World’s Best Coffees 2022

Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world, after water. The story goes that its origin comes from the African continent, where it was born and cultivated for a long time. Kaldi, a goat herder, discovered it when he was walking on the slopes of Kaffa, specifically in Abyssinia, present-day Ethiopia.

But the Arabs were the first to extract its beans, thus implanting the habit of drinking coffee as a substitute for alcohol, which was forbidden by Islam. Subsequently, this custom spread throughout the rest of the continents; after Africa it passed to the Asian continent, then to the European continent and ended in the American continent. 

In addition, its flavor also varies depending on the place, either because it is original of a region, its geography and richness of the land, the method of preparation of the grain or because a variety of mixtures have been made, obtaining strong, soft, chocolate, floral, fruit, more or less acidic flavors, among others.

The best coffees of the African continent:

• In Ethiopia, towards the southern region of Yirgacheffe and Gedeo: it is said that the best coffee in the world is cultivated in these lands of Ethiopia, being harvested more or less 250 tons annually in these southern regions; that is to say 1/3 of the production. 

Its most outstanding characteristic is that it has an acidic touch. This Ethiopian coffee is generally wet-processed, resulting in a light-bodied coffee with a flavor of flowers and fruits, a somewhat earthy aroma with a hint of strawberry and cinnamon.

• In Kenya, in the Mount Kenya region: it is produced in the highlands, at a maximum of about 2100 m above sea level. Farmers clean and process the beans with great effort. This is large in size and they are called the Kenya AA and the Peaberry. The flavor has a sweet fruity touch and a wine-like acidic brightness, with a strong body, intense flavor and a fresh floral aroma.
• In Tanzania: it is known as the Tanzanian pea bean. That is to say, 1 single coffee bean is located inside what is called the coffee cherry, which usually has 2 beans. These pea beans comprise 5% of all crops, and to obtain them it is required that they be classified manually; which makes the product more expensive. 

They are very popular because of their flavor, which is less acidic, with hints of brown sugar, medium body and subtlety of fruit. Likewise, their aroma is light, sweet floral type, with citrus, coconut or pineapple subtleties in layers.

The best coffee in the Asian continent:

The Arabs made some attempts to take some fertile coffee beans from Africa, but they could not, because when the outer layers of the coffee plant were removed, the bean became infertile. It was in 1616 that the Dutch took some of them and they were cultivated in greenhouses. 

Later they did so in India, in Malabar and in 1699 in Java, what is today Indonesia. Years later the main Dutch colonies became the main source of coffee for the European continent. Currently, Indonesia is the 4th largest exporter of coffee in the world.

• In the city of Yemen, Mocha coffee: this city, from the XV to the XVII century (although some say that it was possibly cultivated before these dates) served as an exporter of coffee, which was highly valued thanks to its chocolate and fruit flavor. It is grown organically, without chemicals, processed naturally, dry, practically wild.

It has the acidity of wine and some earthy tones. Its chocolate flavor is given by the musky fruit and has special touches of cinnamon, cardamom, dried fruits, such as raisins, and some sweet tones.

• In Malabar, the Monsoon coffee bean in India: the name is due to the way in which the wind, in the monsoon season, disperses the beans that are scattered with humidity; that is to say, the cellars are deliberately left open to reduce the acidity and increase the body of the coffee. 

It has a strong flavor, low acidity, dark cocoa and a lot of syrupy chocolate, which is obtained by cooking vegetables and fruits with something sweet. Likewise, the aroma is herbal, some spices and spicy. 

• Civet coffee in Indonesia: it is also known by the name of Kopi Luwak. In this place there is a mammal called civet, which tends to feed on the fruit of the coffee tree. But it does not eat the bean, which is expelled without being digested, but is genetically modified thanks to the enzymes of the stomach of the little animal. 

These leftovers are then washed, roasted and exported to countries such as London and the U.S. Also well known are the beans from Sumatra and Sulawesi, east of Borneo.

The best coffee on the European continent: 

Following the history of coffee, by 1615 Venetian traders brought these beans to the European continent, coinciding also with the introduction by the Spaniards of hot chocolate brought from America in 1528, and in 1610 with the arrival of hot tea. Coffee was initially dispensed by people who sold lemonade.

 In addition, they believed that the substance was medicinal. But it was the Venetians in 1683 who opened for the first time an establishment for the sale of this drink, which was already beginning to be known. Likewise, in London in 1688, in Lloyd’s Insurance Market, another establishment for the sale of the product began to operate. The Caffé Florian in St. Mark’s Square, Venice, was opened in 1720 and is still in operation today.

