However, for some time its quality has been getting worse. At present it is trying to recapture its former glory.

Coffee trees were introduced into the country in 1750 by Jesuit priests and this industry was developed by the German settlers in the late nineteenth century. Nowadays the majority of production is located in the south of the country where the slopes and the volcanic soil of the Sierra Madre afford the ideal conditions for the Arabica beans, being better quality. They are to be found at altitudes which vary between 700 and 1700 m. The best quality coffees are those to be found at an altitude of around 1200 m.

In days gone by Guatemala was worthy of great attention owing to its elephant beans – Maragogipes which merely by looking at them highlights the prestige of the coffee, honouring a blend by their presence, not only for its taste, but also for the appearance they lend thanks to their size.

Organoleptic characteristics: Good acidity, Good body, Very aromatic (fruity and persistent in the mouth).

It has a typical flavour (full, pleasant, condimented and integral)

As in other regions, the classification is carried out in line with the altitude. In Honduras coffee can be found at altitudes which vary between 700 and 2000 m.

Organoleptic characteristics: Good acidity, Good body, good aroma.

Useful for blends as well as by itself.

Costa Rica, with its well-drained, volcanic soil was the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee for commercial purposes, representing a quarter of the exports which are made around the ports of the Atlantic as well as of the Pacific as both regions are equally productive. Cultivation is solely of Arabica beans as the cultivation of robusta beans is illegal.

The quality of the coffee varies in line with the altitude and its appreciation depends on different tastes, namely more or less acidic.

Organoleptic characteristics: Good acidity, very aromatic, some body, very balanced in terms of the body/aroma ratio.

Coffee from this region is a solid base for the construction of a high-quality blend and it is difficult to find a better one.

Nowadays the country is the second largest producer worldwide. This country is the largest world exporter of Arabica beans, cultivating very little robusta. More than any other producer country, Colombia is concerned with developing and promoting its product, as well as industry. It is these factors, combined with the favourable geographic conditions, without neglecting the climatic aspects, which have provided Colombia with its reputation for having a high-quality, good flavoured coffee.

The cultivation areas are situated on the mountain ranges where the climate is temperate and humid.

Organoleptic characteristics: Some acidity, very smooth, little body, very good aroma (scented)

The coffee from this origin is regularly classified as being velvety, being one of the most balanced coffees which can be drunk any time of the day.

Brazilian coffees, almost all subject to drying treatment, diverge greatly in terms of their taste. Those from the S. Paulo region have a certain scent, a slightly neutral taste, averagely strong, not very bitter and sometimes, but very rarely, being slightly acidic.

The coffees from Rio are very specific. They are endowed with a characteristic taste which is called taste of "rio". This is borne out by a very spicy, strong palate. Generally speaking, they have body and, before the 2nd World War, they were greatly appreciated in northern France. They conserve their organoleptic characteristics for a long time even after preparation.

The coffees from the Minas region can be excellent if they lose their "rio" flavour, particularly if they come from Southern region.

Almost totally lacking the "rio" flavour are the coffees from Santos which, with their strong scent (aroma) lend the beverage a complete, smooth cup, retaining its taste for some time in the mouth.

Pernambuco coffee gives rise to a very fine cup, but peculiar. The taste of Santos is blended with a sweet taste and a slightly fruity scent. It is an excellent coffee.

Coffee from Baia whose exports have fallen sharply in recent years, but which have recently been increasing with the new plantations in progress, is an excellent coffee, capable of lending a mixture with a very specific character, in this case a slightly smoky flavour which, if not expected, is a very important characteristic for a pleasant taste in the coffee.

The Paraná region, famous for its frosts which are sometimes very intense, is one of the best producing regions in Brazil and alone it accounts for one quarter of production in the country. Its coffee is excellent, sweet and smooth, with a slightly fruity scene, more pronounced than that of Santos.

