A brief introduction to the coffee producing areas of Colombia? What are the main varieties in Colombia?

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Colombia, a country named in memory of the great navigator Columbus; a football power that once had the Golden Lion King (our Chinese football sucks! ); a country that also produces literature (Garcia, author of one hundred years of Solitude, Nobel Prize for Literature. M á rquez, from Colombia); in a country where free coffee is available in all offices, today we mainly talk about coffee, about the Colombian coffee industry represented by Uncle Juan and his little donkey.

First of all, Colombian coffee has an official logo (picture from the Internet): mountain background, an uncle named Juan. JUAN VALDEZ, a donkey (in fact, it should be a mule); this logo vividly expresses the general situation of Colombian coffee: 1, the mountains represent the cultivation of high-altitude mountains; 2, people represent the Colombian coffee growing tradition, but also "JUAN VALDEZ", the national coffee brand; 3, mules represent the transportation of Colombian coffee beans and the characteristics of traditional small farms.

I. Natural environment, planting history and general situation of coffee production

1. Natural environment

Colombia straddles the northern and southern hemispheres, and most of the country's coffee-producing areas are located between 2 and 8 degrees north latitude. Coffee-producing areas are concentrated in the "three rivers and two rivers" area, that is, the part of the Andes (Cordillera Mountains) in Colombia. Colombia's rivers almost originate from the Andes. Most of the good coffee producing areas have high poster height (2600-3000 meters in the Colombian capital BOGOTA poster), fertile soil (Huilan volcano Nevado del huila, Jarera volcano Nevado del Galers) valley (Andes), rainforest, crisscross plateau, abundant precipitation (warm and humid air from the Pacific Ocean), high Andean mountains form a variety of micro-topographic climate. These natural conditions provide Colombia with conditions conducive to coffee cultivation, with both high yield and high quality.

2. Planting history and development and expansion

One of the more plausible theories about the timing of coffee cultivation in Colombia is that coffee trees were brought into Colombia by missionaries in 1723 (beside the point: coffee is spread by missionaries in many parts of the world, such as Yunnan). However, the rapid development of coffee cultivation in Colombia was at the end of the 19th century, when coffee was grown rapidly as a commodity crop in Colombia. By 1912, coffee beans had become Colombia's largest export commodity, accounting for about 50% of Colombia's total exports.

3. Coffee varieties and harvest season

Colombia is the world's third (and second) coffee producer and exporter, but there is no doubt that Colombia is the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee and the largest exporter of washed beans. Such a large yield is due to Colombia's unique natural soil and water environment and scientific planting technology. The main varieties of Colombian coffee beans are Tibika, Bourbon, pointed Bourbon, Kaddura, Elephant Bean, Cabernet, Rosa, Moka and Pacamara. Among them, Kaddura, which is not well grown in Brazil, is the main variety of boutique coffee beans, while the improved variety Katiwen has good disease resistance because it has become the main variety of high-yield commercial coffee beans.

As we all know, in the coffee growing industry, the rainy season determines the coffee harvest season. Throughout Colombia, the main harvest season of Colombian coffee is from October to February of the following year, and the secondary harvest season is from April to September each year. It is generally believed that the quality of the main production season is better than that of the secondary production season.

4. Small farm planting mode and "FNC" unified management.

Coffee cultivation in Colombia is mostly small farm planting, with an average of about 3000 coffee trees per coffee farm, mostly using mixed three-dimensional planting, that is, planting trees, bananas and other vegetation around coffee trees during the coffee tree seedling period. provide a cool and humid environment for the production of coffee trees.

FNC: the Colombian Coffee producers Association Federracion Nacional de Cafeteros, founded in 1927. Unlike the complex models managed by many departments in other countries, Colombian coffee production is entirely under the unified leadership of a FNC, which is unique in coffee producing countries. FNC was first established as a non-profit independent organization, and its funding depends on a unique tax on coffee exports, but after years of accumulation, and due to Colombia's large team of coffee producers. FNC currently manages more than 500000 coffee producers, and many political and national interference is inevitable. FNC has developed into a national association. In addition to managing the coffee production industry, FNC is also committed to rural road construction, medical center improvement, investment and helping local areas develop and improve social welfare. Therefore, in Colombia, there is FNC in the production management of coffee beans, import and export trade norms, even customs entry and exit quarantine.

Boutique coffee and commercial coffee

In everyone's impression, Colombia is only a major coffee trading country, but in fact, Colombia is also rich in fine coffee. At present, Colombian coffee beans account for 30% of the national output, and around the year 2000, the proportion is less than 5%. Thus it can be seen that the market for fine coffee has developed rapidly in recent years.

