Have you ever tried coffee from Honduras? Let’s take a virtual tour to explore the region’s unique coffee growing conditions, styles, processing methods, and flavor profiles. We’ll also look at the country’s different sub-regions and touch on some interesting facts. We’ll tell you about the history of Honduran coffee, what makes it so special, and maybe even make you want to try it sooner.
Our world is full of different coffee-producing countries, all of which have an interesting history dating back centuries. The coffee industry usually has a huge impact on its course. Growing coffee always has both positive (interesting experience, innovation) and negative (ecology, economics) aspects. In some cases, it boosts the economy and puts countries on the world stage, but almost always, the farmers who work hard in the fields have to work hard and tensely to get this wonderful coffee into our cups. Honduras is no exception.
Quick facts about Honduras .
- Total coffee growing area: more than 100,000 families are involved in production and 70% of them cultivate less than 2 hectares each.
- Height of growth: on average about 1500 m.
- Temperature: varies by region, averaging 16°C to 20°C in the mountain plantation areas.
- Soil: Not as fertile as some other Central American coffee countries, but with higher levels of volcanic ash.
- Coffee varieties: Many popular Arabica varieties are grown here, such as Bourbon, Caturra, Typica, Catuai, Pacas.
- Processing: The most common method is washed processing, as is the case everywhere in Central America.
- Flavor: apricot, caramel, chocolate, tropical fruits and berries.
What Makes Honduran Coffee Special?
In Honduras, coffee production has played an important role in the country’s history. Although it is not the largest coffee exporter in the world, the country still produces coffee that is in high demand on global markets. The reason they have not historically exported much coffee (sometimes over 80-90% of the coffee was consumed domestically) was because of the lack of transportation to efficiently ship the beans to many regions of the country. While it is fair to say that the locals value their coffee as well, who can blame them? Today, there are over 100,000 farmers in Honduras, over 90% of which are small farms. Collectively, the country exports about 6 million bags of coffee each year. Honduras has very similar
Growing conditions
to its geographically similar neighbors Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. The risk of hurricanes can wipe out much of the crop, as has happened many times in the past. Coffee rust is another factor that affects yields. While some varieties are not susceptible, this can change dramatically over time.
Flavor Descriptors
Flavors will vary depending on the region of origin, but some common flavors are a combination of caramel notes with tropical fruits and berries. On a large scale, washed coffee processing is the most common method in Honduras. As a reminder, this method involves using large amounts of water to quickly remove the skin and pulp of the coffee cherries. The beans are then placed in a large tank of water to ferment. Finally, the beans are dried on wooden platforms (patios) and when the moisture content in the beans reaches 15-20%, they are sent to hulling (removal of the parchment). In total, this process can result in a wide range of flavors. The coffee is then bagged and graded according to its altitude and divided into one of three groups:
– Strictly High Grown (above 1,350 meters above sea level).
– High Grown (1,200-1,350 meters above sea level).
– Central Standard (less than 1,200 meters above sea level).
Now let’s take a little trip through each of the six main coffee growing regions in Honduras.
Copan
Situated on the western side of the country, the altitude is around 1–1.5 km. Coffees from this region have a certain sweetness with notes of chocolate and caramel. There are also citrus notes that will not leave the sour lover indifferent.
Agalta
This region is located in the southeast. The climate here is wetter and warmer, with an altitude of around 1.1–1.4 km. The flavors here are fruitier, but they still have a distinct chocolate aroma and sweetness.
El Paraiso
The coffee plantations are located in the southern part of the country and the coffee here grows at an altitude of 1.4 km. This region has recently won several awards and is starting to gain more interest in the global coffee scene. The taste can be characterized by sweet notes of green apple, peaches, blueberries and delicate jasmine.
Montecillos
This region reaches an altitude of up to 1.6 km. It is said that the cool nights help the coffee cherries ripen more slowly, which improves the flavor profile. Coffee from this southwestern region is very popular. The flavor profiles include a range of fruity notes as well as the traditional sweetness we have come to expect from Honduras.
Opalaca
The altitude here reaches around 1.5 km above sea level and the aromas include berries and fruits. This region is located east of Copan and is known for its more complex aromas.
Comayagua
The coffees from this central region are grown at an altitude of 1-1.5 km, as you can see in Honduras there is not much variation in the growing altitude compared to some other coffee regions around the world. Slightly acidic, sweet, citrusy – all these flavors are found in the local coffee.
A Brief History of Coffee in Honduras
1894 Coffee production is not large-scale, as it requires risky investments several years in advance, and many small farmers are not always able to wait that long. Nevertheless, what would eventually become a major industry in Honduras was established.
1900 At the turn of the century, Honduras was exporting only 54,410 pesos worth of coffee beans.
1949 During this time, a new leader came to power who invested in expanding roads and increasing coffee exports. The lack of transportation connectivity in the past had made coffee exporting difficult and inefficient, but more roads and highways helped open up access to foreign markets.
1998 Almost four-fifths of Honduras coffee production was destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. It was a devastating storm in many ways, including causing enormous damage to local farmers. And we remember that the farms here are small and local coffee producers usually do not have a financial cushion.
2011 According to Buena Vida Coffee, in 2011 Honduras was recognized as the largest coffee producer in Central America and the second largest producer of washed Arabica in the world after Colombia.
2012 Honduras was invited to join the Specialty Coffee Association of America as Producer of the Year. This was perceived as an invitation to join the world coffee elite.
Today Honduras is considered one of the leading coffee producing countries in the world and is responsible for the majority of exports from South America. The country is not without its problems, but coffee has played a large role in their economy and development as a nation.