Espresso
Chocolate, orange, orange blossom
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Cajamarca |
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1,700 - 2,000 meters above sea level. |
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Caturra, Catimor, Typica |
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Washing |
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Small producers |
Seasonal Espresso from Chontalí in Peru
Estela de Chontalí is a small town in the Chontalí District, which is located in the northern part of the Jaén Province, Cajamarca Department, Peru.
This town is named after a rectangular, tabloid-shaped stone found in 1984 on a farm on Mount Corcovado, which bears inscriptions from the Chavín or Huantar culture, one of the oldest on the continent.
Unfortunately, due to erosion, the scene depicted in the engravings on this stone cannot be interpreted. Feline shapes, typical of this culture, are intuited, but we like to think it's related to some coffee-growing scene.
Although this may not be the case historically, since coffee cultivation arrived in Peru much later, given the optimal conditions of the town of Estela de Chontalí for coffee cultivation and its quality, we cannot help but think that perhaps the scene represents a premonition of an ancient people.
The geography of the Chontalí Stele
The geographical location of Estela de Chontalí is rugged, with the Páramo mountain range located to the west of the district and a mountain range of natural forests to the west, connecting the areas of Chorro Blanco, Peña Blanca, Paramillo, El Queso and Mount Corcovado.Chontalí is located in the enclave of the Huayllabamba or Chuchuca River valley.
Crossing this valley, we will pass through the Chontali jungle, a mixture of the last remaining dense forests and agricultural landscapes with high mountain peaks that stretch to the horizon.
After approximately 3.5 hours of travel, we will arrive at the Chunchuco Valley, where the impressive Mount Corcovado looms.
This mountain, where the town of Estela de Chontalí is located, at about 1,800 meters, offers ideal conditions for coffee cultivation: high altitudes and cool temperatures.
Estela de Chontalí is a community café
This Chontalí is a community coffee obtained from a small group of producers.
The families of producers in this valley own small farms of approximately 1.5 hectares of coffee.
Most of these producers raise livestock and plant passion fruit to generate additional sources of income.
Farmers in the Chunchuco Valley produce an incredibly sweet coffee with a medium, round body and a lively, bright acidity of lime and apple.
The cherries are always hand-picked at their peak ripeness before being transported to the washing station, where they are sorted and processed separately.
It is an Arabica coffee of the Caturra, Catimor, and Typica varieties grown on small farms at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,000 meters.
The climate is cool and humid, and the washing process brings out the potential of each grain.
Jaén: the Hub of specialty coffee
Jaén is a small town and the center of the coffee trade in Cajamarca, Peru.
It has all the hallmarks of a tropical shopping mall: hot, humid, always busy, noisy, and full of people just trying to make a living.
From the city of Jaén, you can travel to the beautiful Chunchuco Valley to visit the farmers.
Jaén is an important hub for the specialty coffee trade and direct contact with producers.
At Ineffable we strive to ensure that all our coffees meet the criteria of what constitutes specialty coffee .
This criterion is not only governed by the organoleptic qualities of a coffee, but also includes traceability, sustainable agriculture, and fair dealing with farmers.
This is the only way we understand how to develop our passion for coffee in a way that's sustainable for them, for us, and for you.
