Honduras El Chile Parainema Washed SHG/EP 2024

El Paraiso coffee from Honduras

El Paraiso is the largest coffee-growing region in the south of Honduras, along the border of Nicaragua. It’s also one of the oldest coffee farming departments. Temperatures run a little warmer here, from 16 to 22.5ºC, and altitudes range from 1,000 to 1,400masl. Coffee production is the main source of income here and creates over a thousand jobs for the local population. El Paraiso is surrounded by the El Chile biological reserve, a vast mountain range rich with quality soil, unique microclimates, and high altitudes.

What is Parainema coffee?

While Catuai is the most common green coffee variety grown in Honduras, the Instituto Hondureño del Café (IHCAFE) has been hard at work researching and developing improved varietals for farmers to maximize their production. A newer variety introduced by IHCAFE is Parainema - a dwarf cultivar that combines Villa Sarchi with a Timor Hybrid - is highly resistant to coffee leaf rust. Our Volcafe Way ground team in Honduras regularly distributes young Parainema coffee trees to producers.

Parainema coffee is valued for its unique cup profile and easily recognized by its thin, elongated bean shape. It was first introduced in 2010 in the department of El Paraiso, hence the naming of this variety.

How is coffee graded in Honduras?

The coffee grading system in Honduras is based on the altitude at which the coffee was grown. Strictly High Grown (SHG) Honduras green coffee was grown at 1,350masl or above. High Grown (HG) Honduras green coffee was grown between 1,200 to 1,350masl, and Central Standard coffee from Honduras was grown below 1,200masl.

Another classification for coffee quality is European Process (EP). Through meticulous hand-sorting coffees can earn the EP designation which signifies that there are no more than four defects per 1,000 coffee beans.

Honduras Green Coffee

Nestled in the heart of Central America, Honduras emerges as an up-and-coming powerhouse origin with a rapidly growing coffee industry. The country's coffee sector thrives primarily in the western regions, where altitudes ranging from 800 to 1,700 meters create optimal conditions for cultivating high-quality specialty coffee. Despite infrastructure and socioeconomic challenges, entrepreneurial producers are racing to improve quality, innovate processing techniques, and cultivate high-profile coffee varieties. As Honduras continues to invest in sustainable practices and quality improvement initiatives, its position as a key player in the global coffee market becomes increasingly prominent. Learn more in our Honduras Green Coffee Origin Report .