Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee, and also one of the most interesting examples of how coffee can be a driving factor in the development of a country.
Single origin coffee from Brazil is known for its chocolaty flavor and lower acidity, although the country is so vast that it’s not difficult to find varieties that stray off this path.
Brazilian coffee can usually take dark roasts without turning exceedingly bitter, making it ideal for high-quality espresso blends.
An Interesting Origin Story
Coffee is so tightly interwoven with the culture of contemporary Brazil that it’s hard to imagine a time when this association didn’t exist. Coffee arrived in Brazil in 1727, an event that would change forever the history of both the country and the crop. The story is worth telling, as it includes international intrigue and a dose of swashbuckling dare.
By the 19th century, coffee was already a crop of great commercial value. But the Brazilians had a problem: they didn’t have any coffee plants. To change things, they tasked Francisco de Melo Palheta, a captain and explorer, with getting hold of a coffee plant cutting from the Caribbean, where coffee production was burgeoning thanks to plants brought from France.
A Small Gift that Changed History
Now, by 1727 Melo Palheta had already captained an expedition to the Madeira river, so the mission was right up his alley. During a new expedition that reached French Guayana, Melo Palheta found the chance to fulfill his mission. According to legend, the captain seduced the wife of the governor and French Guyana and got a coffee plan cutting concealed within a bouquet of flowers, a small gift that would change forever Brazil’s history.
This is no exaggeration. The influence that coffee has had on Brazilian society and culture cannot be overstated. Brazilian coffee estates were originally fueled by slave labor, but in the early 19th century they were replaced in some areas with poor European immigrants from Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The impact of these two realities (slavery and European immigration) can still be felt in today’s Brazil.
Brazilians classify their coffee according to seven categories that reflect the overall quality of the beverage:
- Mole (Soft): Has a sweet, soft, pleasant flavor.
- Estritamente mole (Strictly soft): Presents all the characteristics of “mole” coffee, but to a more intense degree.
- Apenas mole (Hardly soft): Soft to the palate, but of inferior quality than the previous two.
- Duro (Hard): Of astringent taste and rugged flavor.
- Riada: With a slight taste of iodoform and phenolic acid.
- Rio: Coffee with a strong and unpleasant flavor.
- Rio zona: “intolerable” to the palate and nose.
EcoDelight, High-Quality Single Origin Coffee from Brazil in San Jose, California
At EcoDelight, we are high-quality single origin roasters in San Jose, California. With the accumulated experience of five generations of coffee producers behind us, we are the ideal choice when it comes to single origin coffee in the Bay Area.
We offer a wide array of single origin coffee to satisfy the most discerning tastes:
- Brazil: From Minas Gerais. Good body, low acidity, long and sweet aftertaste.
- Costa Rica: From Tarrazu. With full body, tingles with acidity.
- Mexico: From Chiapas. Delicate in body, pleasantly dry.
- El Salvador: From Apaneca. Creamy body with hints of caramel and tropical fruits.
- Guatemala: From Huehuetenango. Full in body, with a characteristic smoky flavor.
- Sumatra: From Mandheling. Good body, with long and sweet aftertaste.
- Nicaragua: From Jinotega-Matagalpa. Medium-to-light body with a delicate taste.
- Colombia: From Medellin. Heady aroma, full body, and mellow, clean flavor.
- Ethiopia: From Sidamo. Good body, long and sweet aftertaste with aromas of caramel, walnuts, and honey.
Contact us today by telephone (707-344-3316), email (guillermo@ecodelightcoffee.com), or through our social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter) to place a custom order, become a distributor, or learn more about our passion for all things coffee.
