| Colombian Coffee is grown at high altitudes and | | | | peaked in 1992 at around 17 million bags. Today, |
| tended with painstaking care in the shade of banana | | | | Colombian coffee exports are around 10 million bags |
| and rubber trees. This coffee is among the best in the | | | | per year. |
| world, rich, full-bodied, and perfectly balanced. Coffea | | | | For many decades Colombia was the world's second |
| Arabica L., more commonly known as the Arabica | | | | leading producer of coffee behind Brazil. Recently, |
| bean, prefers higher altitudes and drier climates than its | | | | Vietnam surpassed Colombia in coffee exports to |
| cousin, the lower quality Robusta bean (C. Robusta). | | | | take the number two seat and move Colombia into a |
| Therefore, the arid mountains and the well-drained, rich | | | | close third. However, the old adage of quality over |
| volcanic soil of Colombia provide ideal conditions for | | | | quantity certainly applies here. |
| growing high quality coffee. | | | | The Arabica bean does not grow well in Vietnam. Only |
| Colombian coffee is grown in two main regions, the | | | | the hearty, yet inferior, Robusta is suited for the low, |
| central region around Medellin, Armenia and Manizales, | | | | wet climate of Vietnam. Colombian coffee is far |
| known as MAM to aficionados, and the eastern, more | | | | superior and is considered by many coffee experts to |
| mountainous region near Bogotá and | | | | be the finest in the world. |
| Bucaramanga. MAM varietals are known for their | | | | Any discussion on Colombian coffee would not be |
| heavy body, rich flavor and fine, balanced acidity while | | | | complete without mentioning the wildly successful |
| the mountain grown eastern beans produce an even | | | | marketing campaign created by the National |
| richer, heavier, less acidic coffee. The finest Colombian | | | | Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers in 1959 |
| coffee comes from this region. | | | | which introduced the world to the friendly and affable |
| It is not known for sure when coffee first reached | | | | Juan Valdez. Though a fictitious character, the poncho |
| Colombia but many historians believe it to be around | | | | clad, sombrero wearing Juan Valdez gave a face to |
| the same time Jesuit priests first began arriving from | | | | the humble coffee picker and created a mystique and |
| Europe in the mid 16th century. The first exports of | | | | aura of romance that still survives today. |
| coffee from Colombia began in 1835 when around | | | | A recent survey reported that 85% of Americans still |
| 2500 bags were exported to the U.S. | | | | associate the name Juan Valdez with Colombian |
| By 1875 170,000 bags were leaving the country bound | | | | coffee. Quite an accomplishment, especially |
| for the U.S. and Europe. The exports grew | | | | considering that only 75% acknowledged recognizing |
| exponentially over the next hundred years or so and | | | | the name Dan Quayle. |