Introduction to Crystal Mountain: One of Cuba's Three Major Coffee Brands - Where is Crystal Mountain Located?

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Cuba's Rich Coffee Heritage

Cuba, located in the Caribbean Sea, is an island nation under communist rule with its capital in Havana. Besides its world-renowned white beaches and cigar tobacco, Cuba also produces exceptional coffee. Cuba has a quite long history of coffee cultivation - José Antonio Gelabert introduced the first coffee plantation to Cuba in 1748. In 1791, during the Haitian Revolution when slavery was abolished, French colonists fled to Cuba, bringing superior coffee production methods with them. Before the Castro era, Cuba's coffee industry flourished, with coffee beans once ranking first in national exports, even surpassing the essential "sugar." In the mid-1950s, Cuba exported over 20,000 metric tons (22,046 short tons) of coffee beans annually, all sold at premium prices, with most coffee exported to Europe, particularly the Netherlands and Germany. In the late 19th century, factors such as government policies and international political turmoil caused local coffee prices to plummet, leading farmers to switch to other crops.

Where is Crystal Mountain?

"Crystal Mountain" is not actually a coffee growing region name in Cuba - "Crystal Mountain" is the highest grade in Cuba's official coffee association grading system! The Cuban Coffee Association classifies coffee beans into nine grades based on bean size and flavor: Crystal Mountain (highest), Extra Turquino, Turquino, Altura, Montana, Cumbre, Serrano Superior, Serrano Corriente, and Caracolillo.

Today, most coffee plantations in Cuba are state-owned. However, in 1990, the government released some land allowing original coffee farmers to cultivate again, but current coffee production still doesn't match previous years. Crystal Mountain production is extremely scarce, and the coastal areas are frequently hit by hurricanes, causing supply shortages. Cuban coffee is mainly sold to Japan and France, with Japan almost monopolizing the highest quality Crystal Mountain, making it rare to obtain high-quality Cuban coffee.

Cuba's coffee growing areas are divided into three major regions, all cultivated on mountain slopes and valleys at elevations between 1000-2000 meters. The eastern region, primarily Santiago de Cuba and Granma, accounts for up to 70% of national production. The central region, including Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus, makes up 20%, while the western region of Pinar del Rio represents 10%. These areas provide quite comfortable growing conditions for coffee beans, with average temperatures of 21°C in winter and 25°C in summer, moderate rainfall, evenly distributed humidity throughout the year, and deep, fertile soil. All cultivation is of Arabica varieties, primarily Typica. In 2000, UNESCO designated the Santiago and Guantanamo coffee producing areas as World Heritage Sites.

Cuban Crystal Mountain Coffee Profile

Cuban Crystal Mountain coffee is a typical island coffee, characterized by clean flavor, delicate taste, mild acidity that isn't sharp, revealing a special sweet flavor that is very charming.

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473