Did you know the 2011 World Barista Champion is from El Salvador?

Baristas are one of the most important pieces of the coffee chain. They are the ones that transform that brown roasted bean into a specialty drink that inspires and motivates people around the globe. Baristas have a lot of responsibility in their hands. When they craft that drink, they are not just making a product for sale, but they are working at creating a piece of art, a delicate combination of water, pressure and coffee.

And it is no coincidence that Alejandro Mendez, from El Salvador, was picked as this year's World Barista Champion. This is a hotly contested event. Contestants from all over the world flocked down to Colombia this year to participate. And yet, for the past ten years, the Champion has come from the coffee "consuming" countries, not the producing ones. In part this is due to the fact that it is in these countries (US, Holland, Spain and the UK) that the most demanding coffee connoisseurs live. And so baristas from these countries are more accustomed to preparing high quality coffee beverages. But in 2011, the honor of the Championship was given to a young man from a very poor country, where increasingly, top quality coffee is grown. A country where young people desperately need role models like Alejandro, and jobs, to combat violence and unemployment. This is an exciting time for El Salvador. And for the Central American region as a whole. This event has been an inspiration. I've had the opportunity to travel to some of these coffee growing countries in the past three months. And the word is out about the Barista World Champion. People speak of the event and of Alejandro with a certain degree of pride and admiration. Enthusiastic that a world champion can emerge from a tiny little country such as El Salvador.

So our double congratulations go for Alejandro. Not only for being a great coffee master, but also for being a great young role model for his country and his region.  Adelante Alejandro!!        

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.