The singularities of Colombian coffee
The coffee tree is a plant that grows only in the tropics. Originally from the highlands of Ethiopia, it was introduced in Colombia around 1730 by Spanish Jesuits. Production developed in the second half of the 19th century, in large haciendas that exported the beans to the United States and Europe. The fall in prices and the Thousand Days War (1899-1902) put a stop to the profitability of these large agricultural properties. Coffee cultivation then moved to the new "colonized" lands in the center of the country: Antioquia, Caldas, Quindío, Tolima and Valle del Cauca in particular. These were small family properties of one or two hectares. The coffee tree offered the possibility of planting other useful plants for food (banana, sugar cane, citrus, etc.), while providing shade and nutrients for the plantations. A whole rural economy was built around dynamic cooperatives and the pueblos of the coffee regions prospered. Today, 540,000 families live from the production of the beans, with small fincas (1.4 ha on average), inherited from previous generations. The quality of the beans has improved thanks to the research of Cenicafé, the National Coffee Research Center, founded in 1938. Arabica is best grown in Colombia between 1,200 and 1,800 meters above sea level, but some plots reach 2,300 meters. The atmosphere must be temperate and humid (17°C to 24°C), and the rainfall moderate (1,700 to 2,000 mm per year). Finally, the soil must be rich in humus, nitrogen and potassium. The high luminosity (proximity to the equator) and the contrasting geography of the country allow an abundant volume of production throughout the year, with harvests taking place at different times depending on the geography. Plantations occupy about 900,000 hectares, but are being reduced in favor of more profitable crops, such as avocado, the new "green gold". Huila, Antioquia, Tolima, Cauca and Caldas are the main producing departments and the country has about 120 types of coffee trees, the most common being Pajarito, Borbón, Caturra, Colombia, Tabi and Castillo. Thanks to this diversity of trees, soils and climates, each corner of the Cordillera offers a coffee with a very particular flavor, acidity, fruit aromas and floral notes more or less pronounced, which specialists will appreciate. The common denominator of these multiple terroirs is the sweetness of the coffee, the absence of harshness. In 2007, Colombian coffee was the first non-European protected geographical indication (PGI) to be registered in the European Union. Almost all Colombian coffee is exported. Of the 14 million bags per year produced in Colombia, 13 million are exported. The million bags sold on the local market are mostly made up of lower quality beans and defective beans called pasillas, which are used for the daily tinto, prepared in socks or in traditional " grecas ", and usually drunk very sweet...
But who is this Juan Valdez?
To achieve this quality of coffee recognized throughout the world, the cafeteros organized themselves in 1927 through the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (Fedecafé). This institution acts as a controlled denomination of origin, setting strict production standards. But its role is not limited to that. It has financed the construction of roads and bridges, electrification of rural areas, health and education programs, and the introduction of new production techniques. Through the Fondo Nacional del Café, the Federation buys coffee from producers every day through some 40 cooperatives and hundreds of buying points. Fedecafé stores and then exports the bags of beans. It also carries out research into new, more resistant varieties and implements an entire marketing strategy to promote national coffee. This is how a certain Juan Valdez was born in 1959. This imaginary character embodies the image of the Colombian coffee grower, smiling, humble and courageous. With a generous moustache, wearing a poncho and a beautiful sombrero, he is always accompanied by his mule Conchita. Three people took turns to play the role of this typical Colombian coffee farmer. Since 2006, after a big casting, it is a certain Carlos Castañeda, a good father from the small town of Andes, who represents Juan Valdez in flesh and blood on commercials and international exhibitions. Juan Valdez is also a brand and a chain of coffee shops (Juan Valdez coffee) that proudly competes with the gringa Starbucks, which arrived in Colombia in 2014.
From seed to cup, a whole experience
Unless you avoid the mountains, it's hard not to miss a finca cafetera! Many growers have chosen to open up to tourism, offering guided tours of their plantations, sometimes with accommodation and meals on site. TheEje Cafetero (the Coffee Triangle, which essentially gathers the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío) is popular to realize this agrotouristic activity, towards Manizales, Salento, Pijao... but you can also visit fincas in Huila, in Antioquia, in Santander, or even in Minca, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta The experience is more or less authentic depending on the place. Choose the small farms, for a more artisanal process and a direct relationship with the coffee grower. You will see the coffee cherries being picked by hand when they are ripe (red). After drying (or washing and fermenting), the beans are removed from their pulp, washed, sorted by hand and by machine, then exposed and returned to the sun for about 3 days to dry. With the last impurities removed, the beans are filled into large 60 kg bags, with or without prior roasting. If you can't stop at a finca, at least treat yourself to a coffee tasting(catación) with a barista. Specialty coffee shops are popping up everywhere, and that's great for Colombians who can appreciate their coffee to the fullest!
