Did you know coffee is not really a bean?

We've started our series of "Did you know?" questions about coffee. Revealing the simple yet often unknown facts about that magical drink we can't live without. And we start with a basic one:

Did you know coffee is not really a bean but a cherry? And a beautiful one too! Take a look.

Coffee, and in particular, Specialty Coffee, is grown in many regions of the world, where the altitude is at least 1000 meters above sea level or 3300 feet. So while conventional coffee can be grown in the low lands and at sea level in subtropical and tropical regions, Specialty Coffee, that is, the really good quality coffee, can only be grown in altitude areas, where they are exposed to some shade and colder temperatures. This is where the “Arabica Coffee” variety is grown. And this is what coffee roasters sell in their labels on most bags of Specialty Coffee, when they designate their coffee as 100% Arabica beans.

The cherries grow on plants that can be as high as 20 feet, although farmers seldom let them grow beyond a manageable 6 to 10 feet. The tree has a broad dark green leaf, just like in the picture. Specialty Coffee is grown primarily by small farmers because it is labor intensive and it needs careful attention. The picking of the cherries is the most labor intensive part of the coffee process, and this is where farmers develop a skill to pick only the best and most mature cherries. It is an art.

Cherry picking is the initial stage of the process which will allow the coffee bean inside the cherry, to develop into a great cup of coffee. More on the whole coffee production process later. 

And more "Did you know?" questions about coffee, coming soon. Stay tuned.

Initial reflection from the Peru trip

Traveling to Peru is always amazing. I love it. But there is something about a 9 hour truck trip up the mountains and to the tropics, that simply blows you away. Thats how this trip was to San Ignacio, Cajamarca. A small town so far North that it is almost on the border with Ecuador. San Ignacio has become one of the hottest coffee growing regions of the country. Competing head on with the more traditional coffee regions of Central Peru, like Villa Rica and Chanchamayo. To start, the scenery on this trip is just amazing. First crossing through rice plantations that offer so many greens over the mountains, that you think you are watching a really well put together movie, with exact and price lighting and filming. Except that its not film. Its for real.

You first must go to Jaen, a secondary city and a major commercial zone. CENFROCAFE, one of the most important coffee cooperatives in the North of Peru is based in this town. And we stop by to visit with them. I am sharing some of the pictures from our time with them. The cooperative even has a small coffee shop right in town. Here I had an awesome local young barista pull me a shot of some real good coffee.... Check him out. Local Cajamarca barista talent!

Off to Cajamarca, Peru

I am off to Cajamarca, Peru, where we will be meeting with some of the best coffee producers in the country, in the  region of Jaen. I will be flying to Lima first on Wednesday and Friday night to Chiclayo. Saturday morning we will drive over the Andes to visit the producers who back in 2008 were awarded the top prize for the National Cup of Excellence.