Colombia

United States is home to the most number of coffee drinkers in the world. And fact is, the country has been attracted to find coffee from outside sources. Americans have resorted to importing coffee from exotic nations such as Africa and Vietnam. However, some parts of Central America such as Brazil and Colombia have been known to be among the biggest producers of coffee throughout the years. Because of the degree of difficulty in the procurement of coffee beans and strict standards set by most American caffeine aficionados, the price of this particular commodity have gone up to such exorbitant proportions over the years. This is yet another classic example on the economics’ law on supply and demand. Surprisingly enough, most avid coffee addicts don’t seem to mind practically paying an arm and leg with every fancy gourmet cup of coffee they drink every single day. The impressive expansion of Starbucks and other high-end coffee houses can readily attest to the spiraling demand for superior quality coffee.

The land of Colombia has become synonymous to fancy gourmet coffee, being popularly known as the second largest producer of coffee in the world, next to Brazil. However, Colombian coffee is far from playing second fiddle to Brazil in terms of quality since Colombian coffee beans are widely known to be among the highly venerated variety in the industry. A quick peek in the Colombian coffee history would tell you that the coffee production has effectively sustained the county’s economy through the difficult years, as it all did in other developing countries who also grew coffee. Thus in the natural course of things, cultivating coffee became the primary means of living for its citizens and the skill and knowledge were subsequently passed on from one generation to another. Predictably, the coffee plantations of Colombia have become the playground for kids and offices for individuals old enough to help on the cultivation and production.

So how does Colombian coffee exactly fare in the global coffee industry today? While most coffee snobs would simply write it off as one of those cheap low-grade arabica beans, there is actually a specialty-level variety that is highly revered by top coffee connoisseurs. The generic coffee from Colombia may be good but far from being considered outstanding, the ones considered as Supremo and Excelso will definitely silence all skepticism and critics. These varieties are the ones that were particularly grown in the Bucaramanga region, that has the highly ideal climate for growing coffee beans: good cloud cover, superior soil conditions and adequate rainfall. For a lot of discriminating coffee drinkers, it can be heartwarming to know that some of the coffee framers in Colombia has still adapted the traditional way of planting offer, which is actually a rather painstaking method. You can just imagine the hard labor and sacrifice that goes into every cup of Colombian coffee you sip everyday.

Now, if you prefer the stronger coffee, your very first taste of the famous San Augustin coffee would probably caught you off guard due to its sheer intense flavor, its richness perfectly conveyed in the full bodied flavor with the dash of caramel sweetness. A lot of coffee connoisseurs have remarked that it’s quite startling to discover such seemingly primal flavor that is expertly swathed in unrivaled balance, without the bitter aftertaste. In fact, San Agustin coffee would probably conjure images of lazy Sunday mornings spent at the terrace contemplating the vast beauty of nature. It’s actually quite charming how a potent cup of coffee can turn one into a poet. It’s no wonder coffee has been regarded in the same league with wine through the years.