At the northernmost tip of the coffee belt lies an underrated premium growing region—Mexico. Dominated by smallholder traditions, it produces about 5 million bags annually, making it a major coffee supplier in North America. From Veracruz to Oaxaca, and on to the highlands of Chiapas bordering Guatemala, Mexican coffee displays a unique profile that is mild and delicate, sweet and richly aromatic. In 2016, Starbucks opened its ninth global Farmer Support Center (FSC) in Chiapas, injecting new vitality into this land. This article will give you a comprehensive understanding of the history of Mexican coffee, its main growing regions, representative estates, varietal characteristics, and the washed processing method, and will especially present Front Street Coffee's recommendations and insights on Mexican beans.
Mexico is located at the northern tip of Central America, bordered by the United States to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the south and west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, Belize and Guatemala to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. It is the world's fourth-largest coffee producer and an important source of organic coffee, producing about 5 million bags of coffee each year.
The vast majority of Mexican coffee is grown by nearly 100,000 smallholder farmers, and the large estates that once controlled the coffee industry have largely exited the historical stage. Yields average about 630 kilograms per hectare, and Mexico is currently a major source of coffee supply in North America.
Overall, Mexican coffee has a relatively light flavor, but it is mild and delicate.
【History】
Coffee arrived in Mexico quite late. In the second half of the 18th century, Spanish settlers brought coffee trees from Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. But true commercial cultivation had to wait until the 1790s, after Germans and Italians migrated to Mexico from Guatemala and Central and South America, when the first coffee plantation appeared in Veracruz.
Mexico has always maintained a smallholder tradition. Agricultural reforms after the Mexican Revolution enabled Indigenous peoples and farmers to own small plots of farmland and achieve self-sufficiency. The 1970s and 1980s were the golden age of Mexican coffee. In 1973, the Mexican National Coffee Institute (INMECAFE) was established, providing smallholders with technical assistance, loans, guaranteed purchasing, and even help in connecting with international markets, and coffee production increased accordingly.
Later, the Mexican Coffee Institute (Instituto Mexicano del Café, or Inmecafe) took over the coffee industry, controlling both coffee cultivation and the market for coffee beans that could be exported from November onward. The institute provided farmers with minimum purchasing prices, technical advice, and other assistance. But since 1991, the institute's activities have been reduced, and its functions may be further weakened.
The collapse of the Coffee Agreement and the disappearance of price supports actually helped some producers, because it forced them to develop their own brands and establish closer ties with foreign markets. The NAFTA agreement among Canada, the United States, and Mexico will further help Mexican products be exported to North America.
Some people believe the best giant coffee beans are produced in Mexico rather than Guatemala, but the supply and quality of coffee beans in both places can vary. The coffee bean known as Maragogype is large in size, and the coffee it produces is smooth, full-bodied, and aromatically appealing. The poverty of farmers means that most coffee is grown under natural conditions, that is, without pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemical agents.
【Growing Regions】
Mexico's coffee-growing regions run from Coatepec and Veracruz in the north, through Pluma coffee in the Oaxaca region in the center, to the Chiapas highlands in the far south, bordering Guatemala's Huehuetenango region. The vast majority of Mexican coffee is washed Arabica, characterized by a very rich and distinctive aroma, somewhat like over-fermented fruit. The small round beans of Chiapas in Mexico's far south have a mild, delicate mouthfeel and a very distinctive aroma.
*Coatepec:
At an altitude of 1,200–1,500 m, mainly growing Bourbon and Typica, with a sweet aroma, a slight grassy note, mild acidity, and medium oily viscosity.
*(Huatusco):
At an altitude of 1,200–1,500 m, with a slight plum-like acidity on the palate, a rich caramel sweetness, and a full-bodied dark chocolate finish.
*Oaxaca Pluma coffee:
Most farmers in the Oaxaca growing region own less than 2 hectares of land in this area and belong to several large cooperatives. There are also some larger estates, though some have developed diversified tourism. At an altitude of 900–1,700 m, with a harvest season from December to March, growing Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Maragogype. It also produces premium coffee beans, among which the naturally grown Pluma Coixtepec coffee bean is one of the finest, and it also produces Altura Orizaba coffee and Altura Huatusco coffee.
