Brazil

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For coffee drinkers in America, the flavors of coffee from Brazil will be just what you expect. Brazil has been providing a large percentage of the world’s coffee since the mid 1800’s and continues to do so. Brazilian coffee is typically medium bodies with a mild acidity making it a great single source coffee as well as a great base for blends.

History of Coffee In Brazil

Coffee production in Brazil is responsible for about a third of all coffee, making Brazil by far the world’s largest producer. Coffee farms, covering about 10,000 square miles, are mainly located in the southeastern states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná where the environment and climate provide ideal growing conditions. A large percentage of the coffee consumed in America comes from Brazil, so coffee consumers in America will find the flavors in Brazilian coffees to be very familiar.

The coffee plant arrived in Brazil in the 18th century, and the country had become the dominant producer by the 1840s. Brazilian coffee prospered since the early 19th century, when the immigrants came to work on the coffee farms. Production as a share of world coffee output peaked in the 1920s but has declined since the 1950s due to increased global production with coffee growing in more regions of the world than ever.

Brazilian coffee facts:

  • Altitude: about 2,000 feet to 4,000 feet
  • Harvest: May-September
  • Annual coffee production: about 61.62 million bags
  • Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Acaia, Mundo Novo, and Icatu
  • Coffee beans species: 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta

The typical Brazilian coffee has low acidity and features a nutty, bittersweet taste, Brazilian coffee is known for its clear, sweet, medium-bodied, low-acid qualities.

BRAZILIAN COFFEES