Brazilian Coffee – Have you ever wondered about your cup of Brazilian coffee?

PurelyCoffeeBeans wonders why his most recent cup of Brazilian coffee is so popular. Is it true that, when it comes to coffee, Brazil is the undisputed world leader?

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In the fifty years that Brazil has been producing and marketing coffee it produces approximately 2/3rds of the world’s annual supply. But not many people know that Brazil is the world’s second largest consumer of the tasty brew!

In fact, Brazil coffee beans are found in most coffee shops, supermarkets, and even home pantries worldwide. You can find them in both exclusive coffee brands and innocuous blends. We have to thank the Brazilians for being so generous with their coffee!

Where does Brazilian Coffee come from?

It is ironic that the coffee plant isn’t native to the country that produces the most coffee on earth. Francisco de Melio Palheta from Cayenne, French Guiana supposedly smuggled it into the country in 1727 although the rumor has never been substantiated.

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Champion’s Estate, Brazilian Yellow Bourbon Sundried (of course!)

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Nevertheless, Brazil provides the rich soil and the hot humid climate that coffee plants thrive in. And the rest is history. Today, Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world and many types of coffee beans are grown throughout the country.

What types of beans can you get from Brazil?

Because Brazil doesn’t have the high altitude of most coffee-rich countries, the beans are less acidic tasting. The low altitude coffee plantations allow Brazil to produce both Arabica and Robusta coffee beans.

Arabica beans are the type of coffee beans you might find in high-end products available in up-scale coffee shops and in grocery stores or in premium or specialty coffee brands. Around eighty percent of that coffee is Arabica Coffee.

Robusta beans are primarily used in our best known coffee brands, typically the instant coffees you see in supermarkets everywhere; they are generally considered to be of lower quality, which explains why instant coffee never seems to have the body and richness of brewed coffee. In an average year, farmers grow Robusta which accounts for about 30% of Brazil’s annual coffee bean production.

How is it produced? Top Quality – Small Farming

Though the coffee beans produced in Brazil were previously blended only with other coffees, Brazilian coffee has now developed a reputation as a stand-alone bean with its own unique characteristics.

Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world, growing about twenty five percent of the world’s coffee supply, despite the fact that the majority of coffee farms in Brazil are small, less than ten hectares. Brazilian coffee trees bloom three times each year, with pickers harvesting shortly.The beans are cleaned, dried, sorted and graded from higher quality to lower quality for mass-produced coffee.

Where is coffee grown in Brazil?

There are two main growing districts for Brazil coffee in Brazil, Serra Abaixo below the mountains and Serra Acima above the mountains. In recent years the Serra Acima area has faced drought that produced inferior quality beans.

Because coffee needs a combination of heat and humidity, minimal rainfall and ideal altitude for reasonable quality, it can be a very fickle crop in such difficult circumstances.

Even when things go right, the size of each region and the differences in climate from region to region are significant enough to have a profound effect on the flavor of the beans.

How is Brazilian coffee processed? Coffee Origins

Brazil coffee is processed using wet, dry, and semi-washed processes.  Thanks to the weather in Brazil, most beans are processed using the natural (dry) method.coffeebeanroastingmachine

  • Dry processed coffee is coffee that is dried while it is still in the cherry, creating a sweet, smooth, complex flavor in the beans that is a favorite among coffee drinkers. In the dry method, coffee beans are dried while still in the fruit; this makes a sweet, smooth coffee but is a time-consuming process.
  • Wet processing removes the 4 layers that are around the bean and produces a fruitier, cleaner coffee.
  • Sun-drying, though more economical and used more widely, doesn’t produce the quality of coffee preferred by restaurants and discerning coffee lovers.

As with any other type of coffee the flavor of the coffee is largely dependant on the method used to process it.  Once the beans are picked and processed, unique flavor profiles begin to develop that are specific to the region where the beans were grown and processed.

How do Brazilians enjoy coffee?

