The first coffee plants were cultivated only in 1860 in the province of Manabí. Coffea plants quickly spread to all regions of Ecuador. One reason for this was that many farmers had to find an alternative after the majority of cocoa plants fell victim to a disease in the 1920s. Coffee has been exported to Europe since 1905.
Ecuador is one of the few South American countries where, in addition to Arabica, Robusta is also grown in the lower regions near the coast. The Arabicas, on the other hand, are often cultivated on special farms on the slopes of the Andes, which are among the highest coffee-growing areas in the world.
Overall, the body of Ecuadorian coffee is less pronounced with a medium acidity. Taste differences are also formed mainly by the harvest time. The coffee of the first harvest is aromatically mild and has a pleasant, bitter note. In the later harvest, the aromas intensify and the beans develop woody notes.