As a coffee bean, if I had a chance to choose my birthplace, Colombia would be one of my ideal TOP3s.
Why?
Environment, environment, or environment.
The natural environment of Colombian coffee producing regions has three innate advantages:
1. High altitude mountains
2. Volcanic ash soil
3. Continuous and steady precipitation
In such an environment, our coffee family is less disturbed by insect pests and grows during the growth period, which is conducive to our slow and vigorous growth; while volcanic ash soil obviously gives us richer nutrients, and the wind and rain that have been accompanying us in the growth period will gently nourish us and make us more delicate.
The growth of our coffee also needs a lot of care. Coffee farmers understand our temper and whether they can follow our wishes, which determines our quality.
Colombia's coffee farming is a practice of small-scale farms, and some small farms are even basically manual, so we can get better care.
Since the 1940s, the demand for high-quality coffee from American and Japanese coffee customers has prompted Colombian coffee farmers to pay attention to the improvement of coffee quality.
A very advanced and very old method, they got to know, that is, to maintain the biological diversity of coffee producing areas.
I will admit that our coffee tree is more difficult to serve.
We need sunlight, but we don't like to be exposed to it.
Colombian coffee farmers, on the other hand, plant other trees around us to keep us sheltered; they also know how to cultivate moderately so that the land is not overused.
In this way, we can grow slowly and hide more aromatic substances.
In the end, taking care of us in this way is what benefits you and get better coffee.
You humans are always discussing whether a person's growth is important in nature or nuture.
Colombian Coffee tells you that both must be grasped and both hands must be hard.
Colombia also has the advantage of making other coffee producing countries "jealous", where coffee can be produced twice a year.
How do you do it? Heaven forbid: low latitudes, high altitudes, the right temperature and humidity make it all possible.
If you use this map that shows the topography, you can find the western part of Colombia, with three north-south hills from west to east, much like someone who wrote a big "river" with a brush.
Well, this Sichuan-shaped mountainous area is where our coffee grows.
And the mountainous terrain of the Sichuan glyph, eight words can be summarized: north low, south high, north far south near.
The northern mountains are relatively low in altitude and farther from the equator;
In the southern mountains, the altitude is high and the terrain is more precipitous, close to the equator.
Colombia's coffee-producing regions, from north to south, can be roughly divided into three major producing areas.
First, the northern coffee-producing areas:
The coffee in this region is more mellow and round, with chocolate and nut tones.
l Sierra Nevada: located in the northernmost part of the Colombian coffee industry belt, on the Caribbean coast, at an altitude of 900-1600 meters, the coffee is thicker and rounder;
Santander/North of Santander: These two regions may have been the first areas in Colombia to grow coffee, at altitudes of 1200-1700 m and 1300–1800 m, respectively, where the beans have a rounder and sweeter taste.
Second, the central coffee producing area:
This is the most important region where Colombian coffee is produced, exported and famous, and the coffee tastes well and mellow.
Let's take a look at the three provinces known as the Coffee Triangle of Colombia's coffee iron triangle:
1. Caldas (Caldas Province):
This area is 1300-1800 meters above sea level, and the National Coffee Reserch Center, the highest institution for coffee research in Colombia, is located in the province.
2. Risaralda (Risarada Province):
At an altitude of 1300-1650 meters, the provincial capital, Pereira, is the hub of the Coffee Highway, the main coffee traffic route;
3. Quindio (Kindio Province)
This area is 1400-2000 meters above sea level, and there is national Coffee Park in the province, where you can feel the Colombian coffee culture tradition.
The above three provinces are not only important coffee growing areas, but also form a distinctive tourism industry due to their unique natural and cultural scenery.
This mountainous region has colonial town buildings, traditional coffee picking and cultivation methods, an adventure on the back of a mule along the ancient coffee trading route... It's interesting to think about.
Let's look at the pioneers who made Colombian coffee famous in the international market a hundred years ago: Antioquia (Antioquia Province) and Cundinamarca (Quintina Maca Province), both of which produce and export coffee.
The former is the largest coffee producing area in Colombia and the seat of the National Confederation of Coffee Owners of Colombia (FNC), and it is under the promotion and promotion of this organization that "Colombian Coffee" has become a golden signboard, and the latter is the second production area in history where Colombian coffee has been exported.
Third, the southern coffee-producing areas:
Many of the coffees in this region are produced in small farms and micro-batches, while the coffee is known for its delicate and complex sour aroma, fruity flavor and sweetness, which is a famous source of Specialty Coffee in Colombia.
1. Huila (Huilan Province): 1250-2000 meters above sea level, close to the equator, the most complex flavor, outstanding fruit tonality
2. Cauca (Cauca Province): 1700-2100 meters above sea level, close to the equator, large temperature difference between morning and evening, coffee has better acidity and sweetness
3. Narino (Nariño Province): At an altitude of 1500-2300 meters, it is the highest altitude of coffee cultivation in Colombia, because it is close to the equator, there is enough temperature and humidity to allow coffee to grow
4. Tolima (Tolima): Small farms, micro-batch production
See, if I choose to grow in any coffee-producing region in Colombia, it seems that I can become a good quality bean, and I can take "Colombian coffee" to the main coffee consumption market.
Of course, if you want to try a more subtle coffee flavor, you can pay attention to Colombian specialty coffee, especially in the southern region, where people will mark the detailed origin information, and even detailed to which farm.
However, please also note that Colombian specialty coffee is not easy to appear in supermarkets, or try your luck in places that sell specialty coffee.