Which country produces the world’s best coffee? Colombia is probably at the top of any list because, unlike other exporting countries, its coffee producers concentrate on quality rather than quantity.

Colombia is able to produce such incredible coffee because of its high mountain tropical weather, cleaning process and manual selection of the coffee grains.

It was also the country to create a coffee brand identity with the 1927 creation of the fictional character Juan Valdez — a smiling, hard-working, farmer accompanied by his trusty mule — which became one of the three most recognized Latin American figures worldwide during the 1970s and 80s.

In addition to creating customized tours of the coffee country, Colombian Journeys offers these fun facts about Colombian coffee:

  • 98% of Colombian households drink coffee.
  • The coffee produced in Colombia comes from the Arabic variety that originated in Ethiopia.
  • Colombia celebrates National Coffee Day on June 27th.
  • Aside from traditional coffee regions like Manizales (Caldas), Pereira (Risaralda) and Armenia (Quindío), coffee is also produced in regions such as Huila, Cauca and Nariño.
  • Colombia’s Coffee Cultural Landscape, with its 47 municipalities and 411 villages, was declared as Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2011.
  • Moderate consumption of coffee has health benefits (including longevity) due to its antioxidants. It improves brain function and cognitive aspects, increases metabolism by 3-5 percent and some studies suggest that coffee may help improve physical performance.

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