For those in the know, a good cup of coffee is as much a delight as a fine wine. So what makes a good cup of coffee and what does the coffee aficionado look out for? In the same way as wine producing countries, coffee producing countries rely on their climate, soil and the altitude of the plantation to produce the quality of coffee bean (not forgetting the processing and roasting of the beans). There are three main coffee growing areas in the world and these are East Africa/Arabian Peninsula, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America (all of these are situated in tropical climates between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn). The majority of large commercial growers produce their coffee from two varieties – the Coffea arabic (Arabica) and Coffea canephora (Robusta) although there are several other species which are used by smaller growers as well, such as Coffea liberica and Coffea excelsa.

Arabica coffee beans are grown at high altitude and have a more refined flavour than other common coffee species such as Robusta, which is grown for its high yield and disease resistance at lower altitude but has a much more acidic flavour. Arabica, which accounts for 75% of world production, produces quality coffee beans for the best cup of coffee, and this is recognised the world over.

But where are the best coffee beans grown?

The jury is out on this, although there are several small coffee growing regions which lay claim to the highest quality best tasting beans. One of the most well known coffees has to be Jamaica Blue Mountain, which has a gained a reputation of being some of the most expensive coffee in the world. The beans are grown in the 2,300 m high mountains between Kingston and Port Maria in a perfect climate of high rainfall with cool misty conditions and well drained fertile soil. 

A definite contender for best coffee also has to be Kona coffee (Arabica) grown in Hawaii on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona districts. Again here there is an excellent climate with bright sunny mornings, humid rainy afternoons and mild nights to produce the best coffee growing conditions.

Another region which is rapidly gaining a reputation for quality coffee production is Indonesia, where the variety of climate and altitude gives such a great variety of flavours and also provides us with the favourite term for a cup of coffee – a ‘cup of Java’. But no matter what local knowledge you have there is no substitute for trying some of these high quality coffees and determining what taste and blend is good for you. The best person to ask advice on what flavour characteristics you should be looking out for is your best buddy, your barista.