Discovering Latin American Coffee: Regions and Pricing Guide

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Latin American Coffee Beans: An Introduction

Latin American coffee beans serve as a land bridge connecting North and South America, encompassing seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. All seven Central American countries produce coffee, with Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras ranking among the world's top ten coffee-exporting nations.

The History of Coffee in Central America

Coffee cultivation in Central America began in the 18th century, with this important economic crop originating in Costa Rica around 1840. After Central America gained independence from Spain in 1821, constant warfare plagued the region. Because Costa Rica was distant from the colonial capital of Guatemala City, it remained unaffected by civil wars, while Guatemala and El Salvador delayed coffee production due to internal conflicts. Later, as political disputes gradually subsided, Central American countries began coffee production in the 19th century, with the exception of Honduras.

Natural Advantages and Economic Impact

Central America possesses natural advantages including abundant sunshine, fertile land, high mountains, and a sufficient labor force, making the region uniquely suited for cultivating high-quality coffee. In the late 19th century, coffee became an indicator of economic growth for Central American countries, all of which passed legislation promoting coffee cultivation. Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala achieved particularly remarkable results, and with technological advances in coffee cultivation, Central America has become one of the world's four major coffee-producing regions.

Characteristics of Latin American Coffee Beans

Costa Rica

The seven main coffee-growing regions are distributed from northwest to southeast along the inland central plateau. Costa Rica's volcanic terrain provides fertile volcanic ash, moderate and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—all factors contributing to coffee becoming one of the country's primary agricultural products.

Since Costa Rica's coffee industry began developing in the mid-18th century, it was the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee, boasting a long history. Consequently, the coffee organizational system from production to sales is well-established. In both quality and quantity, Costa Rica's coffee has consistently received worldwide recognition and has been evaluated as world-class high-quality coffee.

All Costa Rican coffee beans are of the Arabica species. With pure flavor and pleasant aroma, they possess impeccable balance in both acidity and mouthfeel, making them suitable as single-origin coffee or for blending into premium coffee blends.

Costa Rican Coffee Regions

El Salvador

Active volcanic activity has brought mineral-rich volcanic ash to El Salvador. The soil composition, primarily volcanic ash, contains more minerals and less organic matter. Therefore, to maintain soil fertility and compensate for the lack of organic matter, Salvadoran farmers use processed coffee pulp residue or organic matter from under coffee trees as fertilizer to supplement the soil's deficient organic matter, enabling coffee trees to produce better-balanced coffee beans. El Salvador's most significant innovation was introducing organic agriculture to the world, cultivating over 150,000 tons of organic coffee annually.

El Salvador has five main coffee-growing regions (Apaneca, Central Belt, Chichontepec, Tecapa, and Cacahuatique Mountain Range), generally distributed on high mountain slopes or plateau areas above 1,200 meters altitude covered in volcanic ash. November to April of the following year is the coffee harvest season. Since coffee prefers mild climates, Salvadoran coffee trees are mostly grown under tall, shade-providing trees (shade-grown coffee) to avoid excessive temperatures and direct sunlight exposure that could affect coffee bean quality. The coffee beans produced belong to the Arabica species, primarily Pacas and Bourbon varieties, featuring large beans with sweet flavor and excellent taste.

El Salvador Coffee by Altitude

The Ten Elements of Gourmet Coffee

• Must be at least 90% Bourbon, Pacamara, or Maragogipe varieties
• 100% fully mature to wine color
• Manufacturing process separate from other coffees to avoid mixing with inferior coffees and ensure excellent quality
• Washed with clean, fresh water
• 100% sun-dried
• Hand-picked fruit and washing
• Ensure every bean is defect-free
• Green beans must be blue-green
• Proper, safe packaging
• Average moisture content not exceeding 12%

Organic Coffee

Grown completely without pesticides during the entire cultivation process, with every bean certified by international organizations (Organic Crop Improvement Association).

Guatemala

Guatemala, with its seven coffee-producing regions, grows only Arabica coffee beans, all located in highland terrain under subtropical climate conditions. Rich, stable rainfall and fertile volcanic soil create extremely suitable natural environmental conditions for coffee cultivation throughout Guatemala. Each region possesses unique flavors, superior acidity, and fruity, smooth mouthfeel, making it one of the world's top-tier coffees, suitable for single-origin consumption.

