There are 14 major coffee producing regions in Brazil, spread across seven states. So what makes the beans from the Minas Gerais region so good?
Well, for a start, this is actually the largest coffee growing region in Brazil, producing about half of all the coffee beans for the country! The reason why it's so good for coffee is that it is grown at altitudes of between 800m and 1300m, so not quite as high as our beans from Costa Rica but still at a height that produces some fabulous coffee - with tasting notes of caramel and chocolate.
The area also has consistent rainfall, high daytime temperatures, and dry winters, which combine to make the area perfect for coffee growing.
A fun fact is that the beautiful rich soil found in the area is known as Terra Roxa, or “purple earth.” It's not actually purple though, so why is it called that? Local legend has it that all came down to a misinterpretation of language. The Italian immigrants called the land ‘Terra Rossa’ but the locals thought they meant ‘roxa’ (Portuguese for purple) and the name stuck. This is what inspired us to include purple in our Turtlely Awesome Leatherback coffee label, to recognise the delicious beans from this area.
Why not try some for yourself? We use Brazilian beans in our Leatherback blend, and our decaf variety is 100% Brazilian, produced using the Swiss-water method to be 100% chemical free and delicious.
You can also read about Projeto Tamar here - the turtle conservation programme in Brazil that we are supporting with proceeds from our Turtlely Awesome coffee.