Coffee was introduced to Mexico in the late 1700s by Europeans who owned farms and employed indigenous Mexican laborers to cultivate it. In the early 20th century, agrarian land reforms began to transform the coffee industry. Nowadays, Mexican coffee farms are very different from the large plantations of the past, with 515,000 producers, 85% of whom are indigenous Mexicans. Additionally, 95% of these producers cultivate fewer than three hectares of land.
The three main coffee-producing regions in Mexico are Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz. Each region has its own distinct coffee character, with Veracruz being the first state to see a coffee tree planted in its soil.
Veracruz's finest coffees grow on inland mountains at 1,100-1,600 meters above sea level. They have notes of light red fruits, blueberries, caramel, and panela, and are delicate with a bright acidity. They are also very juicy, with a sweet and sour aftertaste.
Veracruz is the most technologically advanced state out of the three, with more disease-resistant varieties and controlled sowing. Many coffee producers evenly distribute trees one meter apart, with no more than 5,000 plants per hectare.
