Cuban coffee is considered one of the best coffees in the world. Unfortunately, for various reasons, Cuban coffee was only accessible to Cuban residents or visiting tourists for many years. In recent years, with positive changes in Cuba’s economy, Cuban coffee is conquering global markets and becoming available to coffee connoisseurs.
The land of Cuba is ideal for growing the highest quality coffee. In 1791, Jose Gerabert brought a coffee tree to the outskirts of Havana and established the first coffee production company. The first coffee beans were brought from the Dominican Republic, specifically the Santo Domingo region. Coffee production in Cuba flourished with the arrival of French colonists who, fleeing the 1791 revolution, came to Cuba from Haiti. These enterprising people discovered wonderful lands and climatic conditions suitable for coffee production in the Cuban mountains. Thus, vast coffee plantations emerged in Cuba, which quickly became major and powerful coffee production centers. Thanks to such prosperity, by the beginning of the 19th century, Cuba became the world’s leading coffee exporter. Due to the favorable geographical position of the Liberty Island and the average temperature ranging from 23 to 28 degrees Celsius, it became possible to grow very high-quality coffee beans, which are considered one of the best Arabica types in the world.
Today, Cuba is considered a substantial exporter, supplementing global markets with several dozen types of coffee. Therefore, all Cuban coffee outside the borders of the Cuban Republic is branded as CUBITOS, and every new variety introduced to the export assortment is considered only a CUBITOS variant. CUBITOS is also the name of the company that manufactures and exports coffee. The company owns its plantations and also purchases coffee beans from local, private planters. The purchased beans are meticulously inspected and sorted, complex coffee blends are made, which are tightly packaged and exported to other countries.
Cuba produces an exceptional type of coffee that meets the highest quality standards. The coffee growing traditions of Cuban peasants are distinguished by special attention given to the cultivation, collection, and processing of coffee beans. The use of exclusively organic fertilizers, fully manual harvesting, transportation of coffee beans in carts pulled by mules, and processing of coffee beans with modern electronic methods, constantly monitored by people who carry great responsibility for correct and high-quality coffee roasting, give Cuban coffee its unique taste and divine aroma.
Cuban coffee is characterized by a sharp, slightly burning, and slightly bitter taste with absolutely no acidity. The coffee flavor is rich, with undertones of tobacco. The caffeine content in the beans is quite high, making the coffee strong, which is why Cubans value it. In Cuba, coffee is everywhere – when socializing with friends, at the center of conversations, or while waiting for guests and tourists. It is said that Cuban coffee is very strong, very sweet, and slightly dangerous, just like the people who drink it! Although it is claimed that true Cuban coffee can only be enjoyed in Cuba, you can at least come close to the real taste by enjoying “Cubita” coffee.