Origins and flavour

Where a coffee was grown is often the first thing printed on the bag, and with good reason. Origin, altitude and processing set the flavours a roaster has to work with.

Why origin matters

Coffee grows in a band around the equator, and each region brings its own soil, climate and varieties. These are broad tendencies rather than rules, and a single farm can break them all, but they are a useful map when you are choosing a bag.

Africa

Ethiopia, where coffee comes from, is known for floral and fruity coffees: jasmine, bergamot, blueberry and lemon. Kenyan coffees are bright and juicy, often with blackcurrant and a crisp, wine-like acidity. Rwanda and Burundi offer red fruit and a clean sweetness.

The Americas

Colombia and Central America (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras) tend towards balance: caramel, red apple, citrus and chocolate, with medium acidity and body. Brazil, the world's largest producer, is usually nutty and chocolatey with low acidity, which makes it a common base for espresso blends.

Asia and the Pacific

Sumatran coffees are often earthy, herbal and spicy, with a heavy body and low acidity. Coffees from Papua New Guinea and Yunnan in China sit between the earthy and the fruity, and are worth trying if you find most single origins too bright.

Processing and altitude

After picking, the coffee cherry has to be removed from the seed. Washed coffees have the fruit removed before drying and taste clean and bright. Natural coffees dry inside the whole cherry and taste fruitier and heavier, sometimes jammy. Honey processing sits in between.

Higher altitudes slow the cherry's growth, which usually means denser beans and more complex acidity. Many bags list the altitude in metres above sea level.

• Washed: clean, bright, crisp
• Natural: fruity, sweet, fuller body
• Honey: a balance of the two

Recording origin in Caffèdex

The origin field is free text, so write it as the bag or menu gives it, from the country down to the farm if you know it: Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe, or Colombia, Huila. Add the process and altitude to your tasting notes. Comparing your acidity and body sliders across origins is one of the quickest ways to learn what you like.