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Coffee, like wine and cheese, is so much more than just its finished product. It takes a lot of time to make a good cup of coffee, and most of that time is actually spent by people you’ll never met, cultivating the coffee beans out in fields on mountain ranges as far away as Columbia, Java, and even Kenya.

Yes, what really makes coffee taste great are the beans themselves, or the special regions in countries around the world where the weather gets together to create the perfect growing environment. To learn a little bit more about the world’s different coffee producing regions, as well as the most popular beans, you needn’t look any further than this handy guide, which will teach you how to make the best possible pot of coffee around just by learning which brands to select.

Sulawesi Toraja Kalossi One of the most popular and rare varieties of Arabica coffee around, these coffee beans grow at extremely high altitudes on the island of Sulawesi. The coffee is full-bodied, slightly more acidic than the similar Sumatra blend, and known for its fruit and dark chocolate undertones. As far as Malaysian coffee goes, this is one of the finest beans coming out of the area, and it commands high prices.

Colombian Coffee One of the biggest producers of coffee beans is Columbia, a country with a perfect environment for growing different varieties of Arabica beans, like Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon. The coffee grown in Columbia is imported by many countries around the world, like Japan, The United States, Australia, and Holland. Initially, harvested beans were roasted with charcoal in saucepans at the very beginning of Columbia’s long-going historical trade and harvesting.

Ethiopian Harrar One of the oldest coffee beans used, Harrar coffee beans grow only in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia, and require sorting and processing done entirely by hand, due to the brittle nature of the bean. The bean itself is medium in size, but has a distinct flavor that most people compare to an expensive glass of fruity red wine. The aroma is equally pleasant, and Ethiopian Harrar beans are sold in many gourmet stores around the world.

Lavazza Espresso pods Some companies are so well-known for their coffee that they manage to employ their own growers around the world to create the product for them. A look at once such enterprise is world-famous providers of Italian coffee, Lavazza, whose different varieties are sold worldwide. Since the early 1900s, the company has imported beans specially grown for them from countries around the world, including Vietnam, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Indonesia. A delicate mixture of these different varieties, as well as the blending of different types of coffee beans that come from different soils and weather patterns, leads to a complex and delicious tasting coffee.

In recent years, a growing movement for fair-trade coffee has made regular consumers aware that the beans they enjoy don’t always come from people who are being fairly compensated for their hours toiling in the fields. In fact, harvesting coffee beans, whether you’re on a hillside in Kenya or the jungle in Columbia, is extremely hard work, and it definitely deserves a fair wage. The best way, therefore, to buy coffee a lot of the time is by going through these fair-trade groups.

Now that you know the history of some of the world’s more popular types of coffee, including the coffee beans they’re made from, you can hold your own at a number of dinner conversations, as well as make a more informed choice in the grocery store. Best of all, you’ll be able to choose beans that lead to a greater cup of morning coffee, for yourself and your family.