To celebrate International Coffee Day, which is celebrated on October 1, we bring you the Mexican Coffee Route; a journey to rediscover Mexico through the main producers and enjoy one of the most consumed beverages in the world, thanks to its revitalizing effect, antioxidant benefits and the great versatility with which it can be included in multiple preparations.
Chiapas
This state is best known for its impressive natural beauties such as the Sumidero Canyon, the Lacandon Jungle, and important archaeological and architectural sites such as Palenque and San Cristóbal de las Casas, but it is also widely recognized for being a pioneer in coffee production. In your next itinerary to the area you cannot miss a visit to the Argovia, Hamburgo and La Chiripa coffee farms, within the tour you will be able to know the coffee process, relax in a temazcal, enjoy the flora and fauna of the area, and even if you are very adventurous you can zip line.
Veracruz
It is the second coffee producer in our country and has one of the most emblematic places for coffee production, and that is Coatepec, which in 2006 was declared a Magic Town. This site houses the Coffee Museum, dedicated to explaining and maintaining this tradition; in its surroundings you can find freshly harvested, processed, roasted and ground coffee, ready to taste. You can prepare yourself a delicious cup of Coatepec coffee with the coffeemaker Manual.
Oaxaca
One of its main coffee centers is Huatulco, which makes it the perfect place for a getaway to its beautiful bay located on the Coasts of the Mexican Pacific. Llano Grande is located 1 hour and 45 minutes away, one of the prominent coffee-growing centers in the area, located in a mountainous region where there are small waterfalls and a spectacular landscape. On the farm, you can not only enjoy coffee but also the entire gastronomic sample of the region.
Puebla
The coffee zone is located in Xicotepec, a Magical Town that is in the heart of the Sierra Madre Oriental, between plateaus, mountains, rivers and valleys, therefore, the landscape that you can enjoy is amazing. In addition to finding coffee from the region, you will be able to appreciate handicrafts, from bamboo, wicker or tzitzi weaving; or embroidered blouses and dresses.
If you are a coffee lover, surely one of these places is for you. You can plan your next trip to one of these coffee routes.
Mexican coffee in short:
- Mexico is the pioneer country and the main exporter of organic coffee , which is grown under shade, naturally and without pesticides and has more than 40 percent of world production.
- It also occupies one of the first places in the world in the production of gourmet coffee.
- There are 12 Mexican states that produce coffee, in addition to those already mentioned are: Nayarit, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Jalisco and Querétaro, but Chiapas is the state that produces 40 percent of the coffee nationwide.
- There are more than 200 thousand coffee producers in our country, most of whom are indigenous.
- There are many varieties of coffee, but in Mexico, up to 96 percent Arabica is produced (mild, with acidity, aroma, medium body and great flavor) and 4 percent Robusta with more caffeine than Arabica and more resistant to parasites. but its degree is less.
- Do you know how to get from cherry to aromatic grain? After cultivating the coffee bean, it is cut manually and carefully and then removed the pulp (in Guerrero this is not done), the next step is to carry out the drying and finally the roasting determinant.
- The roast of the grain is measured in: medium, light and dark and it is roasted differently to satisfy the consumer’s taste, if it is light the flavor is milder.
- There are also three types of grinding: coarse, medium and fine .
- To be gourmet , the coffee must not have defects such as : have a musty, old or fermented taste and Mexico has achieved it, even the result has been compared to gourmet coffee from Jamaica .
- The harvest season is from October to March .
- Although Mexico is a country that produces excellent coffee , Mexicans are not great consumers, since what is most consumed are soft drinks.
- Latte, cappuccino, mocha or just with milk and sugar, coffee is delicious but the health benefits it brings, such as providing energy, improving concentration and preventing diseases, are better if consumed naturally .
- The first coffee shop established in our country is said to be Manrique’s, which was located on Calle de Tacuba in Mexico City.
- Veracruz has one of the oldest coffee shops in the world and it is the Café de La Parroquia that has existed since 1808.
- Recently the cafeteria of a well-known chain in La Casa de los Azulejos in Mexico City appeared in the list of the 15 best coffee shops in the world .
- The feather coffee from Oaxaca, the dairy coffee from Veracruz and the pot coffee are perhaps the most famous in Mexico .
- In 2012, a Mexican film was released called: Chiapas, the heart of coffee starring Jaime Camil, which in addition to publicizing the arrival of coffee to this state, shows the natural beauties of the important coffee-producing territory.
Coffee is one of the agricultural products that give us reason to thank our land and the people who work to produce it since it is an art and also a science as well as one more reason to be proud of being recognized worldwide.
For this and many other reasons, I consider that there is no better coffee since each climate, each crop, each hand, each roast is full of different details achieving unique and specific essences, and the one that pleases the consumer the most is the one that is going to. treasure never to let go.
Support the Mexican product and the work of the coffee farms in our country, how? Consuming it.