{"product_id":"san-mateo-washed-arabica-oaxaca-mexico","title":"San Mateo – Washed Arabica – Oaxaca – Mexico","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThis lot is a blend of 37 individual microlots from smallholders farmers located in the municipality of San Mateo Yoloxochitlan, on the Sierra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e Mazateca mountains in Oaxaca \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eat an a\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eltitude between 1680-1850 MASL \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eSpecies: Arabica\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eVariety: Typica, Mundo Novo, Bourbon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eProcess: Washed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRoast degree: Light\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended for: \u003cstrong\u003efilter and modern espresso\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eOur packaging is made of 100% recyclable plastic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSourced by Red Beetle Coffee Lab and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rawmaterial.coffee\/\"\u003eRaw Material\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThe Context\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThe Mazateca is located in the state of Oaxaca, one of the most diverse states in México, both biologically \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eand culturally. The Mazateca gets its name from the presence of the indigenous group, the Mazatec, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003ewhich is a Nahualt name that translates to “\u003cem\u003ethe deer people\u003c\/em\u003e”. However, in their own language, Mazateco, the group is called Ha Shuta Enima, which means “those who work the hills”.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThe land is found between the regions from La Cañada and the Papaloapán Valley, at the northern tip of the state of Oaxaca. As part of the Sierra Madre Sur and the Sierra Oriental, the land is surrounded by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003ehigh mountains, cliffs, and hills of mainly mesophile forest, bathed by constant rains, and the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eintermittent presence of mist.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThe Mazateca is an important indigenous region where 92% of the population speaks an indigenous \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003elanguage, mostly Mazateco, with a few Nahuatl and Mixtec speakers also. The locals show a connection to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003etheir ancestry through their celebrations and traditions, such as celebrations for each town patron, day of the dead, local seed sowing traditions, and many others.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThe region is also one of the most lacking in health and education coverage of the country with an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003ealarming poverty and illiteracy level. It is made up of small and isolated communities where the main \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eeconomic activity is small-scale agriculture, since few people own more than a couple hectares of land.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThere is an important tradition of coffee growing in this region. The steep landscape makes for hard \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003ework but is also the reason for the outstanding cup quality, which for a long time got lost in huge blends\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eSeparating the blends into smaller lots allows to pay a premioum to those producers who strives to produce superior coffees. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eEspecially as the average price in the region was MX$35 (US$1.70) \/ kg of parchment coffee for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003emany years. Even with the high market prices of 2021, the local price only reached MX$45. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e The \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eaverage price paid in 2023 by Raw Material was \u003cstrong\u003eMX$80, almost a 100% increase compared to the local price.\u003c\/strong\u003e H\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eowever,  many producers received a lot more due to that being just the average. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eMost of the producers continue the coffee production of their parents and grandparents and often the whole family works together at harvest time. Sadly, this is being threatened due to a mixture of low coffee prices, coffee leaf rust, ageing plants and lack of resources and assistance from private or public \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003esectors. \u003cstrong\u003eThis has led to a drop in yields, as low as 100 kg per hectare. As reference, the average in \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColombia is 2,400 kg per hectare, and in Brazil up to 5,200 kg.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eFor the past twenty years, this has contributed to an alarming increase in migration of young people to major cities in Mexico and to the United States. The rise in the abandonment of land and coffee crops by the young has also left the very heavy handed and labour-intensive coffee work to the elderly producers, many of whom we work with are above the age of 70 and even older than 80 years old.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThe weather, the land, and the producers together generate extraordinary coffees in this region. The \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003evarieties mainly cultivated are Typica, Mundo Novo and Caturra. Most of these plants tend to be over 40 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eyears old which is a major contributing factor for the low yields. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThe average amount of coffee processed by each producer per harvest can be as low as 100 kg,  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThis means we all too often buy lots of 20 kg from each producer (the smallest lot we have received was 4kg). The large amount of work for gathering and cupping samples and the microlots turns out to be \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eabsolutely worth the effort due to the complexity of the coffees that this region produces. This is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eundeniably one of the most impressive coffee producing regions we work in, in Mexico. In the Mazateca most producers may harvest around 100 kilos, but the greater majority is kept for consumption. For this reason, some blends come from numerous producers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eMost coffee producers in the Mazateca have between 0.5 to 5 hectares of land with the average producer working on less than one hectare. This means that, as in much of Oaxaca, production is very small and yields are lower here than in other areas of the state. The Sierra Mazateca mountain range is located to the north of Oaxaca city and forms much of the state’s border with Veracruz. The region is very remote, hard to access, with many in Oaxaca not even knowing of its existence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eToday the region is rarely visited, and even in the coffee world it is often neglected due to the challenging conditions, remote locations and small production.  Even by Oaxaca’s low standards production yields are tiny here in part due to the cool temperatures.  Coffee is generally grown at 1500 metres and above in the Mazateca and at this latitude, these altitudes experience very low temperatures making frost damage a real issue for producers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eThis climate and these altitudes also contribute positively to the cup profile and in general, coffees from the Mazateca are among the most complex and highest quality in all of Mexico. Many producers here do not speak Spanish, and Mazateco is the first language for the vast majority of people in the region. This can make organisation and coordination a little tough, but the quality and potential make the Mazateca one of the main focuses of our work in Mexico. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"LTR\"\u003eWorking closely with Red Beetle and their associates in the community, we are aiming to open up access to the specialty market for producers in the Mazateca, and to provide a sustainable and profitable supply chain for their coffees. Doing this will provide a long term, stable, and profitable alternative to simply selling to local intermediaries at a market-based price- currently the only option for many producers. In time this supply chain can help to generate capital and investment to help improve yields, production volumes and quality in the Mazateca.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nordic Roasting Co","offers":[{"title":"250g \/ Whole Beans","offer_id":48801917305157,"sku":null,"price":165.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g \/ Moka Pot","offer_id":48801917337925,"sku":null,"price":165.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000g \/ Whole Beans","offer_id":48801917370693,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000g \/ Moka Pot","offer_id":48801917403461,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g \/ Filter","offer_id":48801917468997,"sku":null,"price":165.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true},{"title":"250g \/ French Press","offer_id":48801917534533,"sku":null,"price":165.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000g \/ Filter","offer_id":48801917600069,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000g \/ French Press","offer_id":48801917665605,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0508\/6117\/9048\/files\/250g_San_Mateo_Front_View_22423cdc-b931-4098-9e94-7371e90d8e4c.jpg?v=1772454013","url":"https:\/\/www.nordicroasting.pro\/products\/san-mateo-washed-arabica-oaxaca-mexico","provider":"Nordic Roasting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}