Coffee doesn’t just appear magically in those fancy bags with letterpress labels and tasting notes that sound like a wine critic having a fever dream.

Coffee grows in places. Real places! With real seasons! And if you want the good stuff – the really good stuff, the kind that makes you question everything you thought you knew about coffee – you need to know when it’s happening. Otherwise, you’re just living in coffee’s past, and nobody wants that. You want to organize your buying based on availability of the latest and the greatest.

I have assembled a breakdown for you. Coffee cultivation spans numerous regions worldwide, each with distinct harvest periods and favoured varietals. Below is a comprehensive overview of continents, major coffee-producing countries, their top varietals, and respective harvest times. This way, you know what to chase and when.

Africa

Ethiopia

• Varietals: Heirloom varieties, including Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, and Harar.
• Harvest Period: October to December.

Kenya

• Varietals: SL28, SL34, K7, and Ruiru 11.
• Harvest Period: Main crop from October to December; fly crop (secondary) from June to August.

Uganda

• Varietals: Robusta and Arabica (Bugisu).
• Harvest Period: October to February in central regions; June to September in western regions.

Tanzania

• Varietals: Bourbon and Kent.
• Harvest Period: June to October.

Rwanda

• Varietals: Bourbon.
• Harvest Period: March to July.

Burundi

• Varietals: Bourbon.
• Harvest Period: March to July.

Central America

Costa Rica

• Varietals: Caturra and Catuai.
• Harvest Period: October to March.

Guatemala

• Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra, and Pache.
• Harvest Period: December to March.

Honduras

• Varietals: Caturra, Bourbon, and Typica.
• Harvest Period: November to April.

Nicaragua

• Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra, and Maragogipe.
• Harvest Period: December to March.

El Salvador

• Varietals: Bourbon, Pacas, and Pacamara.
• Harvest Period: December to March.

Mexico

• Varietals: Typica, Bourbon, and Mundo Novo.
• Harvest Period: November to March.

South America

Brazil

• Varietals: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Mundo Novo.
• Harvest Period: May to September.

Colombia

• Varietals: Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon.
• Harvest Period: Main crop from September to December; mitaca (secondary) crop from April to June.

Peru

• Varietals: Typica, Bourbon, and Caturra.
• Harvest Period: April to September.

Asia

Vietnam

• Varietals: Robusta and Arabica (Catimor).
• Harvest Period: October to December.

Indonesia

• Varietals: Typica, Catimor, and Robusta.
• Harvest Period: Sumatra: October to March; Java: May to September; Sulawesi: May to October.

India

• Varietals: Kent, S795, and Cauvery.
• Harvest Period: Arabica from November to January; Robusta from January to March.

Papua New Guinea

• Varietals: Typica and Bourbon.
• Harvest Period: April to September.

Caribbean

Jamaica

• Varietals: Typica (Jamaican Blue Mountain).
• Harvest Period: September to December.

Cuba

• Varietals: Typica and Bourbon.
• Harvest Period: September to January.

Middle East

Yemen

• Varietals: Heirloom varieties (e.g., Mocha).
• Harvest Period: October to February.

Be sure to bear in mind that harvest periods can vary based on regional climates and specific microclimates within each country. Additionally, the varietals listed are among the most prominent but not exhaustive for each region.

ACTION ITEM
Armed with all this new information, consult with all your favourite roasters to find in advance which varietals they bring in. Then, order in advance and stay ahead of the game!

So, you see what I mean? Just because they all grow in the tropical belt, they don’t all grow the same. In fact, as you see, it’s always harvest time somewhere in the world.

Hopefully, you found this helpful. There’s plenty more coming; so, if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Coffee Authority Weekly because advance knowledge is power! And be sure to comment, friend, follow and like to your networks. Let’s multiplex the knowledge sharing.