Brazil

History

Coffee was introduced to the Brazil back in the early 18th century, supposedly by nefarious means.  Apparently, Lt. Col. Francisco de Melo Palheta was sent by the Brazilian government to smuggle coffee seeds from French Guiana (he was supposedly mediating a border dispute). The Lieutenant worked his charms on the governor’s wife, who gave him a bouquet spiked with coffee seedlings at a farewell state dinner.

Regions

The primary growing regions are Sul de Minas, Matas de Minas, Cerrado, Chapadas de Minas, Mogiana, Paraná and Bahia. Here, a huge number of traditional and experimental varietals such as Bourbon, Mondo Novo, Icatú, Catuaí, Iapar and Catucaí are cultivated.

Harvest    Harvesting occurs between May and September each year.

Processing

Historically, much of the coffee grown in Brazil was processed using the washed method. Now the natural and pulped natural methods are also increasingly employed. Some large estate process their coffees by each method in order to offer contrasting cup profiles.

Characteristics

The Brazilian coffee tends to be mild and is often used in blends.  Good Brazilian coffee has a low acidity, a nutty sweet flavour and is often slightly chocolatey.

Cup of Excellence Programme