Pronounced osh-mul, this is a quick story about a cool little experience we had in Belize just last week (1/30/25) that we wanted to share. Hopefully you’re lucky enough to have some fresh superb coffee to go with it!
We arrived on our 2nd half of our Belize vacation at our ex-pat Airbnb hosts, and quickly asked about where to get good local coffee. (For me that’s always a priority for planning central America trips - just schedule a trip when you start running low from the last trip, I’ve learned you never want to run out!)
Our hosts said “just 10 minutes up the road”. So off we went to find coffee…and it turns out we found a super cool Mayan family and their farm. It starts with the sign as we turned onto a basic ungraded dirt road…
We arrived on our 2nd half of our Belize vacation at our ex-pat Airbnb hosts, and quickly asked about where to get good local coffee. (For me that’s always a priority for planning central America trips - just schedule a trip when you start running low from the last trip, I’ve learned you never want to run out!)
Our hosts said “just 10 minutes up the road”. So off we went to find coffee…and it turns out we found a super cool Mayan family and their farm. It starts with the sign as we turned onto a basic ungraded dirt road…
Upon arrival, at an even rougher “driveway” to a house, we were quickly greeted by Sulema, a happy young Mayan woman who was very welcoming and quickly enamored us with their story, their hands on family approach to living, and of course some great coffee while she told us about their journey.
This 1000+ year old Mayan family lives off 27 acres of land, hosting 11 interconnected families on it. Somewhere around 2020 the head farmer (aka Dad) set goals to utilize it into thirds: 1/3 living space, 1/3 production of their own food needs (all of the amazing fruits and vegetables for their lives, even cotton for their pillows), and 1/3 for a financially productive farm.
At some point not too long before 2020, Sulema’s father had had previously brought back 3 coffee plants from Costa Rica, even after being told that coffee wouldn’t grow in western Belize.
Hmm…he thought. Pretty soon the coffee plants he brought back for their own consumption were growing and doing well, and they were occasionally being asked and would sell off a little coffee to their friends in the community when they had extra.
In 2020 during Covid, the father made a solid business decision to delve the family deeper into a coffee farm. They start producing more plants, even more coffee, and now they have their neatly packaged products in the markets and the resorts. And, they even share their coffee plant starts with other local farmers to improve others lives (and so they can buy back the beans since their demand keeps growing and growing).
Here are a few pictures of the family farm, where the coffee is hand produced. From what we saw, we aren’t even sure they own a tractor. Everything seems to be traditional hand work and is organically grown, and it sure is delicious!
This 1000+ year old Mayan family lives off 27 acres of land, hosting 11 interconnected families on it. Somewhere around 2020 the head farmer (aka Dad) set goals to utilize it into thirds: 1/3 living space, 1/3 production of their own food needs (all of the amazing fruits and vegetables for their lives, even cotton for their pillows), and 1/3 for a financially productive farm.
At some point not too long before 2020, Sulema’s father had had previously brought back 3 coffee plants from Costa Rica, even after being told that coffee wouldn’t grow in western Belize.
Hmm…he thought. Pretty soon the coffee plants he brought back for their own consumption were growing and doing well, and they were occasionally being asked and would sell off a little coffee to their friends in the community when they had extra.
In 2020 during Covid, the father made a solid business decision to delve the family deeper into a coffee farm. They start producing more plants, even more coffee, and now they have their neatly packaged products in the markets and the resorts. And, they even share their coffee plant starts with other local farmers to improve others lives (and so they can buy back the beans since their demand keeps growing and growing).
Here are a few pictures of the family farm, where the coffee is hand produced. From what we saw, we aren’t even sure they own a tractor. Everything seems to be traditional hand work and is organically grown, and it sure is delicious!
Tiny plants on the left are being turned into individual plants on the right that they can share with other farmers to start their own coffee farming. (they found that it was harder to share the tiny plants so they teach others to grow the 6” larger ones)
A young coffee plant…maybe a couple years old and not yet mature
This mature plant is 7+ feet tall and will produce 7lbs of coffee beans per harvest (multiple harvests per year)
A fresh growing coffee bean not yet ready (it will split open and let you know when it’s ripened and ready to be sun dried for a few days)
Their outdoor kitchen area. Notice the fire is going in the afternoon. Nothing was cooking but they had it going to cure the clay hearth that her mom had just rebuilt that afternoon. So cool! The small silver pot in the back right was what she said she brewed the coffee in that we were drinking.
After our quick tour we returned to the Palapa and explored how they hand make the coffee. Here you can see Regina using the mortal and pestle to crush the sun dried coffee bean, removing the outer shell from the bean.
After our quick tour we returned to the Palapa and explored how they hand make the coffee. Here you can see Regina using the mortal and pestle to crush the sun dried coffee bean, removing the outer shell from the bean.
Next up is the hand roaster over a wood fire, made out of a old propane tank. It takes about 1.25 hours to 1.5 hours, depending on if you want medium or dark roast, but the real “tell” is the color of the smoke from the beans. Gray or white smoke tells you when it’s done.
And lastly, the original grinder…a 1000+ year old mortal and pestle that has been passed down the family for generations…used for grinding corn, cacao, and of course for coffee!
Of course we quickly ordered 10 lbs of coffee. We said we were there a couple more days, so said we could return if they didn’t have it ready since we didn’t want to take more than they had available for others too.
She said ok, how about if we just fresh roast it for you tomorrow and you can pick it up on your way back from visiting the nearby Mayan ruins!!?? Wow!! SOLD! 😊
Below is a picture of the family hard at work, Sulema, her father the head farmer, and her mom.
She said ok, how about if we just fresh roast it for you tomorrow and you can pick it up on your way back from visiting the nearby Mayan ruins!!?? Wow!! SOLD! 😊
Below is a picture of the family hard at work, Sulema, her father the head farmer, and her mom.
What a cool family - we sure hope you enjoy learning about this!