Juan Carlos Molina

Coffee originated in Ethiopia, probably in the Province of "Kaffa" and was spread to Asia, Europe and the Americas in the 17th century. Two main species are cultivated today: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. This study focused on the cup quality of Arabica coffee, which was measured through sensorial analysis (based on senior coffee cupper technician olfaction, gustation, and mouthfeel perceptions) to appraise the fragrance, body, acidity, taste, aftertaste, and final grade. A dataset consisting of a total of 83 observations from the Montecillos mountain range in Honduras was analyzed using three ordinary kriging models. Cross-validation results demonstrated that the Gaussian model generated the best coffee attribute estimates. Six interpolated surfaces were produced and they all showed a common coffee quality distribution pattern. The best coffees were predicted in the central and southernmost parts of the study area. Good quality coffees were found mainly in the south. Lesser quality coffees were located at lower elevations in the northern Montecillos.