World Coffee Journey (4) Guatemala

Introduction: Guatemala is a major coffee-producing country in Central America, ranking eighth in the world in production. Guatemala, whose name comes from the Mayan language meaning "land of many trees," is located in Central America and is known as the "pearl on the crown of Central America." Although Guatemala has a limited land area, it possesses rich and diverse climates. Known for its lakes and volcanoes, the country's volcanic soil, precipitation, temperature, humidity, and altitude provide ideal natural conditions for coffee cultivation.

In the 1850s, coffee was brought to Guatemala by missionaries. In the 19th century, with the invention of European synthetic dyes, Guatemala's original important export industries were hit, and coffee gradually became an important export commodity, with coffee cultivation expanding. By the end of the 19th century, coffee already held an important position in Guatemala's politics and economy, with large coffee farm owners having enormous influence over the political situation. Under the leadership of presidents from coffee farm backgrounds, the government promoted coffee cultivation through policies such as providing free coffee seedlings and tax incentives. In 1944, after an elected president came to power and implemented reform policies that threatened vested interests, he was overthrown in a coup planned by US intelligence agencies, plunging Guatemala into a half-century-long civil war that lasted until 1996.

The civil war caused damage to the existing coffee industry, but Guatemala's original coffee native varieties, primarily Bourbon, were thus preserved.

Coffee production holds an important position in Guatemala's domestic economy, with coffee exports accounting for one-third of total foreign exchange earnings. Guatemala was once the largest coffee producer in Central America until it was surpassed by Honduras in 2011.

Guatemala is the second most populous country in Central America after Mexico, providing abundant labor for coffee production. Most coffee production here comes from small-scale farms. Two-thirds of the country's territory consists of mountains, and the western and southern regions belong to volcanic zones. The humid climate and rich volcanic ash soil provide unique natural conditions for coffee production. Coffee cultivation is widely distributed throughout the central and southern regions, except for the northern Petén lowlands.

Coffee Grades

Traditional Guatemalan coffee is graded according to growing altitude:

SHB (Strictly Hard Bean): ≥1370m

HB (Hard Bean): 1370-1066m

Prime-Extra Prime (Selected): 762-1066m

Main Production Regions

The 7 main production regions are:

1) Highland Huehue

2) Volcanic San Marcos

3) Traditional Atitlan

4) Rainforest Coban

5) Fraijanes Plateau

6) Antigua Classic

7) New Oriente

This time, we mainly focus on introducing two important and most excellent bean-producing regions: Highland Huehue and Antigua Classic.

NO.1 Highland Huehue:

The average altitude in this region ranges between 1500-2000 meters, and Central America's highest peak, Volcán Tajumulco, is located in this area. Fortunately, warm winds from Mexico's Tehuantepec Plain blow through, allowing high-altitude mountainous areas to avoid frost damage. Although it lacks the volcanic ash soil found in other regions of Guatemala, the excellent high altitude is sufficient to create the outstanding quality of coffee in this region. In recent years, many excellent small farms from this region have emerged in COE competitions.

NO.2 Antigua Classic:

As the oldest and most famous coffee-producing region in Guatemala, Antigua is truly deserving of its "classic" reputation.

This region has fertile volcanic ash soil, low humidity, abundant sunshine, and high diurnal temperature variations, creating the unique geographical environment needed for coffee cultivation. The region is surrounded by three volcanoes: Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego. Fuego, one of Guatemala's three major volcanoes, frequently erupts, continuously providing rich volcanic ash nutrients to the area. FrontStreet Coffee's Guatemala Antigua coffee is favored by coffee enthusiasts for its wonderful floral aroma, bright acidity, and chocolate bittersweetness. What makes it even more unique is its distinctive "volcanic smoky" aroma formed from volcanic soil, earning it the reputation of "smoky coffee"!

Final Notes:

When roasting, pay attention that high roast to city roast levels can bring out its flavors to the extreme, achieving balance and richness! Each of the 7 specialty coffee production regions has its own characteristics. Overall, FrontStreet Coffee's Guatemala coffee offers a bright cup experience with elegant acidity, full and rounded body, possessing floral notes and a clean, long aftertaste. Its wonderful floral aroma and lively, bright taste are unmatched by other coffees, making it suitable for blends. The chocolate bittersweetness continues throughout the long aftertaste, without the heavy bitterness of FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia, with flavor and sweetness superior to FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia. Although Guatemala's overall taste is relatively light, it leaves a pleasant aftertaste for a long time after drinking. Additionally, coffees from certain regions also bring wonderful smoky flavors.

Source: Sohu Self-Media Xiao Xu's Coffee Shop

Important Notice :

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