If you want to learn more about roasting coffee from Guatemala, we have written an article for you.
Hilario Lorenzo Jimenez is a passionate coffee producer from Caserío Río Ocho Grande in Todos Santos Cuchumatán, Huehuetenango. On his 7-hectare farm, La Ladera, located at 1,800 meters above sea level, he and his family grow carefully selected coffee varieties such as bourbon and caturra. With a lifetime of experience in agronomy, Hilario has worked at the Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food), where he spent 10 years learning different techniques to improve the quality of his coffee. Today, he works with Olam as part of a farmer training program, further improving his already impressive coffee crop.
The region
Río Ocho Grande (Great Eight River) takes its name from a river that flows through the center of the city. The community belongs to the Todos Santos Cuchumatán region, known for preserving its traditional clothing, which is among the most colorful and vibrant in Guatemala. Men usually wear short red pants with vertical white stripes, a white shirt with embroidered, patterned sleeves, a collar in red, purple and white, and a red or brown belt. Women wear a long blue skirt with white stripes, a red blouse with embroidered patterns in blue, purple, yellow and red and a red belt. The town where Hilario lives is actually too high up to grow coffee, so unusually he and his family have to move down the mountain to reach their farm.
The process
At the farm, they pick the coffee berries by hand, carefully selecting the best ones. They use a floating process to remove the overripe berries, called “banos”. Only the highest quality berries are de-pulped for this batch. The coffee is fermented with water for about 18 to 24 hours. Once the coffee has reached complete fermentation, it is washed and then sent for drying. The beans are spread out on the farm’s patios and dried in the sun until the optimum moisture level is reached.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.