A brief history of the development of Panamanian coffee: Panamanian coffee export, boutique coffee, coffee plantation species

A brief history of coffee development in Panama:

Panama's geographical advantage lies in the fact that it has many distinctive microclimates suitable for coffee cultivation, and Panama also has many dedicated and professional coffee growers. This means that Panama has a lot of very good coffee, but this coffee is often associated with high prices.

Coffee was first brought to Panama by European settlers in the 19th century. In the past, Panamanian coffee was not very popular and its production was only 1/10 of that of its neighbor Costa Rica, but now the coffee industry's attention to fine coffee has made Panama increasingly interested in growing coffee.

The high coffee prices in Panama are mainly caused by the following factors:

Land Price: For the people of North America, they are very eager to buy a stable and beautiful land at a cheap price. Panama is one such place;

Panama's more farmers export coffee under the name of estates to emphasize their own estates;

Panama's labor laws impose high labor requirements, so the coffee industry has to pay higher wages, which consumers have to pay.

Esmeralda Estate

When discussing coffee prices, we should pay great attention to one plantation in Panama, and even say that no other single plantation has so far had such an impact on coffee cultivation in Central America. This is Esmeralda Estate, owned and operated by the Peterson family.

When commodity prices were relatively low, the panama boutique coffee association organized a contest called "best panama": beans from different parts of panama were ranked and auctioned online. Esmeralda Estate has been growing a coffee called Geisha for many years, and this auction makes their coffee known to more people. From 2004 to 2007, they won the competition for four consecutive years, then won it again in 2009, 2010 and 2013. It continued to break records until it was priced at $21/lb in 2004, then rose to $170/lb in 2010. In 2013, a small portion of that sun-treated coffee was sold for $350.25/lb. No one questioned that this was the highest price ever paid for a single estate coffee.

Unlike some other high-priced coffees (such as cat poop and blue mountain), the quality of this estate's coffee is truly at its price level, although high demand and market factors also play a role. This record-breaking coffee tastes unusual: bright and strong floral and citrus flavours make it tea. These are all derived from the advantages of the "Geisha" variety.

This estate allowed Geisha to be grown on coffee plantations not only in Panama but throughout Central America. For many coffee farmers, this variety means high prices, and to a large extent, this perception is correct. Because as a plantation of "Geisha", its coffee price can always sell more expensive than other plantations.

traceability

Panamanian coffee is highly traceable. Most Panamanian coffees can be traced back to a single estate or even part of a farm.

flavor profile

Panama's better coffee has citrus, floral, bright taste, elegant and complex flavor.

Population: 3406000

Annual output in 2013:6000 tons

The panamanian regionalization depends mainly on the marketing situation of coffee and not too much on geographical distribution. Before, coffee spread widely, the following areas are actually a region, but these areas are closely connected together.

Boquete

This is what we know best about Panama. The special mountainous terrain of this area forms a very suitable microclimate for coffee cultivation. Cooler weather and frequent foggy days slow coffee cherry ripening, and some even say the climate can simulate high-altitude cultivation.

Altitude: 400-1900m

Harvest period: December to March

Cultivated varieties: Tibika, Kadura, Kaduai, Bourbon, Guixia, San Ramon

Candela

This area produces a lot of food for Panama, and also grows excellent coffee. This area borders Costa Rica.

Altitude: 1200-1600m

Harvest period: December to March

Cultivated varieties: Tibika, Kadura, Kaduai, Bourbon, Guixia, San Ramon

Renacimiento

Another appellation in Chirqui province, bordering Costa Rica. This region is relatively small, so it is not a major producer of Panamanian fine coffee.

Altitude: 1100-1500 m

Harvest period: December to March

Cultivated varieties: Tibika, Kadura, Kaduai, Bourbon, Guixia, San Ramon

Article from Douban. com