Time for a geography class with loads of Coffee! Many of us are ardent coffee lovers, and cannot live without a piping hot cup of this amazing beverage daily. However, very few of us are aware of the origins of this drink. There is an easy way to track the journey of your coffee, all you have to think about is the Coffee Bean Belt.
This coffee bean belt is where most of the world’s coffee is grown. It is the heart, of all the coffee in the world. From its origins in Africa, the cultivation of coffee stretched to the East and West to create something known as The Bean Belt. This imaginary belt surrounds the entire globe and is located between the 25°N and 30°S. It passes through South and Central America, Africa, right up to Asia. From north to south, the coffee belt is approximately 5000km. Fascinating right?
So, let’s explore this further. We know that coffee is made from the beans of the coffee plant which are then dried, roasted and ground. This plant prefers rich soil and tropical temperatures, with lots of rain and sunlight. That is why it grows best in this particular band that stretches across the world, which is bounded by the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer.
It is said that coffee can be grown anywhere in the world, but the best coffee grows in this belt, because of the ideal growing conditions. The final taste of coffee is without doubt influenced by where the coffee bean has originated. The flavor of coffee is not only different across nations; even nearby coffee farms with the same soil can yield beans that have a different quality and taste. The variety of the plant, the composition of the soil, the weather, the amount of rainfall and sunshine, and the altitude at which the coffee plant grows influences the taste.
The coffee belt passes through approximately 70 countries, which have tropical climates and provide an environment that is conducive to the growth of coffee. These countries are mainly in the southern hemisphere. In South America, countries like Brazil, Colombia, Peru & Ecuador. In Central America you have Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador and Panama. In Asia there is Thailand, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Java, Sumatra, Papua Guinea and Indonesia. In Africa and the Middle-East there are countries like Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe. Finally, there are islands like Australia, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Jamaica. Each of these countries has areas where the soil, altitude and weather are best suited for growing coffee cherries which give a rich and full of flavor coffee beans.
The origins of coffee in the blends of Coffeeza can be found across this bean belt too. The Classico blend is 100% Arabica coffee beans, sourced from Brazil, Colombia, Papua New Guinea. The Intenso Coffee blend is a balance of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans, sourced from India, Uganda, Colombia, and Honduras. While Decaf is premium coffee sourced from the farms of Vietnam.
So, the next time you pick up your favourite coffee, spare a moment to recognize this amazing journey that presents itself in every sip that you savor.