• The best Italian coffee: It is considered one of the best in the world, due to the fact that they have notably improved the techniques for its elaboration, since they are not producers of it; so much so that they were the inventors of the espresso coffee maker as well as of the moka. 

In addition, they have their own defined coffee habits. In the mornings, latte and cappuccino should be drunk, while espresso coffee should be served at the bar and never at the tables.

• Wild Jo organic French roasted dark coffee: this coffee is famous because it is roasted by artisan workers in the micro-roaster and then ground, being a very special blend. In addition, it has received certifications for its recognition both with the producers as well as with the environment. It has a mild aroma and a strong bittersweet flavor, reminiscent of brown sugar and cocoa.

The best coffee in the American continent: 

A little more than 50% of the coffee produced worldwide comes from the American continent. It is said that by 1720 coffee began to be cultivated for the first time in North America; although there was already some reference that this beverage was being drunk as early as 1668. 

These first crops came from Martinique, thanks to an officer named Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, of the French Navy, who had acquired a coffee tree in Paris and this was replanted in Preebear; and by 1777 there were some 19 million coffee trees in Martinique.

In North America:

• San Francisco Bay Area, Peet’s Coffee: Once World War II ended, a Dutchman named Alfred Peet arrived in America. And since he did not like the quality of the coffee, he decided to prepare his own. Therefore, he was the first distributor and roaster of a special and different kind of coffee.

He was the founder of gourmet coffee, using premium coffee beans from different parts of the world. He obtained an interesting blend combining African and Asian flavors with American flavors, obtaining a coffee with less bitter, dark, but with a strong flavor. Ideal for machine espresso coffee.

• Kona coffee from Hawaii: by 1825 on the largest island of Hawaii, called Kona, coffee of very high quality began to be cultivated, thanks to the fertile volcanic soil, the climate, the sun and the rain that it receives; although production is somewhat limited and the coffee is expensive. 

The Extra Fancy grade is recommended, which is of very high quality, low in acidity, smooth, medium-bodied, with a sweet herbal and floral flavor, with some nutty undertones. It is also grown in the USA.

Coffee of Central American origin: 

The Dutch were also responsible for bringing and propagating the coffee plant in Central and South America, and today it is the main commercial crop of the continent. First arriving in 1718 in the Dutch colony of Suriname, coffee was later planted in French Guyana and then in Brazil.

Then, in 1730 it was taken to Jamaica by the British, cultivating today the most expensive coffee called Blue Mountains of Jamaica; in this way in 1825 both Central and South America were already on the road to becoming a coffee growing continent.

• Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee: these coffee trees grow at a maximum altitude of 1600 m and, together with humidity, organic fertilizer, volcanic soil, cold temperature and transported in wooden barrels, are the elements that intervene in the creation of this product, which is so famous worldwide. In addition, its harvest takes a little longer than the others, since it lasts about 10 months. 

In this way we obtain a coffee with low acidity, with a certain chocolate flavor, some fruity notes, slightly sweet, but full-bodied; a balanced combination of smooth flavor.

• Geisha coffee in Panama and pot coffee in Mexico: Geisha coffee from Panama, with a flavor and body somewhat similar to natural tea, as well as citric flavors such as peach, mango and some jasmine. Also, aromas in various shades of flowers and lemon. In Mexico there are several states that currently export thousands of kilos, coming from Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero and especially in Chiapas, where it is of protected origin. Famous is its café de olla, which is prepared in a pot and piloncillo and cinnamon are added.

South American Coffee:

• Brazilian coffee: with a sweet flavor similar to that of Africa, but without the acidity of these. It also has a very fine and smooth aroma, with an intense body and strong perfume. We already know that it arrived in this country from French Guiana, by a sergeant named Francisco de Mello, since at that time coffee had a commercial value.

• In Colombia: according to its geography the Andean coffee of this country is cultivated in 4 regions: to the north, south, in the central region and towards the east; mainly at the level of the hillsides, and therefore its harvesting is basically manual. The first flowering occurs in a maximum of 600 days and 3 or 4 months later the first fruits begin to ripen. 

It is the 3rd largest coffee producing country in the world. Its flavor is fruity and sweet, with hints that remind us of citric and nutty, medium body and balanced; in addition to a high acidity.