In Brazil, coffee is enthusiastically drunk during the entire day from breakfast to dinner.  In fact, the Portuguese for “little coffee” or cafezinho, has slipped into local usage, even describing their “cafezinho hour”, a time when they drink small cups of extra strong coffee akin to the espresso, served with a sweet cake and a glass of chilled water.

Drinking these tiny cups of heavily sweetened and very strong coffee is a far different experience than the traditional “American” coffee that we are accustomed to, but the ceremony surrounding the beverage shows the love that Brazilians have for coffee.

Modern Flavors: Pushing the Flavors

Brazilian manufacturers have been experimenting with a new method, called the re-passed method, for processing beans.  When the coffee cherries are picked, they are placed into a vat of water and any cherries that float are usually discarded.

Recently, though, the re-passed (also called ‘raisin’) coffee beans have a flavor profile that many coffee drinkers find to be far sweeter than traditional coffees because of the extended ripening time before fermentation begins. You can read more about these methods for Coffee Processing.

Are Santos Beans the best Brazilian coffee?

The Brazilian Santos Coffee beans are likely the most renowned of all the coffee grown in Brazil. They are descendants of the original coffee plants imported here, and are very high quality. Bourbon Santos is considered the highest grade, while Flat Bean Santos is of lesser quality but still acceptable to most coffee drinkers.

Altitude also matters, as beans grown at lower altitudes pick up ashy, bitter flavors. If you can find a City to Full City roast, you’ll be drinking the best Brazil has to offer; the light roast is deliciously nutty and the dark is smooth and chocolaty.

It’s a favorite!

The smooth yet sweet flavor of Brazilian beans is a favorite of coffee drinkers who want a flavorful roast without the bitterness that some coffees have.  Brazilian coffee is one of the primary beans used in most espresso blends, partly due to the low acidity and strong flavor profile of the beans.

Brazilian coffee has become increasingly popular thanks to many large commercial companies that market and sell Brazilian coffee blends.  These blends are found on every coffee aisle and in most coffee houses and represent the most common type of coffee that you can buy.

I’ve included some samples of coffee with pure Brazilian Beans (Coffee Bean Direct Santos Coffee, Organic Camano) and blends which is more typical of Brazilian coffees (Lavazza’s inBlu, and Gevalia’s Brazilian Estates)

However, Brazil has only recently begun entering the specialty coffee market, competing with specialist blends produced in Ethiopia, Sumatra, and other well-known coffee exporting countries.

What other Brazilian Coffee Beans are there?


You may also find Brazil Cerrado coffee beans (in Organic, Green Bean, and Ground) worth trying. I’ll be happy to add more suggestions … so drop me a line with information about the Brazilian Coffees you’ve tried.

Reader’s Questions

At PurelyCoffeeBeans, I’ve answered lots of questions over the years. You’ll find the questions and their answers scattered throughout the site! I’m always open to more questions, if you’re frustrated or curious, or you want to review a coffee, why don’t you drop me a line!

This week we welcome…!

I’d like to buy Brazilian coffee, but which one?

by Ann from Michigan

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I have a friend who loves brazilian coffee, could you tell me where I can order or buy some for a christmas gift? I am not a coffee drinker, so I don’t know much about it. Thank you.

Dear Ann,

It’s really hard to know what your friend loves most about Brazilian coffee. I will say that it’s likely that by spending a bit more on the beans, you’re likely to find a much better coffee. Don’t go for volume over quality! I already outlined some suggestions on my this, and you can explore them.

I would add: don’t buy ground, buy freshly roasted (if you can); avoid popular brand names (including the biggest)… you can find better quality elsewhere; and if you live in a city, you should certainly be able to find locally roasted coffee.

Just google “City” + coffee roaster. I have enjoyed coffee also from Guatemala, Colombia, … so don’t feel constrained if you can’t find something palatable from Brazil.

Please feel free to let me know if I missed anything or your experience is different!

Best Wishes
Kenneth


What are the different types of coffee beans, find out here!

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