Coffee from Honduras

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Coffee from Honduras

Every coffee lover is familiar with Colombian and Ethiopian coffee, but very few have heard of Honduran coffee.

Holding a variety of tasting notes – which can range from apricots and tropical fruits to chocolate and caramel – Honduran coffee develops specific traits.

A little geography

Bordered by the Caribbean Sea on the north coast and the Pacific Ocean in the south, Honduras is a Central American country with a population of about 9.1 million.

Its total area is about 112,000 square kilometers and consists mostly of mountains, plains along the coast, an undeveloped jungle in the northeast and the densely populated Sula Valley in the northwest.

In general, its climate is more temperate in the mountains and more tropical in the lowlands

A brief history of coffee in Honduras

Although the exact origins of coffee in Honduras are not known, many people believe that coffee beans were first introduced to Honduras by Spanish traders in the late 1700s.

Census information collected in the early 1800s indicates that coffee was grown on a small scale by farmers throughout the century.

However, despite the efforts of Honduran presidents to promote coffee beans, bananas have quickly become one of the most important crops in Honduras, due to the much shorter time between first planting and harvesting, with coffee needing 4-5 years until the first harvest.

Then, in the second half of the 1900s, coffee cultivation took the lead, especially among farmers with small plantations.

Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in 1998.

Unfortunately, they encountered quite a few inconveniences.

In 1998, for example, Hurricane Mitch wiped out 80% of Honduras ‘crops, and smugglers, who could get better prices for beans from neighboring Guatemala, also had a negative impact on Honduras’ coffee industry.

All that changed in the late 1990s.

The Honduran government has released a tax on coffee exports and used the resulting money to improve the infrastructure in the coffee growing regions.

In addition, the government provided tax incentives to coffee producers, which led to an increase in both the quality and quantity of coffee produced.

From commercial to single origin

At first, Honduran coffee was used only as foundation for coffee blends.

Although its neighbors in Central and South America exported all high-quality coffees, buyers saw Honduran coffee as a commodity at low prices due to a lack of quality control.

But all changed in 2000 with the founding of the Instituto Hondureño del Café (IHCAFE).

  • Promotes Honduran coffee both in Honduras and abroad.
  • Provides technical training for farmers.
  • Assists in the establishment of nurseries and greenhouses.
  • Provides low interest loans for equipment.
  • Train young Hondurans in controlling the quality of coffee through the national cupping school.

An overview of Honduran coffee beans

Due to its temperate and tropical climate, Honduras produces coffees that are usually described as light, robust and sweet.

Raised at altitudes between 1000 and 1800 meters above sea level, Honduran coffee beans can be classified according to both altitude and the region in which they were grown.

Every year, the beans are being harvested between November and April and it is estimated that the process employs around two million Hondurans to work the harvest of the beans from more than 90 million coffee trees grown throughout the country.

For best results, coffee cherries are harvested in their red fruit stage during multiple harvests to give the beans time to ripen.

Each of the six coffee-growing Honduran regions are home to at least two or three of the five major Arabian varieties:

  • Bourbon
  • Caturra
  • Typical
  • Catuai
  • Pacas

Also, depending on the climate and soil of the region, the coffee of each region will have its own flavor profile.

General notes of Honduran coffee tasting

Honduran coffee is aromatic and fragrant with hints of vanilla or peanuts. Its composition is often described as medium and round, and its acidity is generally well balanced.

Coffee grading in Honduras

Because Honduras contains both lowland and higher mountainous terrain, the coffee it produces is classified according to altitude.

Strictly High Grown (SGH): 1400 plus meters above sea level

High Grown (HG): 1000 – 1300 meters above sea level

Standard: less than 1000 meters above sea level

Present days

Nowadays, good quality Arabica coffee is currently grown in honduras, which is characterized by a spicy acidity. Climate there is very hot and humid, with abundant rainfall, which is very favorable for Arabica coffee. 

Among the most important plantations are Marcala, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa de Copán, La Paz, Comayagua, Lempiro, Yoro, Olancho, El Paraíso, Cortes etc.