You have seen the name on a coffee menu or a bag label, and you are not sure what it means. Ombligón is a rare arabica coffee variety grown in Huila, in south-west Colombia. Its name comes from the Spanish word for navel, and nobody yet knows for certain where it came from.

What is Ombligón coffee?

Ombligón is a variety of Coffea arabica. A 2024 genome study describes arabica as the species behind the most broadly appreciated coffee. A variety is a particular type of coffee plant, much as Granny Smith is a particular type of apple. Each one grows, yields and tastes a little differently.

The name comes from ombligo, Spanish for navel or belly button. According to reporting in Perfect Daily Grind, it refers to the variety's characteristic shape. When that piece was written in 2023, Ombligón was reported to grow only in Huila.

Where does Ombligón come from?

The short answer is that nobody knows yet. Its exact origin is unknown, and we have not found a published genetic study of it.

There are two main theories among people who work with it. Some believe it descends from an Ethiopian heirloom coffee and arose as a natural mutation. Many Colombian coffee professionals think it may be a mutation of Bourbon, Pacamara or Castillo, varieties already grown in the country. Both are opinions from the field, not confirmed facts.

There is a good reason to be careful here. Arabica has very little genetic diversity. A 2020 study in Scientific Reports, which genotyped 736 arabica samples, traced this to a single origin event that left the whole species with a narrow genetic base. A 2024 study in Nature Genetics found that most modern arabica cultivars descend from just two historical lines, Typica and Bourbon. Names on farms are not always reliable either. When World Coffee Research and its partners DNA-tested 2,533 arabica samples, only 39% of trees sold as Gesha matched the reference variety. So a new name in the field is not proof of a new genetic line. Until Ombligón is tested, its family tree is a question, not a fact.

What is the plant like?

Growers describe Ombligón as similar to Caturra, another arabica variety. It is reported to have wide leaves, cherries that grow close together on the branch, upright branches and high yields. In Huila, it is usually grown between 1,600 and 1,800 metres above sea level.

The beans are large and dense. Producers report fewer floaters when the cherries are sorted in water, and say that pulping machines may need adjusting so the big beans do not chip.

What does Ombligón taste like?

Ombligón has earned its reputation in the cup. Tasters describe fruit, from red berries to tropical notes, often with a sweet, chocolatey side.

Variety is only part of the story, though. How the cherries are picked, processed and dried shapes the flavour too, so two Ombligóns from different farms can taste quite different.

Our Ombligón: Flight 001

Our Flight 001 is an Ombligón from Finca Motta, a 4.6-hectare farm in Acevedo, Huila, where Jefferson Adrián Motta grows it at 1,700 metres. Only ripe cherries are handpicked. The coffee is processed using the yellow honey method, which leaves part of the fruit on the bean as it dries slowly on raised beds. In the cup it is coconut, clean and sweet.

Flight 001 is a small numbered run of 98 bags of 200g. Once it is sold out, it is gone.

You will also find Ombligón in our Strawberry Chocolate blend, where a submerged fermentation Ombligón from Finca Anaya, Colombia, is paired with a chocolatey Brazilian coffee. It is smooth, sweet and low in acidity, with a syrupy finish.

Why we chose it

When we choose a coffee, we look at traceability, agricultural practices and clarity of flavour. Above all, the cup has to be memorable. We choose the green coffee, roast each lot to its own profile, rest it and taste every batch before release. From roastery to cup, every decision is ours.

If you want a simple way to judge any coffee you buy online, including this one, our guide on how to choose specialty coffee online walks through what to look for.

Where to try it

We ship across Spain, Europe and the UK. You can see our full range on our coffee page.

If you are in Alicante, you can taste our coffee at Swallow Specialty Coffee, Plaza del Carmen 13, Alicante, in the Casco Antiguo. We are open every day from 08:30 to 16:30, and you can find us here.

Sources

  • Thomas Wensma, "What is Ombligon coffee and could it become more popular?", Perfect Daily Grind, 2023. perfectdailygrind.com
  • Scalabrin et al., "A single polyploidization event at the origin of the tetraploid genome of Coffea arabica is responsible for the extremely low genetic variation in wild and cultivated germplasm", Scientific Reports, 2020. nature.com
  • Salojärvi et al., "The genome and population genomics of allopolyploid Coffea arabica reveal the diversification history of modern coffee cultivars", Nature Genetics, 2024. nature.com
  • Pruvot-Woehl et al., "Authentication of Coffea arabica Varieties through DNA Fingerprinting and its Significance for the Coffee Sector", Journal of AOAC International, 2020. academic.oup.com