Major Coffee Varieties in Honduras: Introduction to Pacas, Lempira, IHCAFE90, and H3 Varieties

Coffee beans grow and evolve differently around the world, as many different factors affect the yield and quality of coffee cultivation. Local humidity, rainfall, sunlight, altitude, and soil characteristics all influence coffee production. Therefore, different regions and countries have their unique coffee varieties.

Today, Honduras has become one of the top ten coffee-producing countries in the world and the second largest Arabica producer. Coffee is extremely important to Honduras's economy, accounting for about 30% of total export value. Honduras established the National Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) in 1970 to help develop the country's coffee industry. Currently, Honduras only cultivates Arabica varieties, specifically including Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Pacas, Lempira, IHCAFE90, H1, and H3. Some of these varieties have been previously introduced, so this article will introduce several other coffee varieties.

Pacas

Pacas is a natural mutation of the Bourbon variety. A single gene mutation causes the plant to be smaller in size. Its compact form allows it to be planted closely with other plants. The Pacas variety was first discovered in 1949 on a farm owned by the Pacas family in the Santa Ana region of El Salvador (hence the name Pacas). In 1960, the Salvadoran Coffee Research Institute (ISIC) began a lineage selection program for Pacas (selecting individual plants over several generations). Currently, this variety is still widely cultivated in El Salvador, accounting for 25% of the country's coffee production. It was later introduced to Honduras by the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) in 1974, primarily grown in the Montecillos region of Honduras. FrontStreet Coffee's Honduras sherry barrel-processed coffee beans include varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, and Pacas. When brewed using V60 at a 1:15 ratio, this coffee offers notes of vanilla, cream, whiskey, and berries, with a finish reminiscent of dark chocolate and maple sweetness.

Lempira

Lempira is a subspecies of Catimor, developed by crossing the Timor variety with Caturra to create the first-generation F1 hybrid group known as Catimor. Due to its high yield, disease resistance, and ability to adapt to low-altitude, warm climates, this new variety quickly spread across coffee plantations in the Americas. Starting from the late 1980s, national coffee laboratories began developing their own Catimor subspecies. Lempira is a Catimor subspecies cultivated by the Honduran Coffee Institute. However, recent scientific assessments have confirmed that Lempira is susceptible to coffee leaf rust and OJO DE GALLO fungal disease in Honduras. It is now recommended only for cultivation in acidic or aluminum-rich soils and warm regions.

IHCAFE90

IHCAFE90 is also a subspecies of Catimor. It was first selected from F5 progeny introduced from Portuguese H26 material by the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica, and named T5175. Honduras similarly introduced and researched this variety, developing what is now known as IHCAFE90, which is therefore similar to T5175. However, recent scientific confirmation shows that it is also affected by leaf rust and OJO DE GALLO fungal disease in the Central American region.

H3

H3 is a first-generation (F1) hybrid, originating from a cross between Caturra and an Ethiopian landrace variety (E531) from the Costa Rican collection. This variety is part of a collaborative development between the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD), the Central American Coffee Research Institutes Alliance (Promecafe), and Costa Rica's Coffee Genebank (Catie). H3 shows some susceptibility to leaf rust but offers higher quality. Due to the severe genetic limitations of traditional American varieties, Central American breeders have worked to develop F1 hybrids to increase genetic diversity in the region. This variety is an F1 lineage selection developed by the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE).

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473