Mexico Maragogype

129,00 kr

This washed Maragogype comes from smallholder producers in Edelmira Coffee’s network in the highlands of Chiapas, southern Mexico. Farms are situated between roughly 1,300 and 2,000 masl, where coffee is grown under shade, and cherries are delivered to local wet mills for processing. The result is a clean, structured expression of this large-beaned variety that still feels very rooted in Chiapas.

“After our earlier one-off lots of rare, experimental Maragogype, we wanted a more classic version that could stay in the line-up for longer. This is Edelmira’s washed Maragogype, roasted just a touch darker so it works both as an espresso and as filter. In the cup it is super creamy, caramelly, sweet and citrusy, with clarity and freshness and a long, syrupy finish.”

Many of the farmers in Edelmira’s network usually grow varieties such as Bourbon, Catimor and Caturra. This lot comes from small plots of Maragogype that they have chosen to maintain and renew, keeping the variety alive in Chiapas while earning quality-based premiums. Through our Impact Trade partnership, this coffee also supports Edelmira’s community projects in rural Chiapas, including school connectivity initiatives in villages like Emiliano Zapata.

Size:

250 g 500g

Grind:

Whole Bans Filter French Press

Variant

Coffee Details

Origin
Mexico

Region
Fraylesca & Los Altos, Chiapas, Mexico

Producer
Edelmira Coffee

Varieties
Maragogype

Processing
Washed

Crop Year
2025

Altitude
1300-2000m.a.s.l.

Roasting Details

Roast level
3 out of 6

Flavour Notes
Citrus, Caramel, Chocolate

Roaster
IMF

Batch Size
5 kg

End Temperature
211.0°C

Time
9.32 minutes

About Mexico

Mexico is one of the world’s top ten coffee-producing and exporting countries, with production concentrated in southern states such as Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla and Oaxaca. Sector overviews note that around 95 to 96 per cent of Mexican coffee is Arabica, and that most farms are smallholdings of less than 3 hectares, often growing shade-grown coffee at medium to high altitudes in regions with volcanic soils and high rainfall. This combination of elevation, climate and farm structure supports a large number of cooperatives and community-based supply chains.

Chiapas is the country’s leading coffee region, accounting for roughly 40 per cent of national production and hosting one of the largest organic coffee areas in the world. Historical work on the region describes how coffee arrived in Chiapas in the nineteenth century, first through plantations in the Soconusco area near the Guatemalan border and later through waves of land reform that shifted production toward smallholder farmers and cooperatives in the highlands.

In today’s speciality market, Chiapas coffees are often associated with smooth, medium-bodied cups featuring chocolate, nut, and caramel notes, along with clean acidity, alongside brighter tropical fruit and citrus profiles at higher elevations. This profile aligns well with washed lots from networks like Edelmira.

About Maragogype

Maragogype is a rare variety of arabica that arose as a natural mutation of Typica near the town of Maragogipe in Bahia, Brazil, in the late nineteenth century. It is known for its very large “elephant” beans and tall trees, with low planting densities compared to most commercial cultivars. Variety catalogues describe Maragogype as having good cup quality potential but low yields and high susceptibility to diseases such as coffee leaf rust, which has limited large scale planting.

Today the variety is grown in relatively small quantities in a few Latin American origins, including Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua, where it is sold as a specialty coffee due to its scarcity and distinctive appearance.

Mexico Maragogype

129,00 kr

Chiapas, Mexico

Emiliano Zapata

Person sorting coffee beans into a bag with a red container of beans nearby.

Keeping Maragogype Alive in Mexico

Maragogype (also spelt Maragogipe) is an Arabica variety that originated in Brazil as a natural mutation of Typica discovered near the town of Maragogipe in Bahia in the late nineteenth century. The trees are tall with very large leaves and elongated internodes, and they produce seeds that can be up to twice the size of typical Arabica beans, which has given them the nickname “elephant beans”. Variety catalogues describe Maragogype as having good quality potential but very low productivity.

From Brazil, the variety spread through Central America. Today, several sources describe Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua as among the main producers of Maragogype, with Mexican regions such as Chiapas and Oaxaca being particularly noted for their high-quality lots. In Spanish-language writing on speciality coffee, Chiapas Maragogype is often highlighted as an outstanding Central American example, grown under shaded agroforestry systems that promote biodiversity and marketed internationally as a distinctive regional expression of the “elephant bean”.

The same traits that make Maragogype visually striking also make it difficult to farm. Variety descriptions and technical articles indicate very low yields and high susceptibility to major coffee diseases, including coffee leaf rust, coffee berry disease, and nematodes. Combined with the larger tree size and wider spacing required, this reduces profitability and has led many producers to replace Maragogype with more productive cultivars.

As a result, the variety now survives mainly in small pockets across Mexico and Central America, where it is treated as a rare, heritage coffee and often presented by roasters and cooperatives as a way to preserve both genetic diversity and a particular piece of local coffee culture.