When we think of Brazil, we usually picture miles of beaches, Copacabana, bikinis, Carnival, and caipirinhas. But Brazil is more than just sun, sand, and sea. For 150 years, Brazil has been the world's largest coffee exporter. So this week in our blog post, we want to find out how Brazil achieved this prominent position, what Brazilian coffee tastes like, and how Brazilians actually drink their coffee. Enjoy!
How did coffee get to Brazil?
There are two stories about how coffee came to Brazil. One source says that coffee was smuggled into the country by a Portuguese man at the beginning of the 18th century. The second story tells of a love affair between the wife of the governor of French Guiana—Countess s'Orviliers—and Sergeant Major Francisco de Melo Palheta. The Countess supposedly gave the Major thousands of coffee beans, as he was apparently captivated by the beverage after his first sip. More recent findings, however, cast doubt on this love story, suggesting that the Sergeant Major's mission was to charm the Countess and thus smuggle the coveted and lucrative coffee beans into Brazil. So, it's a blend of both stories.
Initially, large landowners established their coffee plantations with the help of African slaves. This industrialization of coffee was the first of its kind in the world. With the abolition of slavery in 1888, coffee cultivation received strong government support. Measures were taken to stabilize prices, and funds were invested in infrastructure. This has clearly paid off, as Brazil remains the world's largest coffee producer and exporter! Brazil thus wields such enormous influence over the coffee trade that poor harvests or crises there directly impact coffee prices on the international market.
Coffee cultivation in Brazil
The strong industrial focus at the beginning of coffee cultivation has left its mark to this day. Brazil is known for exploiting its soil to harvest as much coffee as possible. This relies on monocultures and pesticides. Furthermore, primarily mechanized or semi-mechanized harvesting methods are used, which are neither plant- nor worker-friendly. These enormous machines can "drive" over the rows of coffee plants and harvest the coffee cherries by shaking them. On the one hand, a single machine replaces a large number of workers, increasing unemployment in rural areas and leading to even worse conditions for the population. On the other hand, a harvesting machine cannot distinguish between ripe and unripe cherries – thus further reducing the quality.
The justified criticism led the government to issue regulations requiring large farmers to maintain a portion of their farmland as mixed forest. This is intended to protect local plant and animal species. The regulations also promote the responsible use of fertilizers to restore soil fertility. Unfortunately, implementation remains inadequate.
Nearly 300,000 farmers in Brazil earn their living from coffee. Most of these farmers—85% to be precise—join cooperatives. This is essential for small-scale farmers to compete with large-scale producers.
Coffee regions in Brazil
Brazil is roughly 16 times the size of Germany and comprises 27 states. Coffee is grown in 16 of these states, totaling 2.3 million hectares! This enormous size means Brazil encompasses diverse climates, altitudes, and landscapes, contributing to the variety of Brazilian coffee. The main coffee-growing regions in Brazil are Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Bahia, and Rondônia. Robusta beans are cultivated only in Bahia and Rondônia; the remaining 77% are Arabica.
Coffee harvest in Brazil
From May to October – depending on the region – coffee is harvested in Brazil. Depending on the processing method, the coffee is dried directly in the sun. A distinction is made between natural and pulped natural . These drying methods are typically carried out on huge "drying patios." The coffee cherries/beans are simply spread out on a concrete surface for about three days. During this time, workers turn them several times using a type of rake. This ensures that the moisture is removed evenly. This consistent turning of the coffee beans is important to achieve a uniform appearance later on.
The taste of coffee from Brazil
Classic Brazilian coffee is associated with aromas of chocolate and nuts. However, due to the country's size, regional differences are noticeable. Coffee grown near the Atlantic coast has a slightly seawater-like taste. In southeastern Brazil, where an old Bourbon variety is cultivated, the coffee is mild with a pleasant spiciness. Specialty coffee producers also offer fruity aromas. Overall, Brazilian coffee is characterized by its low acidity.
Brazilians, by the way, prefer to drink their coffee as "Cafezinho". This is a type of dark and strong roasted espresso, which is drunk piping hot in one go.
Our coffees from Brazil - São Silvestre
We have two great coffees from Brazil here.
Firstly, there's the São Silvestre Aerobic Microlot from Ismael Andrade . This is a certified coffee of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA). It's grown in Cerrado, Minas Gervais, on the Finca São Silvestre farm, located at an altitude of 1,250 meters. The Red Catuai variety undergoes 24-hour aerobic fermentation, giving this omni-roast a particularly fruity cup profile.
Our espresso also comes from the Finca São Silvestre farm. However, the Yellow Icatu variety is dried here as pulped natural on a "drying patio".
