Colombian Coffee

Colombian Coffees are thought to have reached Colombia in the 1500s along with Jesuits priests. Export of the first Colombian coffee bean began in 1835 with just over 2000 bags. Now exports of Colombian coffee beans worldwide are in the millions, making up about 11-14% of the worlds production. You can find mainly Maragogype, Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon cultivars grown in Colombia today. While Brazilian coffee is #1 volume-wise, and Colombian had held the #2 spot for a long time, recently Vietnam slipped in ahead of Colombia pushing it to the #3 spot. Of course Vietnamese coffee is the lower quality robusta, so the quality difference of beans is clear. I would much rather have a cup of Colombia coffee than Vietnamese robusta coffee any day.

Sometimes incorrectly spelled Columbian coffee or Columbia coffee, it is known for perfect balance and heavy body. Exclusively arabica coffee, it is grown at high altitudes, in the shade of native trees. The volcanic soil and dry climate provide excellent growing conditions.
There are two main coffee growing regions in Colombia: the Central Region and the Eastern Region. The Central Region of Colombia is known as "MAM". MAM stands for Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales. The Eastern Region of Colombia is a mountainous area around Bogotá and Bucaramanga. They are all known for a heavy body and richness, but the Eastern Region tends to have lower acidity than the MAM area.