History of Coffee in Honduras

Prior to 1900, coffee was essentially a garden crop in Honduras, grown on small lots of land and traded within the country for internal consumption. Less than 10 percent of the coffee harvested was exported in 1894. By 1900, exports had more than doubled, but banana was still king. A decline in banana production over the decades coincided with a slow but steady growth in coffee production. Today, Honduras is the largest coffee producer in Central America, exporting more than 5 million bags last year, and is one of the largest exporters of specialty grade coffee.

Growing Coffee in Honduras

Honduras is somewhat unique in that it experienced the most significant growth in export volume after the emergence of the specialty coffee industry, so new farmers and new mills begin with quality as their goal. Coffee is now pervasive in Honduras, grown in 210 of the 298 municipalities and throughout central and coastal highlands within six districts identified as Coffee Regions. Starting in the north and moving south, the regions are Copan, Opalaca, Montecillos, Comayagua, El Paraiso, and Agalta. More than 60 percent of Honduras coffee is grown above 12 hundred meters and as high as 16 hundred. Almost 90 percent of Honduras coffee is grown on small (less than 153 bags) and medium (between 153 and 766 bags) sized farms. Virtually all Honduras coffee (over 90 percent) is washed and sun dried. Plant varieties include Cautuai, Caturra, Bourbon, Typica, and Pacas. 

History of Coffee in Colombia

As with many coffee origins, it is believed that coffee was first brought to Colombia by priests, arriving, perhaps, within a decade or two after coffee first came to the Americas via the Caribbean in the first half of the 17th century. It was likely a garden crop grown for local consumption and barter for decades. Unlike other coffee regions, we have the story of a priest named Francisco Romero, who could be called the father of commercial coffee cultivation in Colombia. The folkloric tale goes that in the early 1800’s, Father Francisco, hearing confessions in the north eastern town of Salazar de la Palmas, assigned planting coffee to his parishioners as penance for their sins. The Archbishop of Colombia heard about this and ordered all priests to adopt the practice. Commercial production of coffee expanded quickly, moving into regions where the growing conditions were ideal. 

The Process

Ethyl Acetate decaffeination - commonly called 'sugarcane' method - is a process which combines high mountain spring water and Ethyl Acetate (EA) of natural origin. EA is present in every coffee cherry in its natural state (as well as in many other fruits and vegetables). The natural EA is obtained from a sugar cane-based process and is, together with spring water, the only other element which comes into contact with the coffee. 

First the beans are steamed to open their pores, then they are rinsed with Ethyl-Acetate repeatedly to remove the caffeine. They are then dried to a 10-12% humidity and sealed with a natural wax which has a neutral profile which does not affect the flavour or aroma of the coffee.

This water-EA process allows for gentle extraction of the caffeine from the bean, avoiding excessive heat or pressure, maintaining the natural structure and all characteristics of the coffee bean.