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Plantations

The most treasured coffee plant:
Coffea arabica.

This is where our journey through the plantations begins: with the coffee plant itself. The Arabica shrub is the most treasured species of coffee plant as it is extremely delicate and therefore requires an environment with highly specific geographic and climatic features in order to grow and retain its sweet, highly aromatic flavour. The Robusta species, on the other hand, produces a much less aromatic coffee than that made from Arabica, characterised by a marked bitter taste.
That’s why we have always chosen Arabica for our coffee here at illy, selecting the 9 finest Arabica varieties in the world.

Understanding and cooperation: the illy value chain.

To bring you a coffee with the very best sensory characteristics, it is essential to start with a thorough understanding of the raw material, as well as a relationship based on trust and cooperation with those who transform the simple coffee beans into a taste experience. Our value chain starts here: developing a relationship built on trust and respect with our growers, agronomists, technicians and researchers, so that we can work together to build a genuine community and a culture of excellence.

A different coffee in every country.

Our coffee comes from territories that are different from each other in terms of their geographic characteristics, their climate, and their crop types. The 9 fine Arabica coffees chosen by us come from the Coffee Belt: the ring around the middle of the earth, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, encompassing countries with tropical climates.

Central and Latin America

are known for their sweet Arabica coffee, with a light body and acidic notes produced using special growing techniques and harvested manually. In Guatemala, for example, we find a particularly sweet coffee distinctive for its notes of chocolate.

Asia

where the production of Arabica coffee is concentrated mainly in Indonesia and India, offers up a full-bodied coffee with a pleasant hint of bitterness and an aroma reminiscent of spices.

AFRICA

or more specifically Ethiopia, is the birthplace of coffee. It yields one of the most distinctive coffee crops in the world, thanks to its floral aromas and hints of jasmine, orange blossom and chamomile. Kenya, on the other hand, produces less coffee than other countries but makes up for this with an exceptionally high-quality Arabica, thanks to its temperate and stable climate.

South America

is home to the country that enjoys the title of the world’s largest coffee-producer: Brazil. The taste of its coffee is a balancing act between acidity and bitterness, featuring unmistakable notes of caramel and dried fruit. Next comes Colombia, which produces almost 12 million bags per year, representing about 10% of the Arabica coffee grown in the world. Its coffee has a sweet and delicate taste.