Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Marie Nakao Sasaki
Fazenda Catanduva
Mundo Novo
Pulped Natural
May–August
Cocoa, Caramel, Raisin
1000 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
The Nakao family first landed in Brazil in 1918, finding work in coffee production in the West Paulista region originally. After years of work in coffee, a brief return to Japan, and finally settling in São Paulo state, the Nakao family became fully committed to coffee cultivation.
Second generation coffee producer Mitsuo Nakao became one of the coffee producing pioneers in the Cerrado Mineiro region after moving from São Paulo to Minas Gerais in 1984. His first farms were established in the Chapadão de Ferro microregion, but production eventually expanded across Patos de Minas and Patrocínio, totaling six farms in the family. Following his passing in 2013, these farms were inherited by his children and are still committed to the same goal of high quality coffee production today.
Fazenda Catanduva has been in the Nakao family for more than 30 years, and today falls under the leadership of Marie Nakao Sasaki and Alfredo Jesus Mitio Nakao. Marie explains, “The name of the farm came due to our family which had lived for many years in the city of Catanduva-SP. When we came to Minas Gerais, we gave the name of our property ‘Catanduva Farm’ in homage to the Paulista city”. The land originally required much investment to correct the soil and prepare the land for coffee cultivation, but today the focus is entirely on maintaining the quality of the crop and continuing their practices with an eye toward social and environmental responsibility.
This lot of Mundo Novo coffee underwent Pulped Natural processing. Mundo Novo is the product of a natural cross between Sumatra and Red Bourbon, discovered in the municipality of Mineiros do Tietê, São Paulo in 1943. Seeds from one of these trees were planted in the municipality of Mundo Novo, now called Urupês, in Sao Paulo state. Various lines of the plant were cultivated here, undergoing selection for positive characteristics. The results of this cultivation were finally distributed to farmers beginning in 1952, with new selections by the IAC (Agronomic Institute of Campinas) beginning in 1977.
The Cerrado Mineiro region, located in northwest of Minas Gerais State, is a world-recognized, high-quality coffee producing origin and became the first Protected Geographical Indication in Brazil in 2005, with full Designation of Origin in 2013. A strong characteristic of this region is its well-defined seasons—a hot, wet summer followed by a pleasantly dry winter. The dry climate during harvest eliminates potential problems with humidity during the drying process.
Minas Gerais is Brazil’s principal agricultural state, and the Cerrado is home to many of the country’s celebrated coffee estates, with expertise in planting, harvesting, drying, and sorting. We love Cerrado coffees for their big body, rich chocolate notes, and velvety texture when pulled as espresso.
Today, the area’s 4,500 farmers produce a combined average of 6 million bags per harvest, with an average of 35 bags per hectare. To reach these production levels, producers had to first adapt to the region’s conditions. Coffee farmers first arrived in Cerrado in the 1970’s, after being pushed out of the state of Parana by frost and out of the state of Sao Paulo by nematodes. They found the soil in Cerrado to be very acidic, which they rectified with the application of calcium to create the healthy soils they enjoy today.
Cerrado coffee farms are cultivated in areas with elevations varying between 800 and 1,300 meters above sea level and are known for consistently producing high quality coffees with a repeatable profile. Independent of farm size, the spirit of professionalism is present throughout Cerrado’s coffee producers. Entrepreneurialism is part of farmers’ DNA, and many producers are second or third generation growers who also hold degrees in agronomic engineering, business management, and administration. While each family narrative is different, Cerrado is characterized by an enterprising attitude.
