The singularities of Colombian coffee
The coffee plant grows only in the tropics. Originally from the high plateaus of Ethiopia, it was introduced to Colombia around 1730 by Spanish Jesuits. Production expanded in the second half of the 19th century, with large haciendas exporting beans to the United States and Europe. Falling prices and the Thousand Days' War (1899-1902) put a stop to the profitability of these large farms. Coffee-growing then shifted 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 estates of one or two hectares. Coffee offered the possibility of planting other useful food crops (banana, sugarcane, citrus, etc.), while providing shade and nutrients for the plantations. A whole rural economy was built up around dynamic cooperatives, and the pueblos of the coffee-growing regions prospered. Today, 540,000 families live from bean production, with small fincas (1.4 ha on average) inherited from previous generations. The quality of the beans has improved thanks to research carried out by Cenicafé, the National Coffee Research Centre, founded in 1938. Arabica is best grown in Colombia at altitudes of between 1,200 and 1,800 m, although some plots reach 2,300 m. The atmosphere must be temperate and humid (17°C to 24°C), with moderate rainfall (1,700 to 2,000 mm per year). Finally, the soil must be rich in humus, nitrogen and potassium. The country's high luminosity (proximity to the equator) and contrasting geography enable abundant production throughout the year, with harvests taking place at different times depending on the geography. Plantations occupy some 900,000 ha, 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 boasts around 120 types of coffee tree, the most common of which are 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 its own distinctive flavour, acidity, fruit aromas and floral notes, which specialists will appreciate. The common denominator of these multiple terroirs remains the coffee's sweetness and lack of harshness. In 2007, Colombian coffee became 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 produced annually in Colombia, 13 million are exported. Of the million bags sold on the local market, the majority is made up of lower-quality beans and defective beans known as pasillas, which are used for the daily tinto, prepared in socks or traditional " grecas ", and usually drunk very sweetly...
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 visit a finca cafetera! Many growers have decided 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 comprises the departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío) is a popular area for this type of agrotourism, with visits to Manizales, Salento, Pijao... but you can also visit fincas in Huila, Antioquia, Santander, or even Minca, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The experience is more or less authentic depending on the location. Choose small farms, for a more artisanal process and a direct relationship with the coffee grower. The coffee cherries are picked by hand when they are ripe (red). After drying (or washing and fermenting), the beans are stripped of their pulp, washed, sorted by hand and machine, then exposed to the sun for about 3 days to dry. With the last impurities removed, the beans fill large 60 kg bags, with or without prior roasting. If you can't stop off at a finca, at least treat yourself to a coffee tasting(catación) with a barista. Specialized coffee shops are springing up all over the place, and that's just as well for Colombians, who can enjoy their coffee to the full!
