Mexico Decaffeinated | Swiss Water
Mexico ranks fifth in the world as a coffee producer, after Brazil, Colombia,
Indonesia and Vietnam. And within the country, the state of Puebla is the third national producer of coffee
(after Veracruz and Chiapas), with an average annual production that exceeds 210 thousand
tons. Coffee production in Puebla is concentrated mainly in the Sierra Norte, in
particular, in the municipalities of Hueytamalco, Huauchinango, Xicotepec de Juárez, Cuetzalan and
Teziutlán; while another part of the production is located in the region of Tehuacán,
belonging to the Sierra Negra.
Process Method
This coffee is decaffeinated with water by the Canadian company Swiss Water. Swiss Water creates a green coffee extract from fresh water and all the soluble solids in the coffee; this GCE (Green Coffee Extract) is the key to the process that they perform and which we will explain later where it is applied for the process. Before being decaffeinated, the green coffee is rehydrated to prepare it for the ideal humidity level for the removal of caffeine. In this process, dirt, dust and silver skin are also removed. The GCE is then poured and circulated around the green coffee for a period of 8 to 10 hours, trapping the caffeine until it is removed. The caffeine is removed from the GCE through a patented carbon filter system, and the carbon is sent to a regeneration oven to burn off the caffeine so it can be reused.
During the decaffeination process, the GCE is constantly refreshed and renewed. It is also continuously monitored to ensure its operation. In this way, it is not necessary to create a new batch of GCE for each new batch of green coffee that needs to be decaffeinated.
It is important to understand that this is a natural process that refrains from the use of chemicals.
Origin
As in most of Mesoamerica, coffee was first planted in Mexico during the early colonial days, most likely in the late 18th century. However, due to the increased attention paid to the region’s rich mineral deposits and mining opportunities, coffee did not develop as an industry until later, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the redistribution of farms, the independence and emergence of small farmers, specifically those of indigenous origin. At the end of the 20th century, the Mexican government established a national coffee institution called INMECAFE, which, like the FNC in Colombia and ICAFE in Costa Rica, was developed to offer technical assistance, information and botanical material, and financial credits to producers.
Unfortunately, INMECAFE was something of a short-lived experiment, disbanding in 1989, leaving producers with a gap in their access to support and resources, especially those in very remote rural areas. This infrastructure disruption and the coffee crisis that followed the end of the International Coffee Agreement plunged Mexico’s coffee growers into desperate financial times, which in turn dramatically affected quality. Throughout the 1990s and since the early 21st century, an increased presence, influence and focus of Fair Trade and Fairtrade certifications and the emphasis of democratically led smallholder cooperative organization have worked to transform the image of Mexican coffee. in one that reflects sustainability, affordability, and relatively easy logistics, considering its proximity to the United States.
In recent years, Mexico has fought mightily with coffee leaf rust and other pathogens that have reduced both yield and cup quality. This, combined with the huge turnover of land ownership and the loss of labor to emigration and relocation has created a tentative future for the producing country, although we have seen great cups and great promises from quality producers and associations. . The best cups are fantastic, and are well worth the long-term work and investment to try to overcome the hurdles faced by the average farmer, who owns between 1-5 hectares. (Although some of the medium-sized farms will run closer to 25 hectares) which helps offset the area’s lack of rainfall. The shade is especially dense to protect the coffee trees from the occasional frost in the region.
11,25 € – 45 €
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