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Coffee was first introduced to Colombia around the same time Jesuit priests first began arriving from Europe in the mid 16th century. The leaders of Colombia tried to encouraged people to grow coffee, but they met with resistance. Worried that a coffee tree takes five years to provide its first crop, they wondered how they were going to survive during this period? A priest in a small village named Francisco Romero had an idea, instead of the usual penance at confession, he told them to plant 3 or 4 coffee trees. The Archbishop of Colombia ordered everyone to use this penance thinking it was an excellent idea and it became the general practice. This started Colombia as the worlds second largest coffee producing country built on the penance of its forefathers.

Colombia began exporting coffee and in 1835 exported around 2500 bags to the U.S. By 1875 Colombia was now exporting 170,000 bags to U.S. and Europe. In 1992 exports of coffee topped at 17,000,000 bags, and are currently around 11,000,000 bags per year.

Vietnam has recently taken over from Colombia as the world's second largest coffee producing country but Colombia's coffee still remains some of the best and most well known throughout the world. This is largely due to the very successful marketing campaign created by the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers in 1959. They introduced the world to the fictitious character Juan Valdez. 85% of Americans still associate Juan Valdez with Colombian Coffee.

Colombian coffee is grown at high altitudes and tended to with care intercropped in the shade of banana and rubber trees. Colombian coffee is known to be among the best in the world, with a rich, full-bodied, and perfectly balanced taste. The rich volcanic soil in the arid mountains of Colombia produce ideal conditions for growing high quality coffee. Colombian coffees are grown in two main regions; The region of Medellin, Armenia and Manizales (MAM), in central Colombian are more heavy bodied, rich in flavor with fine, balanced acidity. The area near Bogotá and Bucaramanga which is more mountainous in the east produce an even richer, heavier and less acidic coffee and are the finest of the two regions.

Although Marco Polo was the first European to visit Sumatra in c.1292 it wasn't until 1592 the Dutch started to gain control of native states that this land. About 100 years later the competition to cultivate coffee outside of Arabia was strong, even with the Arabs trying hard to maintain their monopoly on the crop. The Dutch finally managed to obtain seedlings and after a failed attempt in India managed success in growing coffee in Batavia (Jakarta), on the island of Java, which is now called Indonesia. The coffee plants flurished and were soon transported to the nearby islands of Sumatra and Celebes.

In the beginning the Dutch planted and cultivated Arabica coffee but by the turn of that century the Arabica plants were devestated by Coffee Rust. The Dutch response to the Coffee Rust was to import and plant the inferior Liberica coffee. The Liberica coffee bean is larger than Arabica beans but cups more like a Robusta coffee. This variety had a short lived popularity and was also affected by the Coffee Rust. The coffee was then changed again and Robusta was planted which still makes up the majority of coffee produced today.

Natural disaster and desease have played a big part in the history of coffee producting in Sumatra as well as World War II and the regions strugle for independence. During the first part of the 20th century the industry was controlled by the Dutch coffee plantation owners and the Colonial government. Before World War II this region had an extensive rail system to bring coffee and other commodities such as sugar, pepper, tea and tobacco to the port cities. After this region gained independence the coffee industry came under the rule of the new government or were abandoned. Today most of the coffee production is handled by small farms or cooperatives.

Sumatra Mandheling is named for the region of Sumatra outside of Padang in West Sumatra. The name is used as a marketing tool by the coffee producers as no coffee is actually grown in this region. Sumatra Lingtong is named after the Lintong area in North Sumatra where actual coffee is produced.

The birth place of coffee is relatively close to Kenya but getting it there was not an easy task and full of blodshed. The Arabs who controlled coffee enslaved thousands of Kenyan's where they worked on the coffee plantations in Kenya and Arabia. This was followed by the British settlers around 1900 who quickly assumed control over the country which led to more blodshed.

