Brazil Sítio Maranhão

Producers Betti Família; Cleissimara and Josiel, and Jéssica and Jeferson
Farm Sítio Maranhão
Municipality Caldas
State Minas Gerais
Region Sul de Minas - Região Vulcânica

Sun Exposure Sun grown
Farm Size 9.7ha in coffee
Altitude 1,100-1,200masl
Latitude -21.817250
Longitude -46.424190

Variety Catucai
Process Natural
Fermentation Anaerobic
Drying Sun dried on patios

Harvest Year 2025

Flavor Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Hazelnuts, Berries, Yellow Fruit, Dried Fruit, Lime
Descriptors Smooth, Long Lasting Sweetness

About this coffee Sitio Maranhão is a perfect representative of small-scale specialty coffee in Brazil. The family home and drying patios are tucked away in a valley in Região Vulcânica, Sul de Minas, with the coffee farm sitting far above them on the steep hillside. Initially, their grandfather started farming coffee with 4 ha, and over time Josiel and Jeferson have added to that, increasing their production to around 300 bags a year.

Their wives, Clessimara and Jessica (respectively), are responsible for post-harvest operations and are participants in the Donas do Café program by SMC and Cooxupé. Together, they all attend technical workshops hosted by the Cooxupé cooperative and receive regular visits from Felipe, SMC’s agronomist. As such, they’ve implemented longer drying times, longer resting periods after drying, some raised beds for their microlots, a small washer for sorting and separating cherries, as well as less traditional methods of fermentation.

Coffees from the Betti family are sweet. Cherries ripen a little slower and later here than in much of Minas Gerais, and after harvesting, they’re delivered down the hill by tractor to be sorted and separated before either being sealed in barrels or sent to the drying patios. In this case, the coffee is sealed, without water in whole cherry, for 72 hours before drying. Coffees are dried down to between 16–24% before being bagged and stored for improved lot homogenization and then finish drying about a month later. This extends shelf life as it protects the cell structure and frees up precious drying space on the patios to continue coffee production.