Reference
Coffee Origins
Explore coffee-producing countries around the world. Detailed guides to history, growing regions, elevation, climate, varieties, and flavor profiles.
Prefer a visual overview? Explore these origins on the interactive Coffee Atlas, where you can filter by region and compare up to three origins side by side.
59 countries
Australia
Australian coffee is known for its smooth, sweet, and balanced profile with low acidity and notes of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. The subtropical growing conditions produce a softer, less acidic cup than tropical highland coffees.
Elevation: 100-900m
Belize
Belizean coffee is smooth, balanced, and mild with low acidity and notes of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. Production is very small.
Elevation: 400-800m
Bolivia
Bolivian coffee is known for its bright acidity, delicate body, and complex fruit and floral notes. Caranavi coffees are bright, complex, and fruity with...
Elevation: 1000-2100m
Brazil
Brazilian coffee is characterized by low acidity, heavy body, and notes of chocolate, nuts, caramel, and dried fruit. Natural and pulped natural processing...
Elevation: 800-1600m
Burundi
Burundian coffee is known for its sweet, complex, and bright profile. Bourbon varieties produce a distinctive cup with notes of red apple, berries, citrus, and black tea. Kayanza coffees are particularly prized for their juicy, complex character.
Elevation: 1400-2200m
Cameroon
Cameroonian Arabica from the western highlands is known for its bright acidity, medium body, and notes of citrus, stone fruit, and chocolate. Robusta is full-bodied and earthy, used in espresso blends.
Elevation: 200-1600m (Arabica 900-1600m, Robusta 200-500m)
Colombia
Colombian coffee is known for its well-balanced profile: medium body, bright but mild acidity, and notes of caramel, nuts, chocolate, and red fruit. Higher...
Elevation: 1200-2000m
Costa Rica
Costa Rican coffee is celebrated for its bright, clean acidity and medium body. Tarrazu coffees display citrus, floral, and stone fruit notes with a crisp...
Elevation: 1200-1900m
Cuba
Cuban coffee is known for its full body, low-to-medium acidity, and notes of chocolate, tobacco, and caramel. The Sierra Maestra coffees are the most prized,...
Elevation: 300-1200m
Côte d'Ivoire
Ivorian coffee is primarily Robusta, known for its full body, low acidity, and earthy, chocolatey profile. It is used in espresso blends and instant coffee...
Elevation: 200-500m (Robusta)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
DRC Arabica from the Kivu highlands is similar to Rwandan and Burundian coffee: sweet, complex, and bright with notes of red apple, berries, citrus, and black tea. Robusta is full-bodied and earthy.
Elevation: 300-2000m (Arabica 1200-2000m, Robusta 300-600m)
Dominican Republic
Dominican coffee is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. Barahona coffees are the most complex and prized.
Elevation: 500-1500m
Ecuador
Ecuadorian coffee ranges from sweet and balanced (Loja) to bright and fruity (Intag) to smooth and clean (Galapagos). The Galapagos Islands produce a unique...
Elevation: 800-2000m
El Salvador
El Salvadoran coffee is known for its sweet, balanced, and approachable profile. Bourbon varieties produce caramel, chocolate, brown sugar, and citrus notes....
Elevation: 1000-1800m
Ethiopia Coffee Origin: Regions, Varieties & Flavors
Ethiopian coffees are renowned for their floral, citrus, and tea-like characteristics. Yirgacheffe coffees often display jasmine, bergamot, and lemon notes...
Elevation: 1200-2200m
Fiji
Fijian coffee is smooth, balanced, and mild with low acidity and notes of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. Production is very small and most is consumed locally.
Elevation: 300-800m
Ghana Coffee: Origins, Flavor Profile & Production
Ghanaian coffee is exclusively Robusta, known for its full body, low acidity, and earthy, chocolatey profile. It is used in espresso blends and instant coffee production.
Elevation: 100-400m
Guatemala
Guatemalan coffee is known for its complexity, bright acidity, and full body. Antigua coffees exhibit cocoa, spice, and floral notes. Huehuetenango produces...
Elevation: 1300-2000m
Haiti
Haitian coffee is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, and nuts. Some lots show complex...
