How Mexican Coffee Regions Fit the Industrial Coffee Roaster Market
Mexico grows coffee under high altitude, volcanic soil, and a favorable climate, yet most of its crop still leaves as green beans for the industrial coffee roaster market, with roughly seventy percent exported to the United States. The country has strong variety resources and promising terroir, but it has long lacked a standout specialty coffee presence, so its beans are often treated as blending stock rather than single-origin lots.
Buyers looking at Mexico today see better preparation than in past years. Old shipments sometimes arrived with corn kernels and sand mixed in, a legacy of corn being a major crop and Mexico's homeland of corn; that problem has largely disappeared. Grading, region, and processing now matter more when judging Mexican coffee, especially for anyone comparing it with other Central American origins.
Mexico is an important coffee-exporting country in the world, with about seventy percent of its coffee beans sold to the United States, mostly used as industrial beans. Although it enjoys superior conditions such as high altitude, volcanic soil, and a suitable climate, Mexican coffee has long lacked a presence on the international specialty coffee stage. This article reviews Mexico's main coffee-producing regions, varieties, grading system, flavor characteristics, and market positioning, and introduces two classic Mexican coffee recipes, one with alcohol and one without. It also retains Front Street Coffee's recommendations and product information for Mexican coffee, helping coffee enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of this underrated producing country.
The vast majority of coffee beans produced in Mexico flow to the U.S. market, with about seventy percent of output exported directly to the United States, mainly used as industrial beans, in some ways like the United States' own coffee plantation. However, Mexico's annual output does not match its position in the global coffee landscape. Although production is not small, it lacks outstanding, representative specialty coffee. Therefore, most people, including the author, have quite limited knowledge of Mexican coffee. When we evaluate and discuss beans from excellent producing regions around the world, Mexican coffee is like an out-of-place bystander, in a rather awkward position.
Yet Mexico has an ideal climate for coffee growing, excellent variety resources, fertile soil, and high-altitude planting conditions. Why, then, is the coffee quality hard to satisfy?
A few days ago, while brewing Mexican beans, a colleague joked that Mexico is popcorn coffee. In the past, the green beans exported from Mexico were indeed of poor quality, and the green beans bought back would occasionally be mixed with a small amount of corn kernels and sand. If the corn was not picked out cleanly and went into the roaster together with the green beans, then it really would become popcorn. However, the quality of green beans exported from Mexico has now improved markedly, and mixed-in corn kernels are a thing of many years ago. Corn was a crop cultivated by the ancient Indigenous peoples of Mexico, which is why Mexico is known as the homeland of corn, and corn is also a major crop in the country. Coffee was not handled carefully enough during drying, which is why corn kernels got mixed in, and this also explains why it was specifically corn. From this it is not hard to see that the root cause of why the overall quality of Mexican coffee cannot rise still lies in the subsequent production and processing stages. Any unreasonable operation in harvesting, processing, grading, packaging, and transportation will waste excellent flavors for nothing.
The main producing regions are Coatepec and Oaxaca states, and the products are mostly washed beans produced in the highlands, with very good aroma and acidity. They are graded by altitude into three categories: Altura (219-1280 meters), Prima Lavado (853-1006 meters), and Buen Lavado (640-762 meters).
Its characteristics are a smooth mouthfeel, high acidity, medium body, and a slight nutty aftertaste. The three flavors of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness are neutral, with moderate acidity, and a special, elegant taste. Although Brazilian coffee has little value in terms of specialty quality, it is extremely suitable for blending. Because coffee production is enormous, the price is not very expensive.
Main coffee bean export to the United States, premium bean: Mexican Altura. Flavor characteristics: large beans, with strong sweetness, acidity, and very good aroma. Best roast level: medium roast or dark roast. Its characteristics are a smooth mouthfeel, high acidity, medium body, and a slight nutty aftertaste. The three flavors of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness are neutral, with moderate acidity, and a special, elegant taste. Although Brazilian coffee has little value in terms of specialty quality, it is extremely suitable for blending. Because coffee production is enormous, the price is not very expensive.
Premium bean: Mexican Altura.
Flavor characteristics: large beans, with strong sweetness, acidity, and very good aroma.
Best roast level: medium roast or dark roast.
