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Central American Coffee Origins: The Soft Fruity Acidity of Honduras Coffee Beans from the Great Blue Hole Diving Paradise

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Honduras Coffee Introduction: Honduras is located in northern Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Gulf of Fonseca in the Pacific Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Nicaragua and El Salvador to the east and south, and adjacent to Guatemala to the west. The terrain consists mostly of mountains and plateaus. It has a tropical climate with high temperatures

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Honduras Coffee

Honduras is located in the northern part of Central America, bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Fonseca in the Pacific Ocean to the south. It shares borders with Nicaragua and El Salvador to the east and south, and with Guatemala to the west. The country is predominantly mountainous and plateau-like. With a tropical climate characterized by mild temperatures and abundant rainfall, it provides ideal conditions for coffee cultivation.

Honduras produces two types of exceptionally high-quality coffee that are highly regarded by coffee enthusiasts. One is "Highland Coffee" grown at elevations between 1,000-1,500 meters, and the other is "Selected Highland Coffee" grown at elevations between 1,500-2,000 meters, representing the highest grade of Honduran coffee. Most Honduran coffee is exported to the United States and Germany.

Honduran coffee beans are characterized by their large, uniform size, consistent shape, and even, glossy color. For harvesting convenience, farmers prune coffee trees to not exceed 150 centimeters in height, as taller trees would require ladders for picking—this would be time-consuming and potentially damage the trees by bending branches. Since each coffee cherry ripens at different times, maintaining high coffee quality requires manual harvesting, followed by selection of only the ripe fruits. Coffee cherries from the same branch often require several weeks to complete the entire harvest.

Honduran coffee can be divided into six major producing regions, primarily located in the western and southern areas: Copan, Opalaca, Montecillos, Comayagua, Agalta Tropical, and El Paraiso. The average cultivation altitude for specialty coffee in these regions is 1,100 meters above sea level. In these areas, 69% of the coffee grown is HG grade, 12% is SHG, and 19% is CS.

The vast majority of coffee varieties cultivated in Honduras are Arabica, predominantly including Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Typica, and the Pacas derivative variety.

Honduran coffee beans are characterized by their large, uniform size, consistent shape, and even, glossy color. The Caturra variety originated in Brazil as a mutation of Bourbon. The Catuai variety originates from Brazil as a hybrid between Mundo Novo and Caturra. Its fruit shape is quite similar to Bourbon, but it yields higher production per plant and offers pleasant acidity in flavor.

Knowledge Point: Honduras has a tropical climate, with its coastal plains experiencing a tropical rainforest climate. The average annual temperature is 23°C, with abundant rainfall—the northern coastal areas and windward mountain slopes receive up to 3,000 millimeters of precipitation annually. These superior natural conditions make it an exceptional coffee-producing region.

In Brief

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