Today, I am going to be discussing the different types of coffee in the Latin American region. More specifically I will be talking about Costa Rican, Honduran, and Guatemalan coffee. All of these coffees differ in some way, which make them unique in their own way.
Coffee in Costa Rica for example “has set the standard for fine wet-processed coffee for the rest of Central and South America” quoted by coffeeresearch.org. Also, coffee in Costa Rica are usually characterized as a “full bodied coffee” and can be found in several regions around Costa Rica such as the Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia, and Alajuela regions. Not only are the most famous coffee beans found in these regions, but also the best coffee beans in Costa Rica are grown above 3,900 feet, these coffee beans are known as the “strictly hard bean.” Just to give you an idea on how diverse these regions are I will tell you where two of the different regions are found in Costa Rica and how they differ in my opinion. The first region that I will be describing is the Tres Rios region, which is found near the pacific coast. This region is known for growing a mild, sweet, and bright bean. The second region that I will describe to you is the Tarrazu region, which is located in the interior mountains of Costa Rica. This region is known for producing a heavier coffee compared to the Tres Rios. The two regions differ obviously because of the location in Costa Rica, but after visiting both areas I can personally see how they differ. When I was out on the pacific coast, there was a cool breeze the whole time with some rain and what seemed to be not as fertile land because of the sand that was everywhere you went. On the other hand, when I was driving through the Tarrazu region is was very easy to see the difference between the two. The Tarrazu region is very foggy, rainy, and a lot more moist then the pacific coast.
Honduran coffee is usually not seen in the United States, but some say that this will change in the future. According to sweetmarias.com “Honduran coffee has been absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that is all changing.” Due to this there is not much to be found about Honduran coffee, but I can quote coffeeresearch.org and say that the coffee is “wet processed, typically unremarkable in quality, and is a good base for blending.”
Unlike Honduran coffee there is a lot of information on Guatemalan coffee. Even though Guatemala is a small country, its diverse regions allow for a very prosperous growth in coffee. With its soil, rainfall, temperature, and altitude Guatemala is able to grow several distinct different types of coffees in its seven different regions. The seven different regions that you can find in Guatemala are as followed: Antigua, Fraiganes Plateau, Rainforest Coban, Highland Huehuetenango, Atitlan, Volcan San Marcos, and Oriente. Each different region is the breeding ground for several different types of coffee. In the Antigua region you are mostly to find coffee that is described as “having a full and velvety body, a rich and lively aroma, and a fine acidity.” The three most common coffee beans that you will find in this region are Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai. In the Fraijanes Plateau, you are going to find the highest-ranking coffee bean in Guatemala and that is the “strictly hard Guatemala coffee bean.” These beans can be described as having a full body, weak aroma, and an obvious acidity. The third region that you will find coffee growing in is the Rainforest Coban. As you can imagine the coffee grown here differs a lot from the past two regions that I have described. This is due to the “microclimate” because of the Atlantic Ocean. The coffee that is found here is a medium body, light acidity, and fruit like flavors, and the different types of beans that you will find here are the Bourbon, Maragogype, Catuai, Caturra, and Pache beans, which are harvested from December to March. The fourth type of region in Guatemala is the Highland Huehuetenango. The climate that is found in this region is a subtropical and humid one that allows for the coffee beans to have a beautiful appearance and uniformed maturation. The different types of coffee beans that will be found in this region are the Huehue, Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai. The next region that you will find in Guatemala is the Atitlan region. This region is known for its high altitude (4,000-5,900 feet), and the affects that are caused by this. Some affects that this causes is that there are very few pests and diseases, humidity is around 70-80%, and the drying is almost completely done by the sun. The Atitlan region gives the beans a profound acidity and a full body. The beans that you will find here are mainly Bourbon, but you will also find Typica, Caturra, and Catuai. The second to last region that you will find in Guatemala is the Volcan San Marcos. This region is the warmest and also has the highest rainfall, with around 4,000-5,000 mm of rain a year. Due to its “microclimate” from the Pacific Ocean, you will find beans such as the Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai coffee beans. Finally, the last region that you will find coffee beans growing in is the Oriente region. This region is a lot like the Coban region with little rainfall and with its rock and clay foundation. The beans here are aromatic, acidity, and have a good body. Like most of the other regions you will find Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, and Pache coffee beans.
I hope that by reading this you are able to see the several different types of coffee beans that are produced in Latin America and what type of climate they are grown in.
No comments:
Post a Comment