Coffee cupping at Cocla!

posted at 3:31pm, 20 Jan 10 by Cafédirect HQ [ 1 comment ]

Today we are at Cocla, an important partner of Cafédirect’s, whose coffee goes into our Machu Picchu range (as well as others). Machu Picchu coffee is grown around the ancient Machu Picchu site. On Monday I walked to one of the farms where this coffee is grown. The farm is situated deep in the forest and we walked along the actual Inca trail to get to the farm – it was truly magical. Machu Picchu is an amazing site where the Incas lived in close harmony with nature. The farm is organic and the farmer takes great care to protect the land with many initiatives such as composting and water minimisation. Although now there are water falls and channels every where in this region the farmers are protecting the future.

Today at Cocla, we’re cupping Machu Picchu coffee. Martin Martinez is the cupper and there is nothing he doesn’t know about coffee quality control. Cocla receives coffee from farmers in parchment form (the protective skin around the bean), it then goes through a careful process of removing this skin and quality screening before going on its journey to Cafédirect UK.

Coffee cupping is a very scientific yet theatrical affair so it’s great to see first-hand here at origin. The cupping process involves making many cups of coffee and analysing them for aroma, flavour, body (high body like milk or low body like water), acidity as well as overall quality and taste. We then score them on these characteristics.

After filling the coffee cups, we break the crust. This releases the first important aroma and the grounds then sink to the bottom of the cup. We’re then ready to taste the liquor. We look for chocolate and nutty characteristics in our Machu Picchu coffee.

We then remove the top foam which is discarded and the coffee is ready to taste after a minute of cooling. Tasting involves sipping, slurping, spitting, airating, pushing and shoving (well there are 5 people here!)

Martin says that sometimes when he cups our coffee he decides it needs to rest for a couple of months more before shipping. I like the idea of our coffee relaxing after a long journey from the high forest before continyuing to the UK!

The rains have started now and I have to get down the mountain to St Theresa before the ever present mudslides.

Bye for now from Kevin and the Peru crew!