Mexico - Goodbye, my chipi-coffee

I'm leaving Coatepec (Veracruz state) very soon, so I've saved the best for last.

The best? Coatepec coffee, this world-renowned nectar, to which I've succumbed every day since I arrived. Seriously, I think I've developed a serious addiction.

This coffee is exceptional thanks to two magical things: the altitude (between 900 and 1,300 meters, exactly in the comfort zone of even the most temperamental Arabica plants) and the famous "chipi-chipi." No, it's not a cute little animal or a local dance. It's that fine, light, almost perpetual mist that envelops everything like a damp hug. It's the meeting of the warm, humid air from the coast with the cold air from the high mountains that creates this exceptional ecosystem.

The coffee loves it: it drinks in small sips, slowly, without stress. The result? Happy grains, fragrant aromas.

credit:multigrafica.com.mx, the chipi-chipi in Xalapa

So, off to the Museo del Café to become an expert in 90 minutes and, incidentally, justify my daily consumption.

First, the basic lesson: forget the robusta I tasted in Vietnam—bitter, strong, harvested two or three times a year at low altitudes.

Here, it's arabica or nothing. Grown at altitude, in the shade, and harvested only once a year (October to December). The plant grows slowly under the trees, unhurried, unstressed. And it shows. Several varieties of arabica are used, such as Bourbon, Caturra, Garnica, and Typica, which thrive in the region's volcanic soils.

There are also the secondary stars which represent less than 1% of world production: Liberica (which can grow up to 10 meters, a giant among dwarfs), stenophylla (resistant to drought), and eugenioides (extreme finesse, but ultra-rare).

Unlike Brazil and its mass production, Mexico focuses on small, family-run farms, often organic. The country accounts for about 2-3% of global production, but it is one of the leaders in organic coffee.

Then, a surprising moment: I'm handed a whole coffee cherry. I expect something bitter and hard… but no! The pulp is sweet, juicy, exotic. Who would have thought that coffee begins its life as a tropical dessert?

The coffee life cycle is a bit like raising a teenager: transplanting at 30 cm, first harvest in the first year (yes, they're early-maturing), and at 3 meters, they reach full maturity. Then: harvesting, pulping, washing, drying, sorting, and bagging.

Pulpers and sorters

Green coffee can be stored for up to a year before roasting (206-240°C). That's where everything happens.

Roasters

Light? Floral, caramelized aromas.

Medium? Perfect for an Americano… or as we say here, a Coatepecano (an Americano, but with a local accent and much more pride).

Dark? Thick crema, intense espresso, for those who really want to wake up.

catación (tasting)

And the highlight of the show: the catación (tasting). An ultra-serious organoleptic experience where the coffee is evaluated with… everything. First the eyes (color, uniformity), then the nose (aromas dry, then with a little hot water). You break the crust, you smell. Then the noisiest moment: you fill a spoon, slurp it with a big gulp of air (like an elephant drinking), and circulate the liquid over all your taste buds. It's noisy, it's intense, it's almost embarrassing… but magical. I slurped like a pro (well, I tried). Verdict: my palate said "more" before my brain had even finished processing it.

In short, if you're ever in Coatepec, stop by the museum. Touch, smell, slurp, taste. And bring back a pack, or three.

Hasta la próxima taza, Coatepec. (See you at the next cup, Coatepec)

Coffee and churros, a slice of paradise

Here's an overview of the main Arabica varieties and cultivars:

• Typica: One of the oldest varieties, the origin of many others, renowned for its superior cup quality. It produces, among others, the famous Blue Mountain.

• Bourbon (Red, Yellow, Pointu): A natural mutation of Typica, known for its sweetness and complex aromas. Bourbon Pointu is a rare and prestigious variety.

• Caturra: A mutation of Bourbon, more productive and resistant, very common in Latin America.

• Catuai: A hybrid of Mundo Novo and Caturra, grown primarily in Brazil.

• Geisha (or Gesha): Famous for its exceptional aromatic complexity (floral and jasmine notes) and its rarity, often grown at high altitudes, particularly in Panama.

• Maragogype: Known as "elephant coffee" due to the large size of its beans, it is a mutation of Typica.

• SL28 & SL34: Selected varieties from Kenya, renowned for their intense acidity and fruity notes (blackcurrant).

• Pacamara: A hybrid resulting from a cross between Pacas and Maragogype.

• Heirloom: A term used to refer to wild or traditional varieties from Ethiopia.