Coffee grows in the mountains at altitudes as high as 2000 meters above the sea level, close to the equatorial line, in a rich, volcanic soil. This coffee is called Colombian milds.
It is regarded as having a high acidity (brightness), fruity aroma and medium and balanced body, therefore making it the best coffee. It is also the most expensive and best selling coffee in the world.
The way the plantation is set or how the green coffee beans are picked also make a difference in taste. The coffee production depends mainly on the weather because if it rains then the coffee is not going to be picked up on time.
The way the coffee is harvest in Colombia also makes a big difference. Working in a coffee plantation is a hard job. The farmers pick the coffee berries by hand, one cherry a time, selecting only the ripe ones. The level of maturity of beans is one of the criteria on grading coffee.
After the harvest is picked, a second selection takes place, again by hand, in which they separate the good beans from the defective ones.
The post harvesting process refers to the series of activities that are necessary in order to reach a certain quality of beans.
Colombian coffee is processed by a method called "wet beneficio" (hence the name washed arabica), that includes depulping, fermentation, washing and drying the coffee beans. Then the coffee beans are separated by size and density, packed and sold.
