The Ultimate Food and Coffee Pairing Chart

By the foodtv.ca Editorial Team
Houseware Items
A guide to the characteristics of coffee from various regions of the world and the ideal food pairs for each flavour of coffee

Regional Characteristics:

Region 1	Latin America
Area	Central and South America, Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico
Acidity	Medium to high
Body	Light
Flavour	Well-balanced, sweet, intense, tangy
Recommended	Roast mild to medium,to preserve the brightness of the bean without introducing bitterness
Accompaniment	Breakfast, toast, muffins
Region 2	Africa/Arabia
Area	African continent, Middle-east, Arabia
Acidity	Medium
Body	Medium, syrupy
Flavour	Spicy, wine-like, cocoa, citrus fruits and berries, wild
Recommended	Spicy, wine-like, cocoa, citrus fruits and berries, wild Roast Dark
Accompaniment	Milk chocolate, cheesecake
Region 3	Asia-Indo-Pacific
Area	Asia, Indonesia and surrounding pacific islands
Acidity	Low
Body	Bold, strong, heavy
Flavour	Powerful, robust, earthy, smooth, flowery, robust, hearty, bitter tones
Recommended	Roast dark to very dark
Accompaniment	Dark chocolate, rich desserts, caramel

Try it today:

REGION	ACIDITY	BODY	AROMA	FLAVOUR	ROAST	FOOD PAIRINGS
Brazilian	Mild	Medium	Complex	Dry, spicy, sweet, lingering	Medium to Dark	Almond biscotti or buttery shortbread
Colombian	Medium	Strong	Medium-Full	Heady, full rich, sweet, caramel	Medium	Carrot cake or zucchini nut bread
Costa Rican	Subtle, Fine, Distinctive	Full	Fragrant	Rich, smooth, sweet, delicate, smoky	Medium to Dark	Lightly flavoured baked items or fruit muffins
Ethiopian	Mild-Medium	Full	Complex, Cinnamon, Grassy, Pungent	Rich, spicy, gamey, hints of cocoa and wine	Medium	Lemons or lemongrass dishes, like Thai curry soup with lemongrass, lemon chicken, lemon bars
Guatemalan	Medium-High	Heavy	Lively	Rich, chocolatey, soft, mild, subtle, smoky	Medium to Dark	Sliced Apples Dipped in Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Cake
Haitian	Mild	Heavy	Faintly Sweet	Full, winy, sweet, rich, mellow	Dark	Fresh peach scones, apricot linzer torte, fruit tarts, berry or apricot pie
Hawaiian Kona	Medium-High	Medium	Fragrant	Very aromatic, Spicy - cinnamon, cloves Rich, winy	Medium to Light	Oatmeal, oatmeal cookies, coffee cake, maple bars
Jamaican	Rich	Full	Good	Perfectly balanced, pleasant, lingering	Medium	Blueberry coffee cake, doughnuts, or biscotti
Java	High	Medium-Heavy	Spicy	Exotic, smooth, mellow, musty, smoky, winy	Medium	Soft cheeses and sautéed mushrooms, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil on toasted French bread
Kenyan	High	Medium	Fragrant	Intense, floral, winy, lemony	Medium to Dark	Fresh fruit or currant scones, berry tarts
Mexican	Low-Medium	Delicate	Medium-Light, Smooth	Faint, thin, dry, sweet, hazelnut	Medium to Light	Citrus scones or muffins
Nicaraguan	Low-Medium	Light	Faint	Mild, pleasant	Medium to Light	Oatmeal, oatmeal cookies, coffee cake, maple bars
Sumatran	Medium	Full, Heavy, Velvety	Smoky	Exotic, earthy, musty, natural	Dark	Sautéed mushrooms, roast beef, hash browns, potatoes gratin
Tanzanian Kilimanjara	Delicate	Good	Good	Rich	Medium to Dark	Fresh peach scones, apricot linzer torte, fruit tarts, berry or apricot pie
Yemeni	Delicate	Medium	Fragrant	Dry, sweet, mild, wine	Medium	Baba ghanoush and pita bread, rice pilaf, chocolate covered blueberries