Boutique coffee bean producing areas are mostly concentrated in south-central Colombia, including HUILA, NARINO, TOLIMA, VALLE DEL CAUCA, CAUCA and other areas, which are mainly volcanic geology.

Commercial coffee bean producing areas are concentrated in the central and northern regions, including ANTIOQUIA (the capital Medillin), QUINDIO (the capital Armenia) and CALDAS (the capital Manizales). The first letter of the capital of these three regions, referred to as "MAM", is the largest coffee producing area in Colombia, which is relatively low in elevation.

1. American Fine Coffee Association SCAA Coffee beans of the year

Colombia is also the only SCAA best coffee bean "four consecutive championships" coffee producer. In 2008, a coffee bean from the TOLIMA region of Colombia (Kaddura and bourbon mixed beans) broke the monopoly myth of the Panamanian rose summer and won the SCAA coffee of the year, and then won the award for the next 11 years of 09-10-gamble, which was won by coffee beans from the HUILA and VALLE DEL CAUCA regions of Colombia for three years. In 2011, the pointed green-roofed summer in the Cauca Valley region (VALLE DEL CAUCA) of Colombia was the most amazing. The Colombian Rose Summer benefits from the cultivation of high altitude, large temperature difference and organic fertilizer in the Cauca Valley.

2. Colombia "FNC Association" extraordinary Cup Coffee Competition

The extraordinary Cup is held by FNC, once a year, alternately held by HUILA region and NARINO region, held in summer and winter. Because this producing area is the highest quality producing area in Colombia, but due to the difference of harvest season, in order to give consideration to fairness, the Chaofan Cup is held alternately between the two regions. There are two seasons of harvest in HUILA region, the main harvest season is from October to February of the following year (autumn and winter); in NARINO region, there is only one harvest a year, and the harvest season is from April to September (spring and summer). Almost all the extraordinary cup champions come from the host area, because the coffee cups in the main production season are of higher quality.

It is worth mentioning that the SCAA cup test is held in April every year, and each producing area needs to send beans to SCAA in March, so most of the participants in SCAA are coffee beans from HUILA area, while the same high-quality NARIO area has no chance to participate in the competition because of its harvest season (April-September).

3. "SUPREMO" and "EXCELSO" grades and "TRACEABILITY"

In order to improve and maintain the high quality of Colombian coffee beans, the FNC Association divides Colombian coffee beans into two grades: "SUPREMO" and "EXCELSO", but this classification is only based on the size of coffee beans, which can only reflect the size of coffee beans, not the quality and flavor of coffee beans, and can not help boutique coffee buyers to buy high-quality boutique coffee accurately. Therefore, producers in Colombia advocate "TRACEABILITY". When a customer buys coffee beans from a unique area and is very satisfied, he can find more varieties of similar quality according to the characteristics of the region. Such traceability management is obviously more persuasive than simple particle size.

4. the improvement of varieties and the contradiction between yield and high quality

In early Colombia, Bourbon and Typica were the main varieties, but the Bourbon varieties had a large yield, but the particles were smaller and the price was lower, while the Tibica varieties had large particles, good appearance and high price, but the output was too small. Therefore, around 1950, the bourbon variety Kaddura (Caturra) was introduced into Colombia and became the main variety in Colombia, but the disease resistance of this variety was weak. Therefore, around 1980, the FNC Association introduced a new variety, Kativen (a variety of castillo), which had better disease resistance and yield. In order to promote this variety, FNC renamed this variety to "Colombian variety", a rare variety named after the country. In the context of global climate change, Colombia's FNC is also looking for more stable yields and varieties, but Cartiven does sacrifice part of the cup quality and taste on the premise of increasing production. However, in order to protect the interests of coffee farmers, 30% of the rural population, 40% of the people's livelihood depends directly on the production of coffee, so even if some varieties are sacrificed. FNC still spares no effort to promote the cultivation of "Colombian species".

Gifts from volcanoes

Colombia is the only country in South America that has both the Pacific coast and the Caribbean coast, and the best producing areas in Colombia are almost all volcanic soil. Speaking of volcanoes, we have to mention the two highest quality coffee producing areas in Colombia, HUILA and NARINO in the south, which have two famous volcanoes in Colombia, Nevado del huila in HUILA, and Nevado del Galers in NARINO. Volcanic ash is rich in minerals and can make the soil more fertile. Huilan Volcano has continued to erupt in recent years, which is a happy thing for the farmers in Huilan Province. In 2009 and 2010, Huilan Province was able to produce "SCAA coffee beans of the year", in part, thanks to the new supplement of volcanic ash to the soil.

The coffee output of NARINO accounts for about 3% Mel 5% of the country, and it is harvested one season a year; the coffee output of HUILA accounts for about 10% Rue 20% of the country. Huilan has a huge output and is also a high-quality producing area. As mentioned above, most of the champion beans of SCAA come from this area, because Colombian Huilan coffee beans enjoy a very high reputation and praise rate in international trade.

