Are you already in Colombia or planning to come here?
If yes, we’d really like to show you one of the places that you don’t see much on tourist guides. Although doing a coffee tour in Colombia is quite common, we are proposing you a different one that will let you live the experience in a different way.
We are giving you not one, but five reasons why you definitely should reserve a space on your itinerary to do this type of coffee tour. And it is more than visiting a coffee farm, which, by the way, is wonderful by itself, but more than that we want you to understand truly everything about coffee beans. Have you ever wondered what the plant looks like, what the flower looks like or what color the coffee bean really is?
So here are the 5 reasons that you’d want to know before you jump on your coffee trip:
Reason 1. The coffee process
It is hard to understand the patience that agriculture world requires in general and particularly in harvesting coffee. From the moment a coffee seed is planted, the farmer can wait up to six years before seeing results.
When it finally starts bearing fruits, the farmer must wait until the fruit is completely red before picking it. And although it sounds simple, most farmers need to hire workers for two reasons: the first is that minimum – for the harvest to be profitable, one hectare should be planted, which is too much for one person; The second factor is that you must act quickly so that the fruit is not damaged.
And when the hard work of the harvesting is almost over, now the grains have to be dried. It’s already a much simpler process, in terms of physical strength, but not in energy, since drying requires the constant attention of the farmer to ensure the beans do not get wet or moldy. It usually takes 40 hours in the sun to reach the optimum level of drying.
When it’s done, now they can breathe again because the next phases do not carry high risk of damage. It is namely roasting and grinding, and in some cases, packing the coffee.
So that is how the sowing and harvesting seasons for millions of Colombian coffee farmers who each year strive to take care of their crop and get the best qualities.
Reason 2. The harsh reality for the coffee farmers
2018 has been difficult for the coffee farmers, specifically in halfway through the year when the price of coffee went below 1 dollar per pound – reaching the lowest price in 12 years.
This became a national crisis as issues regarding coffee in Colombia is a matter of the state, being the third most exported product and also listed as a World Heritage. Today, it is the demand of coffee growers to the new government, actions that will dignify and make profitable the harvest, since for a dollar per pound, no crop in the world could be profitable.
On top of this, another conflict comes to mind and that is what many experts begin to worry. The fact is that in recent years there has been a worrying trend in the decline of new generations of coffee farmers that will replace the older ones.
Reason 3. Difference between grain and “pasilla”
A new trend in Colombia is coffee brands that claims somewhat disturbing labels. One is imported coffee type, another one is without pasilla.
The first refers to an issue that has happened for a long, long time in Colombia and is that all the mega productions of coffee, the good and quality product is sold to international companies, and the demand is so much, that literally all good coffee is sold. That’s what the first label refers to. And there are some local brands that have noticed this ironic and unfair fact that a coffee producing country can not consume the high quality product.
And in relation to this matter, comes the explanation of the second label, and that is “What is bad quality coffee?” The answer is pasilla. And although a poor quality coffee has many other characteristics, the most widespread is the mixture of coffee and pasilla, and this practice is very widespread even in the final product sold to foreign companies, but especially to local brands.
Reason 4. Myths and Truths about Coffee
There are lots of false myths around coffee regarding the health and wellness of people. Let’s take a look into some of them and let’s try to debunk the myth, or confirm the truth.
The first and most common is the correlation between gastritis and the consumption of coffee. And it is a very generalized fear in spite of not having scientific evidences that proves it. It is possible that a person with gastriti may have to reduce his/her coffee consumption, due to the acidity or caffeine it contains, but it has never been established as the cause itself.
Another myth that has no scientific evidence is that coffee is a natural digestive. Many cultures have the habit of having a coffee just after eating, however it is a fact that is not proven.
We do not want to praise coffee excessively, but the negative effects of it are usually related to uncontrolled and excessive consumption. Discounting the fact that each body reacts differently according to the substance.
Reason 5. Plant, flower and fruit
One last reason we give you is to know the different phases, colors and size of the coffee plant. In today’s societies, we are far removed from the natural and original awareness of the majority of products we consume. Could you explain where beans come from or how does an avocado tree look like? It is interesting to discover all these issues and be more aware of what we eat.
In the case of coffee, we can tell you that you will be surprised to see the difference in size of their plants, the color and smell of the flower and the redness of the fruit and what the coffee bean looks like.
All this and much more, will lead you to understand and get closer to the reality of coffee. We are sure that you will not be indifferent when you finish your coffee route in Colombia so that the next time you finish a cup, you drink it with conscience.
