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Brazil is World Champion – at Least When it Comes to Coffee

Not only in football Brazil is usually at the top. The country on the Sugar Loaf is the clear number one worldwide among coffee producers.

Perfect climate for cultivation

Almost five million of the approximately 190 million inhabitants live directly from coffee cultivation. Around 60% of the annual harvest is exported. Every fourth coffee plant in the world grows on Brazilian soil. And because the climate in the South American country is usually ideal for growing coffee, almost 30% of all coffee beans come from Brazil – more than a million tons. So it’s no wonder that the recent period of drought in the country has led to a steep rise in the world market price for green coffee because of fears of massive crop failures. Brazilian coffee is very popular, especially in Europe. The Germans and Italians alone import almost 100,000 tons of coffee a year. The low acid content paired with a high caffeine content, which characterizes the coffees from the South American country, is particularly appreciated.

Because the climate in the South American country is usually ideal for coffee growing, almost 30% of all coffee beans come from Brazil – more than a million tons.

The first coffee plants were brought to Brazil from French Guiana around 1730 by the officer Franciso de Melo Palheta. From this point on, coffee cultivation and coffee culture spread rapidly. At the Sugar Loaf there are a number of coffee specialties that are an integral part of everyday life there. These include, for example, the Café de olla and the Cafezinho. For Brazilians, making a good coffee starts with choosing the right water. It must be pure, rich in minerals and oxygen, because this is the only way the coffee can develop its full taste.

Café de olla refreshes and invigorates

The café de olla is not only a popular coffee specialty and refreshment in Brazil. It is usually drunk cold and made from coffee powder with various spices such as cinnamon, orange peel, chili or vanilla. The drink is available in many variants, of which we would like to present a typical one for you to cook at home:

Cafe de olla recipe

Ingredients:

1,000 ml still mineral water,
30 g freshly ground coffee powder,
125 g brown sugar,
2 cinnamon sticks,
5 cloves,
Zest of half an orange.

Preparation:

First bring the water to the boil in a small saucepan along with the cloves, the cinnamon stick and the zest of the orange.
Once it boils, let it simmer for about 10 minutes more.
Then add the coffee powder and the sugar and let it boil again briefly.
Finally, remove the pot from the hotplate and let it steep for about 5 minutes.
To pour into a pot or bottle, it is best to pass it through a fine sieve.
The café de olla tastes best when it has been well chilled. Bottled and refrigerated, this Brazilian refreshment can easily be kept for several days.

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Top-class Coffee Comes from Puerto Rico

Coffee has been grown in Puerto Rico since the mid-18th century. The coffee, which is very low in acid and mild and has a full body, is one of the best coffees in the world. Puerto Rico is one of the world’s smallest coffee-growing countries. The Free State is a US territory, which is funded with subsidies from the United States.

Why is the coffee from Puerto Rico one of the top coffees?

The coffee obtained from Puerto Rico benefits from ideal growing conditions. The climate is mild and humid and the nights are pleasantly cool. This favors slower plant growth, which leads to well-developed aromas. In addition, the soil is very fertile due to the mixed cultivation and other trees and plants provide shade for the coffee bushes.

In order to get the best coffee in the world, the motto “quality over quantity” applies in Puerto Rico. This does not only apply to coffee cultivation. Other products such as sugar are also of high quality. A significant part that contributes to this quality is the manual harvesting and drying in the sun. And in general, the protection of the environment is very important in order to maintain the high product quality and to protect agriculture. Does that make it the best coffee for your fully automatic coffee machine?

Why is only Arabica coffee grown in Puerto Rico?

Only Arabica coffee is available in Puerto Rico, as the law prohibits the cultivation of Robusta beans. The reason: The high coffee quality of the best coffee in the world should not be jeopardized by mixing it with the Robusta plants. However, the 30-year ban is set to be lifted in 2018.

Like other growing regions, Puerto Rico and coffee are also affected by constant climate change. The rising temperatures are making it increasingly difficult to grow Arabica beans as the plants are very sensitive. Robusta plants, on the other hand, do not mind the higher temperatures. But what happens to the best coffee in the world? It will probably only become clear in a few years when Robusta cultivation has become established.

Is Puerto Rico coffee the best coffee for my fully automatic coffee machine?

Of course, we don’t know whether you like the coffee. But we do know that Yauco Selecto is one of the best coffees from Puerto Rico. It is only grown on three haciendas. Its special feature: the beans are only peeled once the order has been received. That’s how long they stay in their pods, which is supposed to protect them from losing freshness.

However, since the crop yield is very small and Puerto Ricans like to drink coffee themselves, the coffee is very popular, expensive and not so easily available. Nevertheless, you can fill your coffee machine with the best coffee and enjoy aromatic delights.

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