tags: [] - coffee/varieties - coffee/geography/americas aliases: - Pacamara coffee variety - Pacamara Arabica

Pacamara¶

Tags: #coffee/varieties #coffee/geography/americas Aliases: Pacamara coffee variety, Pacamara Arabica Related: Coffee Variety Families MOC | Pacas | Maragogipe | El Salvador | Arabica Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Pacamara is a Coffea arabica hybrid variety developed in El Salvador in 1958 by the Instituto Salvadoreño de Investigaciones del Café (ISIC), created by crossing Pacas (a natural Bourbon mutation found in El Salvador) with Maragogipe (a large-bean Typica mutation from Brazil). The resulting variety combines Pacas's compact, productive plant form with Maragogipe's characteristic extra-large bean size, producing a vigorous, large-fruited plant with consistently striking cup quality. Pacamara has become one of the most celebrated specialty coffee varieties in the world, particularly associated with El Salvador and increasingly with Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras, where it regularly achieves exceptional scores in Cup of Excellence competitions.

Origins¶

Pacas was discovered in 1949 on the Pacas family farm in Santa Ana, El Salvador — a natural mutation of Bourbon with compact growth similar to Caturra. Maragogipe was identified in the municipality of Maragogipe, Bahia, Brazil, in the 19^th century — a large-seeded Typica mutation producing beans significantly larger than any other Arabica variety (screen size 19–20+).

ISIC developed the Pacas × Maragogipe cross beginning in 1958, selecting and stabilising the resulting offspring over subsequent generations. The name Pacamara combines the names of the two parents. The variety was formally released in 1979.

Physical Characteristics¶

Pacamara is visually distinctive at every stage of production: - Plant: Large, vigorous, with large leaves; less compact than Caturra or Pacas but more compact than Typica - Cherry: Extra-large, well-formed; among the largest cherry of any Arabica variety - Bean: Extra-large; typically screen size 17–20+; flat beans are large and elongated, peaberry Pacamara beans are noticeably large

The extra-large bean size creates some practical challenges: - Grading: Most standard coffee sizing sieves do not accommodate Pacamara beans without adjustment - Roasting: Large bean size means longer time required for heat to reach the bean core; roast profiles must account for this (generally slower heat application in drying and Maillard phases) - Processing: Very large cherry requires careful pulping settings to avoid damage

Cup Quality¶

Pacamara is celebrated for a complex, expressive cup quality that is highly valued in the specialty market. When grown at altitude and processed well, characteristic descriptors include:

Pronounced acidity: Bright, citrus-forward, malic acid character
Complex aroma: Floral, herbal, stone fruit, and sometimes earthy mineral notes
Full body: Rich, syrupy mouthfeel
Distinctive herbal note: Sometimes described as an earthy or "green pepper" (pyrazine) character; distinctive and variety-specific

Pacamara has a strong track record in competition. El Salvador Pacamara lots have won the Cup of Excellence in El Salvador multiple times and scored at the high end of competition tables in multiple Central American countries.

Agronomic Profile¶

Altitude: Best results above 1,200–1,500 m; altitude is important for expressing the variety's cup quality potential
Yield: Moderate; lower than compact varieties like Catuaí but higher than Maragogipe
Disease resistance: Susceptible to coffee leaf rust and other common diseases; no specific resistance genes
Processing: Suited to washed processing to best express the variety's aromatic complexity; natural processing also used
Harvest: Late-maturing; large cherry size means careful harvesting management is important for even ripeness

Regional Distribution¶

Pacamara is grown primarily in: - El Salvador: The origin and primary growing region; associated with the Santa Ana volcano and Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range - Guatemala: Grown in Antigua and Huehuetenango regions - Nicaragua: Emerging specialty lots from high-altitude zones - Honduras: Limited specialty production

Key Facts¶

Pacamara is a Pacas × Maragogipe cross developed by ISIC in El Salvador, released 1979; named for its two parent varieties
Extra-large bean size (screen 17–20+) is the most visually distinctive characteristic; requires adjusted grading, roasting, and processing parameters
Cup quality: bright citrus acidity, complex florals and stone fruit, full body, distinctive herbal notes; consistently high specialty scores
Multiple Cup of Excellence wins in El Salvador; internationally recognised as one of the most expressive specialty varieties
Susceptible to leaf rust; best grown above 1,200–1,500 m for full cup quality expression

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-27	Note created

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