Maragogipe (Maragogype): The Elephant Coffee Bean

Fresh orange with a drizzle of honey sweetness, then mango on the finish: that was our honey-processed Maragogipe from Finca La Cumbre in Costa Rica. The beans that made it are hard to miss. They're enormous compared with most Arabica, the leaves are unusually large, and the trees themselves have a tall, open structure. It's often called the “Elephant Bean” for exactly that reason.

But the size is only part of the story. Maragogipe is a natural mutation of Typica that can make very good coffee, on a plant that yields very little and is susceptible to most of coffee's major diseases.

From Bahia to Central America

Maragogipe was discovered near the town of Maragogipe in Bahia, Brazil, in 1870. It wasn't the result of a breeding programme or a carefully planned cross: it was a natural mutation of Typica.

The mutation affects more than just the coffee beans. Maragogipe plants have unusually large leaves and long spaces between the nodes on their branches, giving the trees a distinctive, rather open appearance. Most noticeably, though, the mutation produces very large coffee beans.

From Brazil, Maragogipe spread into other parts of Latin America. Today it's grown in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Colombia, and in Hawaii too, while plantings in Brazil have declined. It remains uncommon, and specialty buyers seek it out both for its looks and for the quality some producers get from it.

Why are Maragogipe beans so big?

The short answer is genetics. Maragogipe is a Typica mutation caused by a single dominant gene, and that mutation affects the size of the beans, leaves and internodes of the plant. World Coffee Research classifies Maragogipe's bean size as “very large”, using its variety catalogue's comparison with other well-known Arabica varieties.

Pick up a Maragogipe bean next to a more typical Arabica and the difference is obvious. The nickname “Elephant Bean” isn't subtle, but it does a good job of describing what you're looking at.

It's worth remembering that unusually large beans aren't automatically better beans. Bean size is an identifying characteristic of the variety, not a shortcut to cup quality. As with any coffee, what ends up in the cup depends on the variety alongside the growing environment, harvesting and processing.

What does Maragogipe taste like?

There isn't one definitive Maragogipe flavour profile, and growing conditions and processing make a big difference. Gerson Silva Giomo of Brazil's Instituto Agronômico de Campinas describes it as naturally very sweet and low in acidity, with floral, honey and sometimes spicy notes. Brandon von Damitz of Big Island Coffee Roasters in Hawaii picks out a sweet and savoury mix: peach and chocolate, with herbal hints of hops and sandalwood.

Processing pulls it in different directions. Giomo finds that natural processing brings out more sweetness, body and complexity, while washed coffees are less sweet and lighter but show more acidity and floral aroma.

Opinion hasn't always been so kind. In All About Coffee, first published in 1922, William Ukers called the green bean woody and “generally disagreeable in the cup”. More recent experience from producers and buyers has been far more positive, particularly when the plants are well managed and grown in suitable conditions.

Growing Maragogipe isn't easy

This is where the Elephant Bean becomes a less attractive proposition for farmers.

World Coffee Research describes Maragogipe as very low-yielding and highly susceptible to coffee leaf rust. It is also listed as susceptible to nematodes and coffee berry disease. Its quality potential at high altitude, however, is rated very good.

The plant's size creates another practical consideration. Its long internodes and large leaves mean it needs plenty of room, while its low productivity makes it difficult to compete economically with varieties bred specifically for higher yields.

That combination helps explain why Maragogipe remains relatively rare. A farmer needs a good reason to grow a variety that produces less coffee and requires careful attention to plant health.

Maragogipe and the varieties that came after it

Maragogipe's most important contribution to coffee may not be the number of Maragogipe plants still growing today. It is the genetics that have been carried into other varieties.

The most famous example is Pacamara. It was developed in El Salvador from a cross between Pacas, a Bourbon mutation, and Maragogipe. Pacamara inherited the very large bean characteristic of Maragogipe and has become particularly well known for its high cup quality.

Then there's Maracaturra, which is associated with a cross between Caturra and Maragogipe. The aim was to combine some of Maragogipe's characteristics with the more compact and productive Caturra. World Coffee Research notes that Maracaturra likely originated as a natural cross in Nicaragua and that subsequent selections were made by producers in Central America.

Neither variety is simply “Maragogipe but better”, though. They are distinct varieties with their own characteristics, and each has its own growing and genetic history.

Roasting Maragogipe

The first thing you notice is the bean size. Put a batch of Maragogipe on a table and it looks different from almost anything else.

That size changes how it behaves in the roaster. Mauricio Salvaverra of Divisadero Coffee in El Salvador says some roasters find it “not the easiest variety to roast”. Von Damitz says the bean size and its other attributes shape how his team applies heat, but that the variety responds well to a range of roast profiles. Dropping it into a profile built for a much smaller bean is unlikely to get the best from it.

Where might you find Maragogipe?

Maragogipe is much less common than varieties such as Caturra, Bourbon or Catuai. Brazil, where it was first identified, now grows little of it. Most of what reaches specialty buyers comes from Central America, especially Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, with smaller amounts from Colombia and Hawaii. Individual coffees vary considerably according to region, processing and farm practices.

It is also worth remembering that a coffee described as “Maragogipe” may sometimes be a lot containing other varieties. Unless the producer or exporter is working with a clearly identified varietal planting, variety information can be complicated at farm level.

So, why grow an Elephant Bean?

Maragogipe doesn't make much sense as a purely productivity-driven crop. It is low-yielding, susceptible to several important diseases and needs plenty of space. World Coffee Research's own catalogue notes that, because of its low productivity, Pacamara is considered a better option.

But coffee isn't only about maximising yield.

There are producers who continue to grow Maragogipe because it is part of their farms' history, because they value what it can produce in the cup, or because there is a market for something unusual. That market is real. Salvaverra says it's costly enough to produce that very few farmers want to plant more, so prices stay high, and he has buyers in Australia, France and the United States who would take more if it existed.

Quick varietal facts

Varietal: Maragogipe
Also known as: Maragogype, Elephant Bean
Species: Coffea arabica
Genetic group: Bourbon-Typica group (Typica related)
Origin: Maragogipe, Bahia, Brazil
Discovered: 1870
Type: Natural mutation of Typica, caused by a single dominant gene
Growth habit: Tall, with long internodes and large leaves
Leaf tip colour: Bronze
Bean size: Very large
Yield potential: Very low
Coffee leaf rust: Highly susceptible
Nematodes: Susceptible
Coffee berry disease: Susceptible
Quality potential at high altitude: Very good
Notable descendants: Pacamara, Maracaturra
Typical cup character: Sweet and low in acidity, with floral, honey, fruit, chocolate or savoury notes depending on origin and processing

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