Mexican Coffee Growing Regions Flavor Characteristics of Mexican Organically Grown and Decaffeinated Coffee Beans

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While Mexican coffee may be less prevalent in the Asian coffee market, Mexico stands as the primary coffee supplier in North America. Mexico's high altitude and volcanic soil cultivate the mild and delicate flavors characteristic of Mexican coffee. As coffee bean research enthusiasts, FrontStreet Coffee strives to acquire coffee beans from every region for roasting, cupping, and brewing research. Mexican coffee beans naturally became one of FrontStreet Coffee's research subjects.

Mexican Geography

Mexico is located in North America, bordered to the north by the United States, to the southeast by Guatemala and Belize, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The capital is Mexico City. Mexico faces the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea to the east, opening to the Atlantic Ocean. Coastal areas are coastal plains, while the central region consists of plateaus and mountains, including many volcanoes. Coffee growing regions are situated at 1100-1700m altitude. FrontStreet Coffee believes that high altitude cultivation in volcanic soil is the key to creating the rich, balanced coffee flavors of Mexican coffee.

Cultivation History

Coffee arrived relatively late in Mexico. In the latter half of the 18th century, Spanish immigrants brought coffee trees from the Caribbean islands of Cuba and the Dominican Republic. However, commercial coffee cultivation didn't begin until the 1790s, when Germans and Italians immigrated to Mexico from Guatemala and Central America, establishing the first coffee plantations in Veracruz.

Mexico has maintained its small farmer tradition. Following agrarian reforms after the Mexican Revolution, indigenous people and farmers could own small plots of land for self-sufficiency. The 1970s-1980s marked the golden age of Mexican coffee. Mexican coffee yields approximately 630 kilograms per hectare, with Mexico producing about 5 million bags of coffee annually, making it the world's fourth-largest coffee-producing country. Most of this coffee is produced by nearly 100,000 small-scale farmers.

In 1973, the Mexican Coffee Institute (Instituto Mexicano del Cafe, abbreviated as Inmecafe) was established and controlled the coffee industry. The Coffee Institute controlled both coffee cultivation and the market for exportable coffee beans. The institute provided farmers with minimum purchase prices, technical advice, and other assistance. However, since 1991, the Coffee Institute's activities have diminished, and its functions may further weaken.

Organic Cultivation

Organic coffee can be described as conscientious coffee, emphasizing the non-use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, instead using organic fertilizers, kitchen waste, and compost. It utilizes ancient shade-growing methods, which coincidentally are the preferred cultivation method for ancient Typica and Bourbon coffee trees. However, organic cultivation costs are high, resulting in relatively lower yields.

From the moment coffee seeds are buried in the soil, no chemical materials are used - they rely solely on natural conditions for growth. Additionally, all cultivation and production processes must undergo strict control, supervision, and certification by professional organizations to become truly organic coffee. The organic coffee certification process is quite lengthy, taking approximately three years. Therefore, when coffee growers decide to pursue organic certification, it signifies the beginning of a time-consuming and financially demanding investment. Mexico is the world's largest producer of organic coffee.

Coffee Growing Regions

At the northernmost edge of the coffee production belt, Mexican coffee regions extend from Coatepec and Veracruz in the north, to the Pluma coffee in the Oaxaca region in the central area, and to the Chiapas highlands in the south, bordering Guatemala's Huehuetenango region. The vast majority of Mexican coffee is washed Arabica, characterized by its very rich, distinctive aroma, somewhat resembling over-fermented fruit fragrance. The small round beans from Chiapas in Mexico's southernmost region have a mild, delicate taste and very special aroma.

Coatepec:

Altitude: 1200-1500m, primarily cultivating Bourbon and Typica varieties. The flavor is sweet and fragrant, with slight grassy notes, mild acidity, and medium viscosity with oily texture.

Huatusco:

Altitude: 1200-1500m, featuring slight plum acidity, rich caramel sweetness, and a finish with rich dark chocolate.

Pluma from Oaxaca:

Most farmers in the Oaxaca region own less than 2 hectares of land and are part of several large cooperatives. Additionally, there are some larger estates, some of which have developed diversified tourism. Altitude: 900-1700m, harvest season: December-March, cultivating Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Maragogype. It also produces premium coffee beans, with naturally grown Pluma Coixtepec coffee beans being among the finest. It also produces Altura Orizaba coffee and Altura Huatusco coffee.

Chiapas:

Chiapas is an important premium coffee-producing region in Mexico, with most premium beans grown primarily in high-altitude areas. Many high-altitude organic Mexican coffee beans are cultivated by indigenous people, who have formed numerous cooperatives to obtain assistance from foreign organizations, secure better prices, and promote advances in coffee cultivation techniques. They also use organic cultivation methods to grow coffee.

