Although El Salvador is the smallest Central American country, its reputation for high-quality coffee is undeniable. El Salvador coffee has had an arduous journey, coming up from political turmoil to find where it is today.

El Salvador is small but has coffee potential 

Origin of El Salvador Coffee

The fertile land of El Salvador in the past was considered unsuitable for coffee production.

Coffee plays an important role in El Salvador

In the early 20th century, El Salvador became one of the most progressive of the Central American countries – the first to have paved highways and to invest in ports, railways and public buildings. luxury. Coffee is the driving force behind investments in infrastructure as well as the integration of indigenous communities into the national economy. However, it also served as a mechanism for the elite to maintain economic and political control over the country.

Political upheaval and the ascent of the people of El Salvador

During its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, coffee accounted for 90% of El Salvador’s exports. However, everything changed when a civil war lasted from 1979 to 1992, causing the coffee industry across the country to suffer. From 1979 to 1986, in just 7 years, El Salvador’s coffee production dropped by a staggering 19%. Furthermore, after the war ended, it became increasingly difficult for El Salvador to penetrate the international market amid competition from other countries. In 2018, coffee accounted for only 1.86% of the total export turnover of the people of El Salvador, of which 42% was exported to the US.

Faced with that downturn, in 2015 the El Salvador Coffee Council set out a five-year development plan to revive the country’s coffee industry. This plan focuses on enhancing the position of El Salvador coffee in the global market, promoting internal consumption and increasing the production of high-quality coffee. At the same time, the focus on innovating coffee production methods to improve quality is also promoted and encouraged.

El Salvador becomes the world’s leading coffee producer

A number of El Salvadoran coffee producers have begun experimenting endlessly with innovative processing methods until they find something that works. These efforts then set off a trend with other coffee producers in the country. And the focus on quality investment has paid off. El Salvador coffee in recent years has shaped a flavor brand known for its sweetness, brown sugar, chocolate, caramel and rich fruit flavors. The country of El Salvador has gradually returned to its position as a high-quality specialty coffee origin.

Famous coffee growing areas in El Salvador are recognized by the world

In El Salvador, coffee differs mainly in height and flavor characteristics. According to PRO CAFÉ (the country’s coffee research institute), they have divided this land into 7 distinct coffee growing regions:

Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountains

Located in the Western region, with an elevation of 500 to 2,365 meters, it is one of the most famous regions of El Salvador and home to El Salvador’s First Origin. The area covers coffee on and near El Salvador’s famous Santa Ana volcano (which erupted recently in 2005) and has some of the country’s famous large farms. This is also the home of a fragrant eggplant named El Molino Buena Vista – a cross between two varieties of Red Catuai and Bourbon – with a blend of purple plums and blackcurrants.

Central Belt / El Bálsamo-Quezaltepec . Mountains

Originally home to the Quetzalcotitán civilization, the region includes the San Salvador Volcano and rich volcanic soils. The area takes its name from the Salvadoran Balsam (an aromatic resin) produced there and benefits from an altitude of 500 to 1,900 meters. This region has a thick body, strong aroma and medium acidity.

Tecapa-Chinchontepec Mountains

Having a very varied elevation, averaging between 500 and 2,000 meters, this region is home to the San Miguel or Chaparrastique Volcano with its highest peak at 2,130 meters. The region is the third largest coffee producer in the country. The tomato seeds here have a thick body, outstanding flavor and aroma, and medium acidity.

Cacahuatique Mountains

The region is located east of Ciudad Barrios, between San Miguel and Morazan, with an average elevation of 500 to 1,663 meters. Known for its clay-like soil, farmers here often have to dig large holes and fill them with fertile soil to plant new crops. Coffee in this region is characterized by high acidity, strong aroma, medium body and mild flavor.

The Nahuaterique Mountains

Located in the North Morazán department, bordering Honduras to the north and the Torola valley to the south, this region is known as the ‘land of green forests’. The coffee here also carries the original taste of neutral acidity and depth of flavor.

Alotpeque-Metapan

The coffee growing area here is quite high, from 1,000 to 2,000 meters high. In the north of the country, it is known for its very high quality of coffee. The coffee flavor here is usually strong and has medium acidity.

Chinchontepec Volcano (San Vicente)

Located between La Paz and San Vicente, Bourbon and Pacas are popular in this region, with the San Vicente Volcano reaching 2,130 meters high. One of the newest coffee producing areas in El Salvador, the area is nonetheless well suited for coffee farming and is home to a number of notable farms.

Taste of El Salvador Coffee

El Salvador coffee has a classic, well-balanced sweet taste. This is typical of Central American coffee. El Salvador coffee has a pure but intense taste from the volcanic land.

In addition, the preliminary processing also contributes to the rich flavor of this land’s coffee beans. Here, people often use wet processing method and medium roast to create a pleasant mild acid taste and very sweet tropical fruit flavor. In the process of enjoying, if you choose the Milk Base method, the cup of coffee will turn into cream, milk chocolate with a slight cherry flavor.

Wet processing and roasting create a pleasant mild acid

The beauty of El Salvador coffee lies in its ethereal, gentle, sweet and pleasant water. The first sip seems to be fleeting, but the sweetness and aroma together with the feeling of fullness and waves deposited on the tip of the tongue will urge you to take the second and third sips… The coffee cup is quiet but not faded. , perfect for private moments of reflection, bringing tranquility and healing. The harmonious balance between aroma, sweetness and smooth acidity creates a complete overall coffee taste.

Although the process of fighting to regain the unique position of coffee in El Salvador has many difficulties, somewhere it still affirms the core value that the coffee beans here bring. Until now, El Salvador coffee has returned as one of the most sought after origins of the famous Specialty coffee in the world. Do you think it’s worth all the previous effort?

43 Factory Coffee Roaster is always waiting for you to visit so that the coffees keep the identity of the growing region