Coffee zero distance

Coffee comes from Ethiopian curry. In Colombia, it was brought by a priest from the French Antilles via Venezuela in 1808. At present, Colombia is the fourth largest coffee producer in the world, behind Brazil, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Finally, I have an opportunity to witness the formation of coffee. This is after visiting MONTENEGRO National Coffee Park in QUINDIO province of Colombia and a garden coffee farm in MANIZALES city of Caldas province (CALDAS).

There are four types of coffee trees in the world, namely, ARABICA, ROBUSTA, LIBERICA and EXCELSA, and there are many varieties under each. A large number of Arabica coffee trees are planted in Colombia, especially Colombian varieties. This is a new variety bred by Colombian agronomists themselves, with strong resistance to diseases and insect pests and high yield.

Just as Chile's geography meets all the criteria for producing fine wines, Coffee is world-famous and has its own reasons:

First, the natural conditions are superior. The coffee tree was originally intended to grow in the tropics within the Tropic of Cancer at an altitude of less than 800m to 1600m above sea level, while Colombia is located north of the equator and south of latitude 13 degrees north. its famous coffee triangle, the three provinces of coffee, is about 1200 to 1400 meters above sea level, where the Andes stand. Rain Water is moderate, sunny and free of the threat of frost, and the natural conditions may be better than in Brazil. The coffee trees all over the mountains are green, some shrubs are tall and short, and some are four or five meters high. From afar, they seem to be in the tea forest of China.

Second, the processing technique is unique. Coffee trees are raised from coffee seedlings. Coffee beans, which are used as breeding, are picked in the middle of the coffee tree and are full of grains and luster. The beans are cultivated in a specific breeding bag, and slowly, they send out young seedlings, which at first look a bit like mung bean sprouts and matchsticks, and then grow a pair of new leaves every month, which can be transplanted to the ground six months later. Coffee beans are produced two years later. A coffee tree usually grows for about eight years, and then it is cut down to grow again. After another eight years, new coffee seedlings need to be planted. The fruit and flowers on the coffee tree can exist at the same time, the flowers are white, a bit like jasmine, but there is no fragrance. The fruit is the size of a cherry, with a smooth surface, some red and some yellow, with a pair of coffee beans inside. Colombian coffee is washed, the pulp and peel are removed, and fermented to make a good fertilizer, while coffee beans are soaked in water, remove the mucus, then dry, remove the skin from the beans, and roast. The longer the baking time and the higher the temperature, the more mellow the coffee taste, and the shorter the time, the softer the taste. Moreover, Colombian coffee is all picked manually. It is picked twice in May and October every year, and only ripe coffee fruits can be picked. Unlike in Brazil, where coffee is picked at one time by machines, it is picked indiscriminately, and there is no washing procedure for processing. Kung fu is not at home, so the taste is not good enough.

Third, the organizational system is perfect. My brother established the National Federation of Coffee makers a long time ago. Coffee farmers in various provinces hand in their results to the organization after the harvest. The federation has set up branches in many countries to promote coffee, and it also has certain strategies in operation and marketing. Over a long period of time, the fame has also grown, and the business has become better and better, which has led to the introduction of Colombian coffee to the world. Today, 25% of Colombia's coffee is exported to Germany, and a considerable amount of it is exported to the United States. Many of Starbucks' coffee comes from Colombia. The federation's Juan Valdez (JUAN VALDEZ, the image of a local coffee farmer) coffee is my main brand, the best-known, and naturally the most expensive. It is said that this brand selects the best coffee beans and gives the rest to other brands to process. I say so, but I don't believe it. Because such as SELLO ROJO, OMA and other brands or provincial brands, there are a lot of local people to buy, the taste is not bad. Maybe the first brand is for export, and the other is for local people's own use, after all, the latter is cheaper. The coffee we tasted at the local coffee farm was made by the hostess. It was very fresh and tasted the most authentic. It didn't need to add sugar or companion.It was full of fragrance. She is thinking about getting rid of the federation and creating her own brand in the future. after all, her coffee area has as much as 75 hectares, which can be regarded as a landlord's old fortune.

Before, I never felt how delicious the coffee was. Knowing that the process was so long and arduous, I couldn't help paying homage to the coffee served. The respect was for the process itself. China Gate Times

Author: embassy in Colombia from China Gate Times

China Coffee Trading Network: www.gafei.com