It constitutes an excellent base for a blend and it has the advantage that it can be roasted very regularly, providing a product with a uniform experience. Owing to the enormous diversity of Brazilian coffees, their characteristics can be summarised as follow:

Organoleptic characteristics: Low level of acidity, good body, smooth, velvety aroma.

The majority of Kenyan coffee is cultivated at an altitude of 1500 to 2100 m and it may give rise to two harvests a year. Almost everyone who works in the coffee industry rates Kenyan coffee as one of their favourites. This aspect is owing to the fact that it has everything you could wish for a good cup of coffee. It has an amazingly satisfactory aroma, a balance of excellent acidity and well bodied, as well as an excellent hint of fruit.

Organoleptic characteristics: Excellent Acidity, Good body, Very aromatic (fruity).

However, it is a country which has high coffee production. At the start of the 1980’s it was the third biggest producer in the world with five million bags per year and at present it is one of the biggest producers in the world.

Organoleptic characteristics: Some body, poor acidity, strong, very bitter aroma.

There was recently a decline in the amount of coffee produced with robusta suffering a fall.

Organoleptic characteristics: Medium acidity, Poor body, Strong, bitter aroma

Frequently used in those blends specific for espresso.

In the mid 1970’s Angola exported over three and a half million bags of coffee every year whereof 98% was robusta, probably being the best robusta from Africa. In the 1990’s the total production declined for two hundred thousand bags.

The best known varieties are: Angola Ambriz and Angola Amboim:

Organoleptic characteristics: Good acidity, Good body, strong Aroma.

In this region there are very well maintained plantations and in some the semi-humid method is even used to prepare the coffee bean, but unfortunately this method is not very widespread in the region. This fact is all the more lamentable insofar as the robusta coffee produced by the drying method has variable quality.

Organoleptic characteristics: Low degree of acidity, Good body, chocolaty aroma.

Indian coffees are of interest to coffee lovers for various reasons and it is important to point out the process which is applied to some beans, known as “monsoon”. Back in the day when people and goods were transported from and to Greece by sailing boat, it was possible for a ship to take several months to reach Europe. During the crossing the green beans were exposed to very high levels of humidity which altered both their taste and colouring. At the end of the journey it became a strange yellowish tone.

However, consumers got used to this change and when the steam boats started shortening the journey time, the coffee producer discovered that its clients continued to clamour for the beans of the same colour and taste as those which in times gone by had been affected by the journey duration.

In order to be able to reproduce these characteristics, the “monsoon” process was introduced.

Monsoons occur in the southwest of India between May and June and, during this period, the beans are buried at a depth of twelve to twenty centimetres in special constructions with open sides where they are left for five days, being turned around from time to time, so that they are all exposed to the air uniformly which, at this time of the year, has a very high degree of humidity.

The beans are then packed in bags loosely after which they are hung in such a way that the “monsoon” winds can blow around and above the bags.

At the next stage the bags are repacked, being hung up again once a week for seven weeks until the beans’ colouring and taste have changed. Finally, the beans are inspected manually so that all those which have not been affected by the “monsoon” effect can be removed. Finally, they are packed for export. The supplies of the “monsoon” coffees are carried out from October to February.

The “monsoon” coffee has a very strong, but pleasant perfume, being very good in certain blends.

It has a defect which is very irregular roasting which makes this operation difficult.

India has an annual production of around one hundred and forty thousand tonnes of coffee, with part thereof being subject to the “monsoon” process and the other sold naturally, in other words, it is not submitted to any operation to alter its organoleptic and physical characteristics (colour).

Organoleptic characteristics: Good body, Low acidity, Velvety aroma.

Maybe it is a feature of the French having planted coffee trees everywhere that their colonial influence was felt. The majority of the production in this country is of robusta coffees, accounting for 96 % of total production, with the vast majority comprising coffee plantations with small production. Nowadays it is the world producer of robusta coffee.

Organoleptic characteristics: Some body, Medium acidity, Strong aroma.

It is a good coffee for blends, serving for all uses.