The coffee producing area of Brazil.

Brazil is vividly compared to the "giant" and "monarch" of the coffee world. There are about 3.97 billion coffee trees there, and small farmers now grow 75% of the country's coffee. The number of coffee producers in Brazil is twice or even three times that of Colombia, the second largest coffee producer in the world.

Coffee producing areas in Brazil:

Old bourbon coffee is grown on some estates in the Serrado district of the state of MinasGreais in southeastern Brazil. Old varieties of bourbon coffee grown on these estates, such as CapinBranco and VistaAllegre, are also sold on the market. Although they come from the same area, these coffees have their own characteristics. Capingblanco coffee is smoother than Vesta Allegre coffee, while Vesta Allegre coffee is strong and black, both of which have relatively low acidity. However, like all Brazilian coffee, they are most suitable for drinking when they are fresh and tender, because the older they are, the more acidic they are. These coffee growers have organized themselves into the Brazilian Special Coffee Association (theSpecialityCoffeeAssociationofBrazil).

As there are so many kinds of Brazilian coffee in Brazil, you can't just use the word "Brazilian coffee" to include it. Like other Arabica coffee, Brazilian coffee is called "Brazils" to distinguish it from "Milds" coffee. The vast majority of Brazilian coffee is unwashed and sun-dried and is classified according to the name of the state of origin and port of transport. Brazil has 21 states and 17 states produce coffee, but four of them produce the largest, accounting for 98 per cent of national production: Parana, SaoPaulo, MinasGerais and EspiritoSanto, with the southern state producing the most, accounting for 50 per cent of total production.

The characteristics of Brazilian coffee:

Although coffee is diverse, Brazilian coffee is suitable for the taste of the public. For example, coffee produced in the northern coastal areas has a typical iodine taste, reminiscent of the sea after drinking. This coffee is exported to North America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Flavor: there are many kinds and flavors, but most of them are low acidity coffee with smooth taste.

Suggested baking method: low to deep baking, suitable for various uses

★★: good

The market for Brazilian coffee:

Brazil's economy is now less dependent on coffee, which accounts for only 8% of GDP and 10% of GDP. However, the country's impact on coffee around the world, especially on coffee prices, is significant, such as the two frost disasters in 1994 that caused a sharp rise in global coffee prices.

Since the introduction of coffee trees from French Guiana (Guyana) in 1720, coffee production has gradually become a science. Before 1990, the Brazilian government carried out strict monitoring of the coffee industry, with both strict intervention and price protection measures, and the state has been implementing minimum price protection measures for farmers, resulting in coffee overproduction.

Since the opening of the free market in 1990, the original Brazilian Coffee Authority (IBC) has been replaced by the National Economic Association, the country's non-investment administrative body, which pursues a policy of non-interference and allows producers to negotiate directly with exporters. The business activities of exporters are regulated by government legislation, and the relevant departments register legitimate exporters.

Another kind of coffee that is interesting and worth looking for is washed Bahia coffee. This kind of coffee is not easy to find because Brazil is the world's largest consumer of coffee after the United States, and many good coffee can only be found in its domestic market.

In Brazil, the largest producer is Robbins. This kind of coffee is sold in the supermarket. Brazil's Robucht coffee, sold under the name Conillon, accounts for 15 per cent of total production.