Byron's Maracaturra is available by the cup at Cafe Gratitude as our featured House Coffee of the Month, and is available by the bag through our Coffee of the Month Club.
July 2011 Single Origin Spotlight: Byron’s Maracaturra, Nicaragua | November 2010-January 2011 Harvest
High on the misty slopes of the Arenal Forest Reserve in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, Byron Corrales Martinez stewards a rare heirloom coffee known as Maracaturra. The precise origins of Maracaturra are not known, but it is thought that it emerged in the late 1800’s from a naturally occurring cross between Maragogipe (itself a rare mutation of old stock Arabica) and Caturra, one of the original African Arabica cultivars planted throughout Central America. Maracaturra was first planted on Byron’s farm by his grandfather who prized it for the sweet, floral flavor of its beans, and for its broad, silky leaves.
Like his father, and grandfather before him, Byron maintains a deep commitment to his land, and the health of his community. Practicing traditional shade grown and ecologically-based farming practices, Byron has innovated the application of biodynamic techniques to coffee cultivation. Known throughout Central America as a pioneering farmer, Byron’s use of compost and mineral applications provide his coffee trees with a diet carefully calibrated to suit the needs of the plant as it cycles through blossoming, fruiting, ripening, and then resting. Homeopathic treatments of leaf fungus ensure that the plant itself is strengthened against blights, without the use of chemicals. His planting, feeding, and harvesting are sequenced in accordance with lunar cycles, taking advantage of the plant’s natural rhythms. Visiting Bryon and his farm reveals farming as a kind of natural choreography, balancing, harnessing, and rejuvenating the ecosystem’s energy.
The lush ridges and valleys of the Sierra Madre rise high into the clouds of western Guatemala. The unique combination of high elevations, dense neotropical forests, and cold wet nights create an ideal setting for the production of great coffee. Known in the coffee world as Huehuetenango (way way ten ango) this region was one of the first recognized appellations, a historical fact that testifies to its unique ecology, culture, and distinctive coffees. In fact, Huehuetenango is one of two appellations recognized by Slow Food International as a heritage producer.