*Chiapas:
At an altitude of 1,100–1,400 meters, with a harvest period from December to April. In the early 1990s, the southern state of Chiapas became Mexico's most important coffee-producing region, with an annual output of about 275,000 tons of coffee, accounting for 45% of the country's production. More than two million Mexicans depend on coffee for their livelihood, and 75% of Mexican coffee farmers work on less than two hectares of land. These smallholders produce roughly 30% of the country's output each year, while the rest is produced by large or higher-capacity farms.
Chiapas is an important premium coffee-producing region in Mexico, and most of its premium beans are grown mainly in high-altitude areas. Many high-altitude organic Mexican coffee beans are grown by Indigenous peoples, who have organized many cooperatives to obtain assistance from foreign organizations, strive for better prices, and promote advances in coffee-growing techniques, among other things, and they cultivate coffee using organic methods. The coffee varieties grown include Tapanchula and Huixtla.
OPCAAC (full name: Organización de Productores de Café de Ángel Albino Corzo, an organization of organic smallholder producers in the state of Chiapas), founded in 1995, established a farm management system, emphasizing open and transparent independent production and marketing information for coffee farmers, and setting standards to avoid excessive land development. The organization provides its members with microcredit, technical training, social activities, and other assistance, and continuously focuses on the development of organic agriculture and ecological conservation.
With sustainable operation as its purpose, OPCAAC creates value for the local coffee industry and improves the quality of life of local farmers through fair trade and agricultural production methods consistent with ecological conservation.
Chiapas coffee has a medium body, a mild yet fresh and sweet flavor, a dry aroma with hints of banana and cocoa nuts, and a wet aroma with an obvious honey-like sweetness and the scent of walnuts and almond candy. On the palate, the most obvious note is a sugarcane-like flavor. If the roast is not dark, you can also perceive a light lemon flavor. The finish is mild but somewhat short. It is a light, sweet, and approachable coffee.
【Famous Estates】:
*Mexico Cañada Fría Estate
The estate is located in the high mountain valley of the Huatusco-Xalapa, Axocuapan community in Huatusco, Xalapa. In the cold season, the cold wind from the north drives straight in, and the place name of this valley is [Cañada Fría]. Jose Daniel bought a piece of farmland here 16 years ago, when nothing was planted there and it was virgin forest.
About 10 years ago, after his coffee began to be harvested, it was usually sold to a processing station, and the buyer offered a very low price, which made him occasionally entertain the idea of selling the estate. But he always felt that his coffee quality should be very good, yet he could not argue with the buyer and had no way to change things. This continued until a coffee-related event 6 years ago, when he participated in a coffee exchange event with cuppers and baristas. The other party agreed to test his green beans, and as a result, his coffee received high praise. After that, he learned about the Cup of Excellence coffee competition and specially selected the best lot to enter, and as a result won national runner-up! Finally, he gained recognition, and the reputation of Cañada Fría Estate gradually began to emerge.
Cultivated varieties: 40% Typica, 10% Bourbon, 20% Pacamara, 10% Red Caturra, 10% Yellow Caturra, 10% Colombia. The cup has a substantial mouthfeel, clean, honey-sweet, juicy, chocolate, tea tree essential oil, spicy sweetness, and a very long and full finish.
*Rivas Family/ Kassandra Estate:
It has international Rainforest Alliance certification, was second place in the 2015 COE, and second place in the 2017 COE. The estate is located in Veracruz, the region where coffee was first grown in Mexico. The owner, the Rivas family, upholds an eco-friendly attitude and has preserved 27 acres of rainforest on the property for birds and wild animals in the area to inhabit. A large-scale tree-planting plan is still being carried out at the same time. It grows Caturra, with flavors leaning toward fruit, walnut, milk chocolate, and sweet citrus aromas.
*El Triunfo Estate:
At an altitude of 1,100–1,200 meters, the area where the El Triunfo cooperative is located is among the world's foremost in terms of richness and diversity of species and ecosystems. The use of shade-grown coffee trees is one of the characteristics of the El Triunfo farmers' cooperative, and it also has related certifications such as Fair Trade and organic certification. The farmers grow coffee trees only within buffer zones between themselves and ecological reserve areas.
Founded in 2001, the El Triunfo cooperative has more than 260 smallholder coffee farmers. Located in the Sierra Madre highlands of the Chiapas growing region, the El Triunfo ecological reserve is one of the world's most species-rich primary forests, surrounded year-round by high-mountain mist and clouds, making it the best habitat for thousands of species of flora and fauna.
