ll see the name of the region on the bags of specialty coffees you buy.
Why is coffee from different regions…different?
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 land, soil, and climate 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. Each region in Latin America, and each sub-region within each country, 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.
Although those differences can be hard to imagine, it will mean a lot more to you when you have that cup of specialty coffee in front of you.
If you’re going to work with specialty coffee – whether you’re a coffee shop owner, exporter, or importer – you need to understand what you can expect in the cup so you can give your customers or clients the coffee they’re looking for (and paying you to find).
Now that you know that regions do make a difference, it’s time to talk about why you should care about regions.
Basically, knowing each region and what it can give to the cup means that you can decide which coffee to purchase based on what region it was grown in, at what altitude, and at what temperature.
3 reasons why you should care about coffee growing regions
Reason #1: Acidity – Coffee grown at higher altitudes can produce higher acidity in the cup. At first, that may make you enthusiastic – or scare you away from the coffee!
However, take your time to appreciate acidity, since it’s one of the most valued aspects of specialty coffee.
In Colombia, coffee is often grown at higher altitudes in the south of the country, so if you appreciate acidity, you may be more interested in those regions.
Reason #2: Body – Coffee grown at lower temperatures can be more exposed to sunlight. To protect the plants, coffee farmers may choose to use more shade trees. These shade grown coffees can have a higher body than other regions.
If you’re looking at Colombian coffees, try some from the northern region – Sierra Nevada or Santander – to see if these give you the higher body you’re looking for.
Reason #3: Tastes – Regions that have a higher elevation create more fruity coffees. It may also mean the coffee will be sweeter.
Healthy soils that are rich in minerals – such as volcanic soils – will produce coffee with complex flavors. If you’re looking for complex tasting coffees, try looking for ones from regions with volcanic soil.
The relative importance of coffee growing regions
Keep in mind that coffee is different than grapes. While terroir means everything for a wine, in coffee the region the plant was grown in has an important impact on the flavors – but how the coffee was processed can override that impact.
Learn more about coffee growing regions
Are you in the coffee industry or do you want to enter the coffee industry? Do you need to learn more about coffee growing regions? Take a Coffee Pro Workshop with us! We’ll help you discover the best regions to explore.
Would you like to learn more about coffee in Latin America? We have fun, dynamic coffee workshops (both in-person and virtual) as well as online coffee courses. You will love learning about coffee with us!
Do you have any questions about coffee in Colombia? Get in touch with Karen at coffee (at) flavorsofbogota.com or use the nifty contact form below.