Elevation: 400-1500m
Honduras
Honduran coffee is known for its approachable, well-balanced profile with medium body, mild-to-bright acidity, and notes of caramel, chocolate, brown sugar,...
Elevation: 1000-1700m
India
Indian coffee ranges from balanced and chocolatey (Arabica) to full-bodied and spicy (Robusta). Monsooned Malabar is unique: low acidity, heavy body, and...
Elevation: 900-1600m
Indonesia
Indonesian coffee is known for its heavy body, low acidity, and earthy, herbal, spicy character. Sumatran coffees display bold earth, tobacco, and dark...
Elevation: 800-1700m
Jamaica
Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is renowned for its smooth, mild, and perfectly balanced profile. It has a clean, sweet cup with very low acidity, soft body, and notes of chocolate, nuts, and subtle fruit. The profile is understated and elegant rather than bold or intense.
Elevation: 900-1700m
Kenya
Kenyan coffee is known for its powerful, wine-like acidity, full body, and intense fruit flavors. Blackcurrant is the signature note, alongside grapefruit,...
Elevation: 1400-2100m
Laos
Laotian Arabica from the Bolaven Plateau is known for its balanced profile with medium body, bright acidity, and notes of citrus, chocolate, and caramel....
Elevation: 800-1300m
Liberia Coffee: Origins, Flavor Profile & Production
Liberian coffee is primarily Robusta and Liberica, known for its full body, low acidity, and earthy, woody profile. The country is most notable as the origin of Coffea liberica, which has a distinctive bold, smoky flavor.
Elevation: 200-600m
Madagascar
Madagascan Robusta is full-bodied, earthy, and chocolatey, suitable for espresso blends. Arabica from the highlands is balanced and smooth with mild acidity...
Elevation: 0-1400m (Robusta 0-800m, Arabica 900-1400m)
Malawi
Malawian coffee is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. The Misuku Hills...
Elevation: 900-1800m
Malaysia
Malaysian Arabica from the Cameron Highlands is balanced and smooth with mild acidity and chocolate notes. Robusta is full-bodied and earthy. Malaysia is better known for its unique kopi culture than for production.
Elevation: 100-1400m (Arabica 900-1400m, Robusta 100-400m)
Mexico
Mexican coffee is known for its light-to-medium body, mild-to-bright acidity, and notes of chocolate, nuts, caramel, and citrus. Higher altitude specialty lots from Chiapas and Oaxaca can be complex, sweet, and fruity.
Elevation: 900-1800m
Myanmar
Myanmar specialty Arabica is known for its balanced, complex profile with bright acidity and notes of citrus, stone fruit, chocolate, and caramel. Ywangan...
Elevation: 900-1600m
Nepal
Nepali coffee is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. The high-altitude,...
Elevation: 800-1600m
New Caledonia
New Caledonian coffee is smooth, balanced, and mild with notes of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. Production is very small.
Elevation: 300-700m
Nicaragua
Nicaraguan coffee is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. Specialty lots...
Elevation: 900-1700m
Nigeria Coffee: Origins, Flavor Profile & Production
Nigerian coffee is exclusively Robusta, known for its full body, low acidity, and earthy profile. It is used in espresso blends and instant coffee production.
Elevation: 100-600m
Panama
Panamanian Geisha produces one of the most distinctive cups in the world: intense floral aromatics (jasmine, bergamot), delicate tea-like body, bright acidity, and complex fruit notes (peach, mango, papaya). Non-Geisha Panamanian coffees are balanced, sweet, and clean with chocolate and caramel notes.
Elevation: 1200-2000m
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea coffee is known for its complex, wild character that combines East African brightness with Indonesian body. Notes include tropical fruit,...
Elevation: 1200-1900m
Paraguay
Paraguayan coffee is smooth, low in acidity, and full-bodied with notes of chocolate, nuts, and earth. Production is very small and most coffee is consumed locally.
Elevation: 200-600m
Peru
Peruvian coffee is known for its smooth, well-balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. Higher...
Elevation: 1000-2100m
Philippines
Filipino Arabica from the Cordillera is bright, complex, and fruity with citrus and stone fruit notes. Liberica (barako) is bold, smoky, and earthy with a...
Elevation: 0-1800m (varies by species)
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican coffee is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and subtle fruit. Yauco...
