Regions and Coffees of Note for Single Origin Coffees in Central America: Nicaragua & Honduras
Nicaragua
The rich and somewhat volcanic soil of Nicaragua provide a unique environment for coffee amongst the Central American countries, which is a subtlety that many coffee lovers are quick to forget. The wet processed beans of Nicaraguan coffee also have a lot more potential to live up to thanks to economic strife that has made it difficult to cultivate the beans in this area to their maximum abilities.
Maragogype: Maragogype is technically a variety of coffee just as Caturra and Bourbon, but Nicaraguan Maragogype deserves special mention here because the variety seems so well-suited to the terrain and the altitudes of Nicaragua.
- Bean description: Another bean that is great for espresso, Maragogype is known as the “elephant bean” because it is very large compared to most coffee beans.
Honduras
Honduras coffees are typically wet processed and graded according to a number of factors, including: Strictly High grown, High grown, and Central Standard. Honduras borders Guatemala and thus enjoys many of the advantages Guatemala has in coffee growing.
Interestingly enough, if you’re looking for single origin coffee blends from Starbucks, you’ll generally find them from nearby Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Colombia – not Honduras. But many people think Honduran coffee is on the rise.
