Like in Ethiopia, legend has it that members of a religious order were responsible for introducing coffee seeds into Colombia. Today Colombia is the third largest exporter of coffee, cultivating over 12% of the world’s Arabica coffee uniquely across two harvests. The quality of Colombian coffee is high with over 40% classified as specialty grade. Eight main varieties are grown in Colombia and some unique varieties include Pacamara, Maragogype, SL28, Yellow Bourbon, and Red Bourbon.
Coffee from Colombia is known for its notes of caramel, cocoa, and nuts with medium body and mild acidity.
19 coffee-producing regions across Colombia are grouped into the North, the Central North, Central South, and the Eastern Zone.
- The North Zone takes in the Santander, Magdalena, and Cesar departments, and coffee grown here delivers a bold, less acidic flavour profile with notes of chocolate and nuts.
- The Central North takes in Antioquia, Caldas, Chocó, Risaralda, Quindío, Cundinamarca, and North of Tolima departments deliver sweet and medium-high body coffee.
- The Central South takes in Cauca, Huila, and Nariño departments where coffee is grown at a higher altitude delivering a coffee with higher acidity. The volcanic soil in Cauca results in coffee that is fruity and sweet with almond and honeycomb notes.
- The East Zone takes in the Arauca, Casanare, Meta, and Caqueta departments and it is the smallest coffee-growing region in Colombia, impacted by internal conflict. Coffee from this region delivers flavour notes of citrus, spice, and herbs with low acidity.