The world’s best coffee sources

The day I first sampled what experts call a “pure” coffee—one brewed from beans sourced from a single country or, better yet, a single cooperative or plantation—I was one step closer to experiencing the bliss of coffee connoisseurship. That’s because, while blending different varieties can provide both a satisfying sense of balance and a guarantee of consistent flavor, pure Arabica, like great wines, embodies the character of the land in which it was grown..

If a purebred is of the highest quality (a blend of beans of only average quality is better than a purebred) and is roasted properly, you will get a cup of coffee with an authentic flavor that no blend can achieve. The flavor of a purebred reflects the unique organic qualities of the particular soil in which it grew, as well as whether it was irrigated or rained cold or warm, and matured in harsh sunlight or shade. Each variety has its own distinct character, and many have their own characteristics: some are sour, others are slightly burnt, and others are earthy or musty. And, like wine, their quality can vary from vintage to vintage. However, it is these factors that coffee aficionados are most curious about.

Once you have identified a good roaster, the next issue is choosing the best varieties in the world, and understanding why they are the best. This is simpler with wine, because, with the help of a wine merchant, all you have to do is choose the most appropriate one to accompany a particular dish. But coffee? The ideal arrangement would be to keep a dozen different varieties in the fridge and then, just before brewing, choose according to the mood and inspiration of the moment. For practical reasons, I limit myself to about four or five different varieties that I like, each playing a different role.

Many of us can’t start the day without a cup of coffee in the morning.

The best coffee to beat the hangover is something light, not too stimulating, but with a lot of flavor to wake up the taste buds. A good example is the Harrar Mocha from Ethiopia, a purebred coffee whose quality depends a lot on the crop and how it is grown, but in general it is unlike pure Ethiopian Arabica, very light, smooth, and very aromatic. It is interesting to note that today the name “Mocha”, the name of the port in Yemen where this coffee was first shipped, is still given to all coffees grown in Ethiopia and Yemen, the birthplace of coffee. But, back to our morning coffee: other possibilities, including all the different strains of the giant Arabica that originated in Brazil and is called Maragogype, which is twice the size of a regular coffee, and has since become known as an “elephant” coffee. Maragogype Liquidambar, a Mexican coffee that has recently been discovered by coffee roasters because of its large size, offers a very mild aroma, a little better than Harrar Nicaragua and is also very juicy and unfortunately increasingly rare – Maragogypes, like Matagalpa and Jinotega. When paired with another Arabica called Pacas, Maragogype produces a large, delicate, pale green variety, and also a breakfast idea, called Pacamara. Grown in El Salvador, this coffee is light and very delicate.

Some of the mild and sweet Colombian varieties are also great for early mornings. They are called Excelso and Supremo, depending on the size. The bigger one is better – or at least the most concentrated – Supremo. These coffees are sold not only for their reputation but also for where they are grown: Medellín, Armenia, Nariño, Bogotá… The best Brazilian coffees, which also bear the names of their places of origin – Bahia, Santos, and especially Sul de Minas – are also great for the morning. They are smooth, balanced, and full-bodied Arabicas. We’ll add that the Rio region is also home to a very unusual coffee called Rioté, which is very astringent, bitter, and salty. Connoisseurs agree that Rioté is the worst coffee in the world. No one really knows what causes the bad taste. It could be the soil, the smell of the sea, some fungus, or all three. Some people like it, though! It still commands a premium in New Orleans, where it shaped – or distorted – 19th-century tastes, and in Turkey. No doubt because of its evocative taste of chicory, Rioté has long been popular in northern France, where it is sold to this day.

Lunch Break

At midday, after lunch, or during lunchtime, we are ready and eager for a good cup of coffee. “Good” does not mean “high in caffeine,” which Arabicas never are. It means a strong sensation on the palate, full of richness, long lasting, and highly stimulating. Some varieties embody these qualities. Among them are three Mochas that are both delicious, clean – as good roasters always are – and quite tangy, pungent, and spicy: Djimma and Lekempti from Ethiopia, and Sanani from Yemen. Another is the Puerto Rican Yauco Selecto (very expensive because it is rare and of very high quality), which is delicious, sweet, and stimulating. Another option is one of the unusual “wind” coffees from India. Indian coffee was originally shipped to Europe by speedboat, taking about 6 months to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and then north. During the journey, the beans’ inherent quality would be enhanced as they absorbed steam and changed color from green to yellow. However, when steamships replaced sailboats and the Suez Canal was built, shortening the journey, Indian coffee lovers found that their favorite beverage had changed beyond their wildest imagination. To restore the quality lost during the short journeys – the distinctive yellow colour of the beans – Indian coffee growers “monsooned” their beans, or exposed them to the wind and rain of the monsoon season for at least six weeks after harvest. This restored the traditional flavour of Indian coffees, and connoisseurs were delighted. Coffee roasters today still retain some of the pure “monsoon” Arabica beans, such as Mysore and Malabar, which are very tasty and have a touch of spice and acidity.

