What flavours characterise different coffee-growing regions

You may have a favourite coffee flavour – from nutty to fruity, but do you know where it comes from?

Broadly, the three main coffee-growing regions are Latin America, Africa and Asia, and each has distinct flavour characteristics:

Latin America: Chocolatey, nutty, caramel
Africa: fruity, floral, sweet
Asia: dark chocolate, earthy, herbal

But there is more to it than that.

Latin America  

Within this area are the main coffee-growing regions of Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Peru, each with its own distinctive coffee flavour note.

Nutty, sweet and full-bodied? 

If this is what you want from your coffee, then Brazilian grown is the one for you. Some beans from this region also contain notes of spice or citrus.

Well balanced?

Try Colombian coffee, characterised by caramel sweetness and a subtle nuttiness.

But don’t forget there are others to try, from Mexican chocolate flavours and an often nutty finish to Costa Rican flavours of chocolate, brown sugar, and apricot, to Guatemalan, with medium body and well-balanced flavour characterised by caramel sweetness and a subtle nuttiness.

The sweetest notes are in Africa

Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, offers a fruity, wine-like coffee with hints of blueberry or strawberry, while Kenya is home to bold, vibrant, and juicy flavours and some of the most highly prized coffees in the world. Flavours can contain notes from savoury to sweet, with a tartness that is reminiscent of tomatoes or black currants.

Dark chocolate, earthy and herbal? You need to go to Asia

The two stand-out coffee-growing regions in Asia are Indonesia and Malaysia.

Indonesia offers a “big, bold, dark, and full-bodied coffee experience”, with Sumatra standing out for its smoky and musty quality.

Malaysia stands alone because 95% of its coffee comes from the Liberica coffee plant. These produce a fruity, nutty coffee with a clean aftertaste.