In this primary forest that still preserves its wild mystery, you can even see towering giant trees up to ninety meters tall, as well as ground vegetation formed by tree ferns and vines, and even delicate wild orchids quietly take shelter within. Here, you can find more than 120 species of birds, all inhabiting this primary forest, making it truly a paradise for birdwatchers.
【Varieties】:
Mexican coffee is mostly grown on mountains at altitudes of 600–1,200 meters, in tropical or subtropical forests, and the prevalent way Indigenous peoples grow coffee is traditional agroforestry, with coffee planted among many native trees, in an ecosystem close to forest. The main varieties are Bourbon, Caturra, Mondo Novo, and Typica. There is also the giant coffee bean (Maragogype), represented by Liquidambar MS coffee beans, known for its mellow and rounded mouthfeel.
【Processing Method】: Washed processing
1. Bean selection:
Place the harvested cherries in a water tank and soak them for about 24 hours. At this point, the ripe cherries will sink, while the unripe and overripe cherries will float and can be removed.
2. Removal of pulp:
Use a machine to remove the skin and pulp, leaving only the coffee beans wrapped in the parchment. At this point, there is still a layer of mucilage on the outside of the beans, and the washing process is meant to wash away this layer of mucilage.
3. Fermentation:
The mucilage has strong adhesion and is not easy to remove. It must be left in the tank for about 18–36 hours to ferment and break down the mucilage. There are two fermentation methods, namely wet fermentation and dry fermentation. As the names suggest, the former adds water, while the latter does not. During fermentation, the seed and the inner pulp undergo special changes, and this is the step in the washed method that most affects coffee flavor. Some farms add hot water or enzymes to speed up fermentation, which has a negative impact on quality and is not welcomed by specialty coffee enthusiasts.
4. Washing:
Farms using the washed method must build washing channels and be able to introduce a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the fermented beans are placed into the channel and moved back and forth, using the friction of the beans and the force of the flowing water to wash the coffee beans until they are smooth and clean.
5. Drying:
After washing, the coffee beans are still wrapped in parchment and have a moisture content of 50%. They must be dried to reduce the moisture content to 12%, otherwise they will continue to ferment and become moldy and spoiled. A better processing method is sun drying. Although it takes 1–3 weeks, the flavor is especially good and it is quite popular. In addition, some places use machine drying, which greatly shortens processing time but results in flavor inferior to that of sun-dried coffee.
6. Hulling:
Once dried, the beans can be stored in a warehouse or sent to a factory for hulling to remove the parchment and silver skin.
7. Sorting and grading:
As with sun-dried coffee, washed coffee also undergoes a process of sorting and grading to remove defective beans and ensure better quality, before being handed over to exporters to sell around the world.
Mexico 【Grade Classification】: Grades are determined by altitude
Mexico's grading is the same as Guatemala's and Costa Rica's.
SHB = Strictly Hard Bean
GHB = Good Hard Bean
HB = Hard Bean
Pacific = ordinary grade
It is worth mentioning that Starbucks has 9 Farmer Support Centers around the world, and in 2016 it built the ninth (FSC) in Chiapas, Mexico.
Martiniano Moreno spent more than 30 years growing coffee on a farm near La Frailesca in Chiapas, Mexico. Moreno's decades of growing experience did not help him resist coffee rust.
"The rust destroyed our production, reducing it by 40–60%," said Moreno, who supports a family of eight. "It's ugly." Our whole community depends on coffee. This is how we take care of our families and raise our children.
However, a recent visit by Moreno to a nursery near the village of Jaltenango gave him new hope. Moreno was invited to plant 3,000 new rust-resistant coffee trees. These seedlings were donated to coffee farmers in Chiapas by Starbucks Mexico through a program called TODOS SEMBRAMOS CAFE (We All Plant Coffee).
When Starbucks distributed these plants, Moreno was one of the first 60 coffee farmers to receive the donation. And at that time, Starbucks provided a total of 18,000 rust-resistant coffee seedlings.
For Starbucks, this marked an important milestone in its long journey of coffee growing in Chiapas.
Starbucks Mexico donated three kinds of coffee trees to farmers in Chiapas. These varieties are known for producing better yields, higher cup quality, and enhanced rust resistance—Costa Rica 95, Guacamaya (Macaw), and Marsellesa.
Front Street Coffee recommendation: If you want to experience the classic flavor of Mexico's Chiapas growing region, you can choose the washed Chiapas beans offered by Front Street Coffee. Their mild sugarcane sweetness and nutty notes are precisely a typical representation of Mexican coffee's "light, sweet, and approachable" character.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