Elevation: 400-1100m
Rwanda
Rwandan coffee is known for its sweet, complex, and tea-like profile with medium body and bright acidity. Notes include black tea, red apple, stone fruit,...
Elevation: 1500-2200m
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leonean coffee is primarily Robusta, known for its full body and earthy profile. Some Arabica is balanced and smooth. The country is most notable for wild Coffea stenophylla, which produces high-quality coffee at higher temperatures than Arabica.
Elevation: 300-900m
South Africa
South African coffee is balanced and smooth with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, and nuts. The low elevation limits complexity compared to high-altitude African coffees, but quality is improving.
Elevation: 300-1000m
South Sudan Coffee: Origins, Flavor Profile & Production
South Sudanese coffee is still in early development, but initial lots show a balanced, clean profile with bright acidity and notes of citrus, stone fruit, and chocolate. The wild Arabica populations on the Boma Plateau represent untapped genetic diversity.
Elevation: 900-1800m
Sri Lanka
Modern Sri Lankan specialty coffee is balanced and smooth with mild acidity and notes of chocolate, caramel, and citrus. The small volume of specialty coffee...
Elevation: 900-1600m
Tanzania
Tanzanian coffee is known for its bright, wine-like acidity, medium-to-full body, and notes of blackcurrant, citrus, and stone fruit. Kilimanjaro coffees are...
Elevation: 1100-2000m
Thailand
Northern Thai Arabica is known for its balanced, clean profile with medium body, bright acidity, and notes of citrus, stone fruit, and chocolate. Doi Chaang...
Elevation: 0-1600m (Robusta 0-500m, Arabica 900-1600m)
Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste coffee is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. Some specialty lots show complex fruit character.
Elevation: 800-1600m
Togo
Togolese coffee is primarily Robusta, known for its full body and earthy, chocolatey profile. Some Arabica from the central highlands is balanced and smooth.
Elevation: 200-800m
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidadian coffee is known for its smooth, low-acidity profile with medium body and notes of chocolate, nuts, and earth. Production is very small and most...
Elevation: 100-600m
Uganda
Ugandan Arabica is known for its wine-like acidity, medium-to-full body, and notes of stone fruit, chocolate, and citrus. Mount Elgon coffees display complex, juicy fruit character. Rwenzori coffees are bright and floral. Ugandan Robusta is full-bodied, chocolatey, and smooth, prized for espresso blends.
Elevation: 900-2200m (Robusta 900-1500m, Arabica 1300-2200m)
United States (California)
California-grown Arabica is valued for complexity driven by an extended cherry maturation of roughly 10 months, comparable to high-altitude farms in the tropics. Lots have been submitted to international auctions. Cup character varies more by farm management and microclimate than by broad region.
Elevation: 60–300 MASL
United States (Hawaii)
Hawaiian coffees, and Kona in particular, are often described as mild, balanced, and clean, with gentle brightness and sweet, subtle aromatics. Treat these as tendencies rather than guarantees: region, elevation, and processing all shape the final cup.
Elevation: Approximately 700–2,000 ft for successful production in Kona (CTAHR); Kaʻu plantings extend to higher elevations.
Venezuela
Venezuelan coffee from the Andean highlands is known for its smooth, balanced profile with medium body, mild acidity, and notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and citrus. It is similar to Colombian coffee but generally softer and less acidic.
Elevation: 800-1800m
Vietnam
Vietnamese Robusta is known for its strong, bold, and bitter profile with notes of dark chocolate, nuts, and earth. It is a primary component in traditional...
Elevation: 200-1500m
Yemen
Yemeni coffee is one of the most distinctive in the world: intense, complex, and winey with notes of dried fruit (raisin, date), chocolate, spice, and tobacco. The natural processing and extreme growing conditions produce a heavy, syrupy body with sweet, fermented fruit character and a dry, wine-like finish.
Elevation: 1500-2400m
Zambia
Zambian coffee is known for its balanced, clean profile with medium body, bright acidity, and notes of citrus, stone fruit, chocolate, and caramel. The Kasama region produces the finest coffee.
Elevation: 1200-1700m
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean coffee is known for its balanced, clean profile with medium body, bright acidity, and notes of citrus, stone fruit, chocolate, and caramel. It is...
Elevation: 900-1700m