The Coffee Bean

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Organic Mexican Altura Coffee by Kobricks. Coffee arrived in Mexico quite a bit later than in most other coffee-growing regions of the world. Coffee bushes were first planted there at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and exporting did not begin on a significant scale until the 1870's. Mexicans still consume over half of the coffee they produce domestically, and the United States buys three-quarters of their exports. The finest grade of Mexican coffee, most of which is exported, is 'altura,' which means 'high-grown.' As with all coffee, the best Mexican coffee is grown at high altitudes. Altura coffees are among the finest grown in the Americas.
Organically grown coffee does not necessarily offer any health benefits over non-organic coffee. Coffee beans are naturally protected from agro-chemicals within a thick, fleshy cherry. Any chemical residue that might be left on the bean after this cherry is removed is burned off during the roasting process. The purchase of Mexican organic coffee does, however, help to protect the livelihood of the small farmer in cooperatives, as well as the environment in which they farm.