About the Coffee

Introduced to the country in the 1850s, coffee soon became Nicaragua’s primary export. However, decades of war, political unrest, embargoes, and hurricanes in the mid- to late-1900s dramatically weakened the country’s agricultural infrastructure, and Nicaraguan coffee production has fought to gain more stability in the subsequent years.

Today, coffee production generates over $500 million dollars a year in exports, with an average of 2 million bags exported annually. There are more than 40,000 coffee producers in Nicaragua, 97% of which are smallholder farmers. Production is concentrated to north-central Nicaragua, primarily in the departments of Matagalpa, Jinotega, and Nueva Segovia. Arabica varieties of Bourbon, Caturra, Maracaturra, and Pacamara are common, as is washed processing. Though Nicaraguan beans showcase a diverse range of aroma and flavor, General characteristics of Nicaraguan beans are notes of citrus, chocolate, or caramel, with floral or nutty tones, and bright acidity.

Amid the threats to the future of coffee production, initiatives from organizations and cooperatives like Asociación de Cafés Especiales de Nicaragua and PRODECOOP, as well as the successes seen from competitions like the Cup of Excellence, are putting Nicaragua on the global stage of coffee production once again.