A particularly rich region for fine Arabicas is the Indonesian archipelago, which produces a variety of unrefined varieties with a hint of earth, mould and fungus. Within this group we find some of the rare Java beans that are still around today, and the very rich and extremely tasty Sumatras that are grown for a few years until they soften and achieve their finesse.delicate, with a hint of wood. Finally, there is the exceptionally fine Celebes (now Sulawesi) variety, which is sometimes aged. The most famous of these is Kalossi, which boasts the delicious character of Indonesian coffees with the addition of an incomparable fruity flavour.

Central America is also a rich source of coffee that can be considered quite good. Costa Rica, in particular, produces some excellent coffee varieties that have flourished for two centuries, especially in the highlands of San José. These include Tarrazu (of the twenty varieties grown in the area), Tres Rios, and H. Tournon (first grown in the 19th century by a Frenchman of the same name), which is very rich and aromatic, well balanced, and slightly acidic. But all Costa Rican coffees are excellent. There are over 300 varieties, sold under the names of the plantations or cooperatives.

Guatemala also produces some very unusual varieties that are sometimes spicy or even a little chocolatey, and are always delicious. The most famous Guatemalan coffees are Antigua, Huehuetenango, and Coban (named after the region that also produces most of the nutmeg used to flavor coffee in the Middle East). When brewed individually, all Central American coffees convey a sense of vitality, fullness and balance.

Three excellent Ethiopian Mochas meet these criteria perfectly and are named after the regions they come from: Sidamo, Yrgacheffe, and Limu. All three are low in caffeine, exceptionally smooth and aromatic, well-balanced, and wonderfully aromatic with a delicate floral aroma and hints of chocolate. Another after-dinner coffee idea is Kona, which grows in Hawaii on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano at altitudes of up to 13,000 feet. It is light, slightly acidic, and spicy, with a smooth, premium aroma. Its only drawback is its staggering cost—limited production, high labor costs, strong demand from American tourists, and rare exports. Some connoisseurs consider Hawaiian Kona (under the Fancy Extra brand of premium quality) to be the best coffee in the world, well worth the price.

Kenya is one of the most delicate coffees with a fruity, delicate aroma, ideal for spring or summer. Connoisseurs appreciate its light, yet rich, under-ripe fruitiness – sometimes with a hint of lemon – far from the flavors we usually associate with coffee. The other outstanding quality of Kenyan coffee is its aftertaste, or the lingering taste on the palate. The best Kenyan coffees are the largest, sold as AA or the very rare AA+. Both are smooth enough to relax and strong enough to stimulate. Kenyan coffees are perfect for midday drinking. Zimbabwean coffees are similar to Kenyan coffees, but spicy, so they are equally aromatic but smoother than Tanzanian coffees grown south of Kilimanjaro.

The top choice for coffee lovers is the acidity, which is similar to the taste of old-fashioned chocolate. Chocolate and coffee were brought to Europe at the same time and have always gone together. Coffee-flavored chocolate and chocolate-flavored coffee in any form have always been the best, an art among human inventions.

As noted in a discussion of clean Mocha, the best and most expensive ones contain natural chocolate. The most famous of these is of course Jamaica Blue Mountain, the most expensive coffee in the world and a familiar one to all coffee drinkers.

To some extent, its popularity is deserved. Blue Mountain is one of those rare coffee varieties that has a perfect balance and aroma, a mild acidity, and a chocolatey aroma. However, we know that these “salmon caviar coffees” (meaning as expensive as salmon caviar) are very difficult to find, as most of them are exported to Japan.

Blue Mountain seedlings were brought to New Guinea in the 1930s. The carefully cultivated plant was called New Guinea Sigri – wonderful, with all the qualities of coffee, a light aroma, very full body, moderate acidity, and of course a lot of chocolate. The roots of the Blue Mountain have also recently been used to grow a wonderful coffee from Australia, the latest wonderful surprise to come from the roasters.

The Australians stopped growing coffee in 1920, but started growing it again in 1980. That was the year when the real connoisseurs realised that the secret gem had appeared on the market: Australia Queensland Skybury, which may even be better than New Guinea.

DID YOU KNOW? – THE MYSTERIOUS CARACOLI

The characteristics of some fine wines are enhanced if the grapes are harvested late in the season. Likewise, some fine coffees can be improved by a mysterious botanical phenomenon: the coffee cherry contains only one bean. The coffee cherry usually has two beans, but sometimes only one, and is called a caracoli, or peaberry. These single beans are round (which explains the name, derived from caracol, the Spanish word for snail), and they are usually found at the tips of the branches. What makes the plant so mysterious – an unusual variety, insufficient pollination – a mutation? The Caracoli bean contains a characteristic that is very valuable to coffee connoisseurs: a very concentrated flavor. All the qualities of any other variety (and the defects, if the variety is inferior) are enhanced. Caracoli beans were very popular in Brittany, where they were available until the early 20th century. Local housewives roasted them in pans (easy to make because of their round shape) over wood-fired ovens. In Brazil and Colombia, where caracoli are believed to have aphrodisiac properties, a considerable cult following has developed. They are also highly prized in Germany, where they are known as “pearl” coffee. For example, good roasters often stock the magical caracoli grown in Ethiopia (a wonderful Sidamo) or Costa Rica. A rare, well-balanced caracoli with a strong fruity flavour comes from Cameroon, where it is grown.

people on very small plantations, run by European religious dignitaries.

Collected

.