We hope you learned something new this week and can taste the subtle differences in our Brazilian coffees. Let us know your preferences! We'll continue next week, so stay tuned!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team
Coffee from Brazil - The world's largest coffee exporter
When we think of Brazil, we usually picture miles of beaches, Copacabana, bikinis, Carnival, and caipirinhas. But Brazil is more than just sun, sand, and sea. For 150 years, Brazil has been the world's largest coffee exporter. So this week in our blog post, we want to find out how Brazil achieved this prominent position, what Brazilian coffee tastes like, and how Brazilians actually drink their coffee. Enjoy!
How did coffee get to Brazil?
There are two stories about how coffee came to Brazil. One source says that coffee was smuggled into the country by a Portuguese man at the beginning of the 18th century. The second story tells of a love affair between the wife of the governor of French Guiana—Countess s'Orviliers—and Sergeant Major Francisco de Melo Palheta. The Countess supposedly gave the Major thousands of coffee beans, as he was apparently captivated by the beverage after his first sip. More recent findings, however, cast doubt on this love story, suggesting that the Sergeant Major's mission was to charm the Countess and thus smuggle the coveted and lucrative coffee beans into Brazil. So, it's a blend of both stories.
Initially, large landowners established their coffee plantations with the help of African slaves. This industrialization of coffee was the first of its kind in the world. With the abolition of slavery in 1888, coffee cultivation received strong government support. Measures were taken to stabilize prices, and funds were invested in infrastructure. This has clearly paid off, as Brazil remains the world's largest coffee producer and exporter! Brazil thus wields such enormous influence over the coffee trade that poor harvests or crises there directly impact coffee prices on the international market.
Coffee cultivation in Brazil
The strong industrial focus at the beginning of coffee cultivation has left its mark to this day. Brazil is known for exploiting its soil to harvest as much coffee as possible. This relies on monocultures and pesticides. Furthermore, primarily mechanized or semi-mechanized harvesting methods are used, which are neither plant- nor worker-friendly. These enormous machines can "drive" over the rows of coffee plants and harvest the coffee cherries by shaking them. On the one hand, a single machine replaces a large number of workers, increasing unemployment in rural areas and leading to even worse conditions for the population. On the other hand, a harvesting machine cannot distinguish between ripe and unripe cherries – thus further reducing the quality.
The justified criticism led the government to issue regulations requiring large farmers to maintain a portion of their farmland as mixed forest. This is intended to protect local plant and animal species. The regulations also promote the responsible use of fertilizers to restore soil fertility. Unfortunately, implementation remains inadequate.
Nearly 300,000 farmers in Brazil earn their living from coffee. Most of these farmers—85% to be precise—join cooperatives. This is essential for small-scale farmers to compete with large-scale producers.
Coffee regions in Brazil
Brazil is roughly 16 times the size of Germany and comprises 27 states. Coffee is grown in 16 of these states, totaling 2.3 million hectares! This enormous size means Brazil encompasses diverse climates, altitudes, and landscapes, contributing to the variety of Brazilian coffee. The main coffee-growing regions in Brazil are Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Bahia, and Rondônia. Robusta beans are cultivated only in Bahia and Rondônia; the remaining 77% are Arabica.
Coffee harvest in Brazil
From May to October – depending on the region – coffee is harvested in Brazil. Depending on the processing method, the coffee is dried directly in the sun. A distinction is made between natural and pulped natural . These drying methods are typically carried out on huge "drying patios." The coffee cherries/beans are simply spread out on a concrete surface for about three days. During this time, workers turn them several times using a type of rake. This ensures that the moisture is removed evenly. This consistent turning of the coffee beans is important to achieve a uniform appearance later on.
The taste of coffee from Brazil
Classic Brazilian coffee is associated with aromas of chocolate and nuts. However, due to the country's size, regional differences are noticeable. Coffee grown near the Atlantic coast has a slightly seawater-like taste. In southeastern Brazil, where an old Bourbon variety is cultivated, the coffee is mild with a pleasant spiciness. Specialty coffee producers also offer fruity aromas. Overall, Brazilian coffee is characterized by its low acidity.
Brazilians, by the way, prefer to drink their coffee as "Cafezinho". This is a type of dark and strong roasted espresso, which is drunk piping hot in one go.
Our coffees from Brazil - São Silvestre
We have two great coffees from Brazil here.
Firstly, there's the São Silvestre Aerobic Microlot from Ismael Andrade . This is a certified coffee of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA). It's grown in Cerrado, Minas Gervais, on the Finca São Silvestre farm, located at an altitude of 1,250 meters. The Red Catuai variety undergoes 24-hour aerobic fermentation, giving this omni-roast a particularly fruity cup profile.
Our espresso also comes from the Finca São Silvestre farm. However, the Yellow Icatu variety is dried here as pulped natural on a "drying patio".
We hope you learned something new this week and can taste the subtle differences in our Brazilian coffees. Let us know your preferences! We'll continue next week, so stay tuned!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team