In the first part of the 20th century the interior was settled by British and European farmers who became rich by farming coffee on the backs of the Kenyan workers. By the 19030's the farmers powers had become very stong. Even with over 1 million Kikuyu tribe members calling it home they had now real land claims according to the Europeans. To protect their interest the wealthy Europeans banned them from growing coffee, introduced a hut tax and gave them less and less for their labour. The Kikuyu were forced to leave their land and go to the cities in order to survive. This legal slavery of the population continued until the century until the British relinquished control in 1960. Bespite all this blodshed and slavery Kenya coffee has flourished and is among one of the finest cups in the world.

All Kenya coffee grown is Arabica coffee grown on the rich volcanic soil that is found in the highlands of the country. Today around 250,000 Kenyans are employed in the production of coffee. Most is produced by small land holders that are members of cooperatives that process their own coffee. Still, even with this Kenya coffee's specialty status Kenya coffee farmers still remain among the poorest in the world. In 2001 a farmer producing 1,007 kg crop would only earn £20.14 for his labour, that same coffee is available at specialty stores for $10 + per pound.

Recently Kenya farmers have introduced the Ruiru 11 hybrid plant and it is causing concern amonst true Kenya coffee lovers. This is because it may lack the traditional Kenya coffee atributes that coffee aficionados love. The Kenya Coffee Board is trying to promote Ruiru 11 as an alternative to the farmers but their efforts are overshadowed by the rumors that it tastes like a low grade coffee from a different country. History will have to be the judge to see who is correct

Kenya coffee has a bright acidity and a wonderful sweetness with a dry winy aftertaste. A really good Kenya coffee will also have a black-current flavour and aroma. Some of the worlds finest coffees come from Kenya and as a single origin coffee it wins praise at the cupping table. Kenya has this level of quality through a goverment-run systme that offers rewards to farmers for producing better quality coffee. This policy has lead to steady improvements and consistent improvements in the cups quality. Each lot of Kenya coffee, if it is from a large farm or a small co-op has to undergo rigorous testing for quality by the Coffee Board of Kenya.

Coffee was brought to Costa Rica during the late eighteenth century. Its arrival was discrete, but definite. Coffee cultivation expanded slowly and with the perserance that great work demands, throughout the Central Valley. The brotherhood of coffee farmers gave way to the spirit that made Costa Rica the first Central American country to establish coffee as an industry.

The first export to Panama, in 1820, became the groundbreaking activity that changed the course of the lives. In 1832, Costa Rica was already exporting quality coffee to Chile where it was re-bagged to be sold to England under the brand of “Café Chileno de Valparaíso”.

It was in 1843, when a group of visionary exporters undertook the complex task of exporting coffee directly to London. Thanks to William Le Lacheur Lyon, captain of the English ship, “The Monarch” it was possible to transport several one hundred pound bags to Europe that helped Costa Rican coffeee become world-renowned.

The growing and trading of coffee changed the face of this humble colony. The country was modernized and young Costa Rican intellectuals could now continue their studies in Europe and return as doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs contributing to the improvement of Costa Ricans’ lifestyle.

The economic bounty that coffee production and trade gave birth to, allowed the country to build the first railroads to the Atlantic Coast in 1890, “Ferrocarril al Atlántico”. The awed inhabitants of the capital of Costa Rica, San José, attended the memorable inauguration of the National Theater, seven years later. The National Theater is cradle of Costa Rican culture and a monument to the foresight of the first coffee farmers.

Costa Rica Coffee were made for each other. The soils have a slight degree of acidity enriched by volcanic ashes, rich in organic matter, that promote a good distribution of the coffee plants’ roots, which in turn retains humidity and facilitaters oxygenation. This combination of characteristics invigorates the plant and is one of the many factors that contribute to the quality of Costa Rican Coffee.

Costa Rica produces excellent coffees. Their quality is unsurpassed and, for this reason, it is recommended to taste them unblended in order the uniqueness of their flover. The varieties grown in the country belong to the “Arabica” spezies, which yield a tasty, suberbly aromatic and well-balanced beverage.

Costa Rica is the only country where only the Arabica varieties, by law, may be grown.

The history of Costa Rican coffee production is rich in the development of varieties, which are strong in their constitution and delicate in the quality of their fruit.