Chiapas

Chiapas is Mexico's premier coffee state, producing the majority of the country's specialty-grade Arabica in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountains near the Guatemalan border. The Soconusco coast and highland zones around Motozintla, Tapachula, and the Lacandón jungle offer diverse microclimates at elevations up to 1,800 meters. Chiapas coffees are known for their light-to-medium body, bright acidity, and clean flavor notes of milk chocolate, citrus, and mild stone fruit. The state's significant indigenous Maya population cultivates much of the coffee using traditional organic shade-grown methods. Chiapas organic and fair-trade coffees have become an important segment of the North American specialty market.