Non-alcoholic Mexican coffee is often paired with milk. Put a cup of milk, a teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and a teaspoon of vanilla powder into a pot and heat it, keeping it at medium temperature; do not use too high a flame, and do not let the milk boil. Then add cocoa powder and stir well until fully dissolved. If you like chocolate, you can use chocolate syrup instead of cocoa powder mixed with milk. Let the milk sit for about 5 minutes, and after the milk has cooled slightly, pour it into the prepared coffee, decorate the surface of the coffee with cold cream, and garnish with a cinnamon stick; Mexican coffee is then ready. The aromas of chocolate and cinnamon blend together, giving off the taste of the desert. Tasting such a cup of coffee, you feel as if you are traveling through the weathered desert region. Mexican coffee is generally selected by manual methods. The main basis for selection is the fullness of the coffee particles and whether they are uniform, and then they are graded. Generally speaking, full and uniform coffee beans are easier to preserve. Only the fullest and most uniform coffee beans can be roasted into coffee that represents the country's highest and finest quality.
After workers harvest the coffee beans, they spread the coffee beans in a special well-ventilated house. After about a week, the coffee beans are packed into loosely tied bags so that air can blow through the bags. After about seven weeks, the coffee beans have changed in color and flavor. Finally, these coffee beans undergo manual selection, and high-quality coffee beans are chosen and formally bagged for storage.
Altura coffee beans are Mexico's top-grade coffee beans. These coffee beans are large and have strong sweetness, acidity, and very good aroma. About 5/6 of Mexico's total land area consists of plateaus and mountains, with an average annual temperature of 25-27°C; the Mexican Plateau has a mild climate year-round, and the country is mostly plateau terrain, with no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer, and trees remain green throughout the four seasons, so it enjoys the reputation of the Pearl of the Plateau. Due to geographical environment and climate reasons, Mexico's coffee-growing areas are close to Guatemala, and the main producing regions include Coatepec and Oaxaca states. The products are mostly washed beans produced in the highlands, with very good aroma and acidity.
Mexicans are optimistic and passionate by nature, and this can also be seen in their coffee. Mellow and rich Mexican coffee is not only deeply loved by people in the country, but many coffee connoisseurs also praise it highly. There are many ways to enjoy Mexican coffee, mainly divided into two major categories: alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Non-alcoholic Mexican coffee is often paired with milk. Put a cup of milk, a teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and a teaspoon of vanilla powder into a pot and heat it, keeping it at medium temperature; do not use too high a flame, and do not let the milk boil. Then add cocoa powder and stir well until fully dissolved. If you like chocolate, you can use chocolate syrup instead of cocoa powder mixed with milk. Let the milk sit for about 5 minutes, and after the milk has cooled slightly, pour the prepared coffee into a coffee cup, decorate the surface of the coffee with cold cream, and garnish with a cinnamon stick; Mexican coffee is then ready. The aromas of chocolate and cinnamon blend together, giving off the taste of the desert. Tasting such a cup of coffee, you feel as if you are traveling through the weathered desert region.
There is another method that pairs Mexico's most famous tequila with coffee. First pour a small glass of tequila into the bottom of the cup, then pour in milk and coffee, and finally garnish with cream and cinnamon. Tequila is a liquor with a strong delayed effect. If you have enough courage, you might as well give this alternative coffee a try.
Indeed, after drinking Mexican coffee, it really has the effect of forgetting worries and removing troubles. Mexican coffee is thick and full-bodied, with a rich aroma. Although slightly bitter, it is very mellow, with a unique and strong flavor. It is an excellent choice for afternoon tea and should be savored carefully. It is also the best choice for blending with other coffees and the first cup beginners should taste. When tasting Mexican coffee, it is best to drink it while hot. After hot coffee sits for an hour, all its aroma will disappear completely. If the coffee liquid has not been filtered, pour carefully and do not stir up the coffee grounds, just like slowly pouring aged wine; not only taste its flavor, but also appreciate its color.
Mexicans are optimistic and passionate by nature, and this can also be seen in their coffee. Mellow and rich Mexican coffee is not only deeply loved by people in the country, but many coffee connoisseurs also praise it highly. There are many ways to enjoy Mexican coffee, mainly divided into two major categories: alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Mexico's coffee-growing areas are mainly concentrated in the southeastern highlands, close to Guatemala. The southern mountain ranges are mostly volcanic areas, and the volcanic ash soil not only helps with drainage of the coffee root system, but also provides ample nutrients for the growth of coffee trees. The coffee varieties grown are mostly Caturra, Typica, Bourbon, and others, and the processing method mostly uses the washed process, graded by altitude.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
