The Mexican coffee, Altura Superior, is cultured in the high mountains near the southern border of Mexico near a city of the same name, Altura Coatepec . Altura in Spanish means "high grown" and it is the name of Mexico's best gourmet coffee. Mexican coffee growers produce good quality Arabica varietals in the agreeable climate of the central highlands. Usually designated Altura, the highest quality coffee beans receive the grade Superior. The resulting coffee is Altura Superior which has fragrant aroma, rich and smooth flavor, and pronounced deep-medium body. Altura Superior has hints of sweetness that make it perfect for enjoying black, even strong, or in a cold coffee beverage.

Coatepec's name comes from the Nahuatl coatl, serpent, and tepetl, The Hill where the Snakes live . According to the legendary traditions of the Aztecs, the Mexica marked the end of the first "calendar round" of 52 years of wandering at a place called Coatepec, "Serpent Hill." The ancestral Mexica, according to tradition, transported out a New Fire ceremony to mark the end of one cycle of time and the beginning of another at this place. It is interesting to note that because the 365 day solar calendar and the 260 day division calendar of the Aztecs take 52 years to reach their ends at the same moment, every single day within that 52 year period has a unique date in the Aztec system.

This rich symbolism is one of the reasons why Coatepec is also one of twenty four locations inside Mexico with the title of "Magic Town." This title refers to the town's legends, mysticism, traditions, architecture, gastronomy and history. And, who knows? Perhaps the " magic" from the Mexica also helps make Altura Superior such a great coffee!

The soil conditions and geographic location of Coatepec are ideal for coffee cultivation. The municipality of Coatepec is in the central region of the Mexican state of Veracruz. The municipal seat and largest community of the municipality is also called Coatepec. The city has about 50,000 people and the municipality surpassed 80,000. The municipality includes several smaller communities within its boundaries such as Tuzamapan, Pacho Viejo, Mahuixtlán; Coatepec is often referred to as the "Capital of Coffee" in Mexico .

Altura Superior coffee growers take great care in growing, picking and processing each and every coffee bean . The quality of coffee depends heavily on how it is grown, cared for, harvested, processed and finally sold to consumers. Every step of the coffee cultivation, from bean to seedling to bush to product for export has an impact on how good or bad the coffee will absolutely be.

Altura Superior coffee growers harvest the coffee cherries three times during the season picking only the ripened red berries. The berries are then washed in rainwater and dried under the sun to bring out the flavor to its fullest. After this stage, the beans are hand sorted to remove unevenly sized beans. This is important to ensure consistency later on for even roasting. This attention to detail also helps prevent any trace of bitterness from burned beans. Altura Superior coffee growers follow organic practices that further naturally enrich the quality of the coffee bushes and protect the environment.

There are more than 100,000 small farms growing coffee in Mexico, most of them in the south of the country. The coffee producing regions of Vera Cruz and Chiapas account for two thirds of the Mexican coffee crop. The reminder is grown in Puebla and other states including Oaxaca. There are large coffee plantations in the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Guerrero. Mexicans like drinking coffee and consume over half of the coffee production. The other half is for export, most of it to the United States.

So, ready to enjoy a cup of freshly roasted specialty gourmet Altura Superior Mexican coffee?