Guatemalan Coffee Regions

Honduras

Honduras has 280,000 hectares of coffee plantations, primarily small-scale coffee farmers whose plantations are mostly smaller than 3.5 hectares. These farmers account for 60% of Honduras's production. In the coffee plantations, men and women hand-pick coffee beans, which are then carefully processed and manufactured to meet market demands and satisfy consumers' different tastes. Honduras harvests three million bags of coffee annually, providing the world with perfect coffee and unique coffee aroma. With abundant quantity and excellent quality, it has become Central America's second-largest and world's tenth-largest coffee-exporting country. Honduras's coffee industry affects the livelihoods of 100,000 families, creating one million job opportunities and establishing a permanent economic foundation for Honduras.

Honduran coffee is divided into six major regions, distributed across the west and south: Santa Barbara, El Paraiso, Copan, La Paz, Comayagua, and Olancho, with an average cultivation altitude above 1,100 meters. Coffee varieties are 100% Arabica, with 69% HG grade, 12% SHG, and 19% CS. Main varieties include Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Villa Sarchi, and Lempira. Honduran coffee quality is first-class, and its prices are also the most competitive among Central American countries.

Small, round, slightly blue-green coffee beans with high acidity, full body, and slight sweetness. Suitable for blended coffee or as single-origin coffee. Suitable for medium and dark roasting, mainly exported to the United States, Germany, and Japan.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is mainly divided into four major regions: Segovias, Matagalpa/Jinotega, Boaco, and Pacific Coast. The Segovias region has the highest cultivation altitude at 1,500-2,000 meters, producing the highest quality SHG (Strictly High Grown) coffee.

Widespread volcanic ash and shade-grown cultivation methods produce high-quality Nicaraguan coffee with mild, smooth flavor and slight acidity, suitable for blended coffee. Nicaraguan coffee beans are among the largest of all coffee beans, with the giant beans from the Matagalpa region being particularly distinctive. These giant beans are larger than regular coffee beans, generally called elephant beans, with unique special aromas. Maragogipe coffee has a round texture, while its sister variety Matagalpa contains wild acidity with indescribable fragrance.

Coffee trees in this region are ancient Bourbon varieties, usually grown on mountain slopes at altitudes of 1,200-1,500 meters. They have been certified by OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) as high-altitude quality organic coffee. Nicaraguan coffee is particularly suitable for dark roasting and recommended for brewing espresso.

Panama

Coffee was introduced to Panama in 1780 when Europeans brought the first Typica variety trees.

This mysterious and exotic beverage soon conquered Panamanians' senses, and locals began widespread cultivation. Panama coffee is very smooth, with full, lightweight beans and perfect acidity balance. Its high-quality coffee beans have pure, extremely distinctive flavor, and medium roasting is recommended. Many buyers like to use Panamanian beans for blends, and almost all high-quality coffee beans are exported to France and Finland.

Panamanian Coffee Regions

Belize

Also belonging to the Arabica species, Belizean coffee is organically grown in rainforest regions. Naturally surrounded by rainforests without using any herbicides or pesticides, perfect humidity and temperature nurture Belize's unique coffee. Mild flavor, suitable for medium roasting, appropriate for both blends and single-origin coffee. Due to scarce production, it's not easy to purchase.

Central American Coffee Production

From coffee fruit → planting → approximately 50cm after one year → flowering after three years → green fruit after two months → cherry-colored fruit after 6-7 months → harvesting → soaking → depulping and washing → drying → hulling → bean selection and packaging → professional roasting → grinding → brewing → a cup of fragrant, mellow, exceptionally flavorful Central American coffee.

Production Process Diagram

In recent years, coffee prices have fallen to their lowest point. Especially with Vietnam's massive production under World Bank credit subsidies disrupting market prices, Central and South American coffee farmers have suffered tremendously, threatening to leave coffee trees idle and refuse cultivation if coffee prices cannot rebound to reasonable levels. While lower coffee prices seem like good news for coffee-consuming countries, they may lead to reduced quality in the coffee we drink. Central American coffee is world-class high-quality coffee that deserves thumbs-up appreciation. To continue enjoying better coffee, please support and purchase Central American coffee.

Latin American Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Latin American coffee beans offer full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer excellent value—half-pound (227g) packages cost only 80-100 RMB. Calculating at 15g per cup, one package makes 15 cups, with each cup costing only 5-6 RMB. Compared to café prices often exceeding 100 RMB per cup, this represents a conscientious recommendation.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473