Brazil is the giant of the coffee world – the world’s number one coffee producer by sheer volume. As the song first published in 1946, and made famous by Frank Sinatra, goes: “Way down among Brazilians coffee beans grow by the billions… They grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil.” And indeed, they still do.
The estimated crop for 2025/26 is around 62.8 million bags, compared with Vietnam’s 29 million and Colombia’s at 13.2 million. The standard bag of unroasted coffee weighs 60 kilograms. Vietnam produces mainly the Robusta variety, while Brazil and Colombia focus on Arabica.
Brazil’s dominant position in the global coffee league means that whatever happens to its crop reverberates throughout the entire world coffee market. At present, coffee markets are nervous. Like many coffee-producing countries, Brazil is increasingly feeling the effects of climate change. There is also concern over the threat of high tariffs on Brazilian coffee exports to the United States – Brazil’s largest customer – as proposed by Donald Trump.
Coffee is not indigenous to Brazil. The story begins with the Dutch, who gifted a coffee tree to King Louis XIV of France in 1714. Carefully nurtured in a specially constructed greenhouse, the plant flourished. A coffee sapling was then entrusted to Captain Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, who was on leave from Martinique. His mission: to establish coffee cultivation on the island.
The voyage was fraught with peril. Pirates attacked, a fierce storm followed, and when the ship became becalmed, de Clieu shared his own precious drinking water to keep the young plant alive. There was an enemy aboard, intent on sabotaging the mission. Eventually, de Clieu arrived safely, the plant was successfully cultivated, and from Martinique, coffee spread to other French territories in the Americas.
There is another colourful story of how coffee reached Brazil. As coffee drinking rapidly expanded across South America, the Portuguese administration in Brazil sought to join the lucrative trade. They appealed to the governor of neighbouring French Guiana for raw coffee beans, but he refused. Undeterred, Francisco de Melo Palheta was sent as an emissary to settle a border dispute. Not only did he resolve the conflict, but – according to legend – he also seduced the governor’s wife, who secretly gifted him a bouquet laced with coffee seeds. Francisco de Melo Palheta planted the seeds in Parà, Brazil, and they thrived. By 1831, it accounted for 43% of Brazil’s export trade.
Brazil Daterra Bruzzi is a superb example of Brazilian coffee at its best. This Bourbon Arabica is grown by producers committed to sustainable practices. It offers a full-bodied flavour, rich and satisfying, with just a hint of acidity. It makes a great espresso but performs beautifully in all brewing methods.
I hope you enjoy Brazil Daterra Bruzzi and discover its virtues as a breakfast or after-dinner coffee. It is the perfect companion to most foods and makes an excellent treat for a well-earned coffee break.
Sincerely,
Tony Higgins