A brief introduction to the flavor of coffee

I don't like to guide (or mislead) the taste judgment of customers. Just talk about it again. In the early coffee industry, coffee was simply divided into two series. The "hard" pie represented by Brazilian coffee was famous for its strong taste, and its flavor mainly depended on Brazilian hilly red soil and slightly lower elevations. The "soft" pie represented by Colombian coffee beans, Colombia is mostly in a mountain black soil environment, so Colombian coffee beans are famous for their soft balance, especially in the Huilan and Narinho producing areas, with sweet fruit flavor. The palate is charming, soft and sweet, just right.

Brief introduction of major producing areas (some producing areas)

1. CAUCA, the capital city of Popayan, and the surrounding towns include Pastor and Epiales, whose topography is mainly in the Cauca valiey valley. At the same time, the Popayan plateau in this area has a high elevation, which provides a unique environment for the growth of coffee. At the same time, Cauca province, located in southern Colombia, close to the equator, the tall Andes block the warm and humid air from the Pacific Ocean, rich rainfall, stable climate all the year round, at the same time, the area is volcanic topography, the soil is mainly volcanic soil, extremely fertile, a single rainy season every year, October to December is the rainy season.

Altitude: 1700-2100 m

Harvest season: March-June of the main production season

Secondary season November-December

Variety structure: 21% Tibica (typica)

64% Kaddura (caturra)

15% Castile excellent (castillo)

2. The capital of VALLE DEL CAUCA: Cali; Cauca Valley is one of the most fertile regions in Colombia, which has large rivers from the Andes, but it is also a more volatile part of Colombia and has been in armed unrest. it is even more difficult to grow coffee agriculture in such an environment, which is mostly on small farms and covers an area of more than 75800 hectares. Unique mountains, giving birth to top coffee beans, 2011 SCAA champion, stunning coffee world's pointed green rosy summer, from the Cauca Valley region.

Altitude: 1450-2000 m

Harvest season: September-December of the main production season

Secondary season March-June

Variety structure: 16% Tibica (typica)

62% Kaddura (caturra)

22% Castius (castillo)

3. The capital of TOLIMA: Iwag; Tolima is one of several strongholds of Colombia's notorious rebel group FARC, and its people have suffered from war in recent years. In the coffee trade, high-quality coffee in the region comes from farmers growing with small farms and some production cooperatives. Despite the social unrest, the coffee variety in the region remains at a high level, and the winner of the 2008 SCAA ranking comes from the region.

Altitude: 1200-1900 m

Harvest season: April-June, the main production season

Secondary season October-December

Variety structure: 9% Tibica (typica)

74% Kaddura (caturra)

17% Castius (castillo)

4. HUILA Coffee Distribution City: San Augustin; Huilan Province has the best soil and the best geographical conditions in Colombia. It produces the most charming Colombian coffee with rich fruit flavor and charming softness. The area has more than 16000 hectares of coffee growing area. Coffee beans, the champion of SCAA in 2009 and 2010, come from Huilan area.

Altitude: 1250-2000 m

Harvest season: September-December of the main production season

Secondary season April-May

Variety structure: 11% Tibica (typica)

75% Kaddura (caturra)

14% Castius (castillo)

5. NARINO, capital of NARINO: some of the best varieties of Pastor PASTO; grow in this area and are surprisingly good. However, growing coffee in this high-altitude mountain of the region is a great challenge, close to equatorial latitudes, and warm and humid air from the Pacific ensures the growth of coffee trees. The area is a typical small-scale farmer, with more than 40,000 coffee growers. The average area of each small farm is about 1 hectare, and only 37 farms cover an area of more than 5 hectares. Tibika varieties are the main varieties, and the coffee beans produced are of very high quality. There is only one season of harvest a year.

Altitude: 1500-2300 m

Harvest season: only one harvest season April-June

Variety structure: 54% Tibica (typica)

29% Kaddura (caturra)

17% Castius (castillo)

6. CALDAS, capital of Caldas province: Manisales. Caldas province, located in the central part of Colombia, is a traditional Colombian coffee producing area. Its triangle with two other provinces, Antioquia and Quindio, is the largest coffee producing area in Colombia, and it is also the central axis of Colombian coffee cultivation. It also produces good coffee beans in history. At the same time, the province is also the place where FNC (Colombian Coffee producers Association) was founded, and it is also the birthplace of the currently promoted variety castillo with strong disease resistance.

Altitude: 1300-1800 m

Harvest season: September-December of the main production season

Secondary season April-May

Variety structure: 8% Tibica (typica)

57% Kaddura (caturra)

35% Castius (castillo)