“Joe”, “Java”, and “wake-up juice” – we have a lot of names to describe our morning beverage of rich coffee bean flavor and a healthy dose of caffeine. However, no matter what you call it coffee is one of the most popular hot beverages in the world. Some form of the drink is served nearly anywhere you go.

As one of the leading coffee service providers in the New York Metro area, we want to help you better understand the global phenomenon that is coffee. Therefore, we have put together a four-part series designed to introduce you to the coffees of the world. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for a coffee service provider. We offer a full line of coffees, teas, bottled water, and other beverages.

The Keys to Coffee Flavor

Before we get to the different coffees of the world, it is important to understand what gives coffee its flavor. There are four things that determine what coffee tastes like, above and beyond adding things like cream, sugar, and coffee liqueurs:

Berry Variety – There are two main types of coffee berries that account for most of the worldwide production: arabica and robusta. The former is preferred because it has more flavor and is less bitter. And just for the record, there are hundreds of regional varieties of both arabica and robusta.

Processing – After coffee berries have been harvested, they can be processed according to either a wet or a dry method. Wet processing involves washing the berries; dry processing does not. Dry processed coffee has more of an earthy, gamy taste.

Roasting – The roasting process is where it all comes together. The key to roasting the berries is the amount of time they are under heat. Roasting reduces acidity and adds a new dimension of flavor, much the same way charcoal grilling adds flavor to meat. Some roasters add additional flavorings during the roasting process.

Blending – Lastly, roasters will often blend multiple regional varieties to produce a unique kind of coffee that they can put their brand name on. For example, a blend might include arabica from Columbia, Mexico and Panama.

Now that you know what gives coffee its flavor, let’s talk about some of the best coffees from around the world. You might want to go fill your cup before we get started.

Coffees of Africa

Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee, so that is where we will start. The interesting thing about Ethiopian coffee is the incredible number of regional varieties. One of the favorites is Yergacheffe, a light and fruity coffee from southern Ethiopia.

Here are a few other favorites from the African continent:

Yemen – Yemenis dispute the fact that Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee. Nonetheless, coffee from Yemen is very strong and earthy. The berries are allowed to grow wild and are dry processed upon harvest.

Zambia – Though the industry is relatively new in Zambia, their coffee production has really matured in recent years. Zambian coffee tends to be less acidic and softer than other African coffees, but the flavor is very rich.

Tanzania – Most of the coffee grown in Tanzania is cultivated on Mount Kilimanjaro alongside bananas. The flavor is unique because of it. One of the most popular Tanzanian varieties in the U.S. is known as peaberry; a variety characterized by each berry having only a single bean rather than the normal two.

We hope that we have whet your appetite for some new, more unusual coffees for you to taste. In part two of this series, we will look at coffees from Indonesia and the Caribbean.