For over 150 years, Brazil has grown roughly a third of the world's coffee — more than the next two largest producers combined. Unlike Colombia or Ethiopia, where mountainous terrain forces hand-picking, Brazil's relatively flat plateaus allow for large-scale, often mechanized farming, which turned the country into the engine of the global coffee industry.
Cerrado: the signature region
Cerrado Mineiro is one of Brazil's best-known specialty coffee regions — a plateau at moderate altitudes (1100-1200m, lower than Ethiopia or Colombia), with a well-defined dry season climate ideal for precise control over harvesting and drying.
Natural processing: Brazil's signature
Most Brazilian coffee is naturally processed (sun-dried with the fruit's pulp still on), unlike the washed processing dominant in Ethiopia or Colombia. This method gives Brazilian coffee its characteristic profile: pronounced sweetness, full body, and notes of chocolate, nut and caramel — which is why Brazilian beans are the classic choice as the base of many espresso blends.
The Mundo Novo and Catuai varieties
Mundo Novo, a natural cross discovered in Brazil in the early 20th century, and Catuai, derived from it, are among the country's most widely grown varieties — robust, productive plants well suited to Brazil's moderate altitudes.
What you'll find at Cafetăria
- Brazil Cemorrado — Mundo Novo and Catuai varieties, from the Cerrado and Alta Mogiana regions, 1100+m altitude, natural processing, SCA score 82.75. In the cup: pronounced chocolate, with notes of nougat and waffle.
- Brazil Cerrado Decaf — Catuai varietal, NY2 FC grade, from Cerrado Mineiro, processed via the CO₂ Decaf method, which preserves bean flavor without the caffeine. In the cup: velvety profile, with chocolate, cocoa, macadamia and roasted hazelnut, reduced acidity.
For more on natural processing, see our dedicated guide, and for how decaffeination works, see decaf coffee: how it's made and what it tastes like.