Chiapas altitude: 1100-1400 meters, harvest period: December-April. In the early 1990s, the southern state of Chiapas became Mexico's most important coffee-producing region, producing approximately 275,000 tons of coffee annually, accounting for 45% of the country's production. Over two million Mexicans depend on coffee for their livelihood. 75% of Mexican coffee farmers work on land smaller than two hectares. These small farmers produce approximately 30% of the country's coffee annually, with the remainder produced by large or higher-yield farms.

Chiapas coffee has moderate body, with a mild yet fresh-sweet flavor. The dry aroma carries notes of banana and cocoa nuts, while the wet aroma has distinct honey-like sweetness and aromas of walnut and marzipan. The most prominent taste characteristic is its sugarcane-like flavor. If roasted lightly, subtle lemon notes can also be detected. The finish is mild but somewhat short, making it a light, sweet, and approachable coffee.

Coffee Cultivation Varieties

The prevailing method of coffee cultivation among indigenous people is traditional agroforestry intercropping, with coffee grown among various native trees in a near-forest ecosystem. The main varieties are Bourbon, Caturra, and Typica, along with Maragogype (elephant beans) and Criollo.

Typica and Bourbon both belong to ancient Arabica coffee varieties, loved for their rich fruit acidity and excellent flavor quality.

Caturra is a single-gene variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. It has higher yield and disease resistance than Bourbon, with shorter plants that facilitate harvesting. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it faces the cyclical problem of yield fluctuations every two years.

Criollo is a natural mutation of Typica, commonly found in countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico. Some coffee-growing countries in Latin America also refer to Typica as "Criollo." Criollo can be considered a localized version of Typica.

Some believe the best Maragogype beans are produced in Mexico rather than Guatemala, but the supply and quality of beans from both regions can vary. Maragogype beans are large in size, producing coffee that is smooth, rich, and aromatically appealing.

Coffee Processing Methods

Most Mexican coffee beans are processed using the washed method. Harvested cherries are processed through a depulper to separate most of the fruit pulp from the coffee beans. The parchment beans are then directed to a clean water tank, where they soak in water for fermentation to completely remove the remaining pulp layer. In the past (about five years ago), the washed method was often the preferred processing method for quality coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed processing produces coffee with more pronounced acidity, better cleanliness, medium mouthfeel, and most consistent green bean quality. The most significant characteristic of washed processed roasted beans is the retention of a clear silver skin midline.

Coffee Bean Grading

Mexico shares the same grading system as Guatemala and Costa Rica.

SHB = Strictly Hard Bean
GHB = Good Hard Bean
HB = Hard Bean
Pacific = Standard Grade

As mentioned above, FrontStreet Coffee acquired Mexican coffee beans for research, and this particular batch is especially unique - Mexican decaf coffee beans.

Origin: Mexico
Region: Chiapas
Altitude: 900-1500 meters
Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Typica, Criollo
Processing Method: Swiss Water Process
Grade: HG
Harvest Season: 2020

Swiss Water Decaffeination Process

This batch uses the Swiss Water decaffeination technology. This method soaks green coffee beans in hot water, during which stage caffeine is partially removed. Subsequently, the soaked solution is filtered through activated carbon, and finally the solution is returned to the coffee beans.

This series of steps effectively removes 99.9% of caffeine. Besides not requiring chemical solvents, the soaked solution can be reused in different batches of processing.

How FrontStreet Coffee Roasts Mexican Decaf Coffee

Roaster: Yangjia 800N

Preheat the roaster to 200°C, then reduce to 165°C before loading. Set the damper to 3, adjust heat to 130. The turning point occurs at 1'32". Maintain heat. Yellowing occurs at 5'50", grassy aroma disappears, entering the dehydration stage. Reduce heat to 110, open damper to 4. When reaching 166°C, reduce heat to 110 again.

Surface develops wrinkles, toast aroma transitions to coffee aroma, indicating prelude to first crack. Maintain constant heat, open damper to 5, and listen carefully for first crack sounds. First crack begins at 9'30", fully open damper to 5. Post-first crack development time is 3 minutes, ending at 196.4°C when discharged.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Filter: Kono dripper
Water Temperature: 88.8°C
Coffee Dose: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Medium grind (75% retention on Chinese standard #20 sieve)

Brewing Method: Three-stage extraction. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. Using a small water stream, pour in a circular motion to 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the filter cone. Total brewing time is 3 minutes and 10 seconds.

Brewing Flavor Notes: Dark chocolate, cream, nuts, citrus, with a smooth mouthfeel.

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