Ecuador
Mitad Del Mundo Peaberry
Vanilla Bean, Roasted Macadamia Nut, Orange Peel
Regular price
$21.00
alt: 1600-1700 MASL
Roast: light
region: Loja
process: Washed
varietal: Typica, Caturra, Bourbon
This month we are sharing with you a unique, and wonderful, coffee from Ecuador. A blend of Peaberry coffees from different farms in the Loja region (pronounced: Low Ha) of Ecuador. The blend is called Mitad del Mundo and is the work of Caravela Coffee Importers with whom we have worked for the importation of many different coffees over the years. The concept for this multi-farm coffee collaboration was simple: blend the peaberries (about 5% of a coffee crop) from the nearby farms in the Loja region and create a Peaberry Micro-lot. We were excited about the project because peaberries produce such a beautiful flavor profile.
Located in South America, with a northern border of Colombia and a southern border of Peru, Ecuador is located directly on top of the Equator line. This puts half of the country in the northern hemisphere and the other half in the southern hemisphere. The Loja region is located in the southern hemisphere and is blessed with altitude and conditions perfect for specialty coffee production. Altitude, fertile soils, abundant natural resources and plenty of sunshine make for ideal growing conditions. Coffee was first introduced to Ecuador early in the 19th century and rapidly became a primary source of income for small landholders. Ecuadorian producers have produced both Arabica, known for its sweet and soft flavors (0.8 to 1.4% caffeine content) and Robusta known for its stronger and harsh flavors and higher caffeine content (1.77 to 3.5 % caffeine content). The Arabica historically was exported to neighboring countries of Colombia and Peru, while the Robusta was, and still is, used for the production of instant coffee.
A dramatic decline in Ecuador’s coffee production began in the late 1980s with coffee often going unharvested because of low prices on the world market and drought conditions caused by the climate phenomenon “El Niño”. Combined with a lack of an effective coffee infrastructure, and poor production techniques coffee was failing in Ecuador and many producers stopped producing coffee.
By the mid-2000’s, the Specialty Coffee movement started to grow in neighboring countries of Colombia and Peru. And with the growing demand worldwide for Specialty Coffee, some entrepreneurial spirited farmers found the inspiration to invest in coffee once again. They planted single, unique varietals, in high altitude regions like the mountains of Pichincha in the north and the biodiverse province of Loja in the south. This time, with a focus on improved growing, harvesting and processing techniques and an improved infrastructure, there were high hopes for success.
Jeff and Maritza Taylor, Co-owners of Bird Rock Coffee, made their first trip to Ecuador in 2008 to explore and taste the harvest. With the challenges of the past year and the seemingly never ending pandemic, we were not able to visit Ecuador in 2020. But as always, we chose our importers and exporters carefully as they are now more than ever, our eyes, our ears and our hands at the farm level when we can’t be there. By joining forces with Caravela Coffee Importers we are able to share Mitad del Mundo with you.
Located in South America, with a northern border of Colombia and a southern border of Peru, Ecuador is located directly on top of the Equator line. This puts half of the country in the northern hemisphere and the other half in the southern hemisphere. The Loja region is located in the southern hemisphere and is blessed with altitude and conditions perfect for specialty coffee production. Altitude, fertile soils, abundant natural resources and plenty of sunshine make for ideal growing conditions. Coffee was first introduced to Ecuador early in the 19th century and rapidly became a primary source of income for small landholders. Ecuadorian producers have produced both Arabica, known for its sweet and soft flavors (0.8 to 1.4% caffeine content) and Robusta known for its stronger and harsh flavors and higher caffeine content (1.77 to 3.5 % caffeine content). The Arabica historically was exported to neighboring countries of Colombia and Peru, while the Robusta was, and still is, used for the production of instant coffee.
A dramatic decline in Ecuador’s coffee production began in the late 1980s with coffee often going unharvested because of low prices on the world market and drought conditions caused by the climate phenomenon “El Niño”. Combined with a lack of an effective coffee infrastructure, and poor production techniques coffee was failing in Ecuador and many producers stopped producing coffee.
By the mid-2000’s, the Specialty Coffee movement started to grow in neighboring countries of Colombia and Peru. And with the growing demand worldwide for Specialty Coffee, some entrepreneurial spirited farmers found the inspiration to invest in coffee once again. They planted single, unique varietals, in high altitude regions like the mountains of Pichincha in the north and the biodiverse province of Loja in the south. This time, with a focus on improved growing, harvesting and processing techniques and an improved infrastructure, there were high hopes for success.
Jeff and Maritza Taylor, Co-owners of Bird Rock Coffee, made their first trip to Ecuador in 2008 to explore and taste the harvest. With the challenges of the past year and the seemingly never ending pandemic, we were not able to visit Ecuador in 2020. But as always, we chose our importers and exporters carefully as they are now more than ever, our eyes, our ears and our hands at the farm level when we can’t be there. By joining forces with Caravela Coffee Importers we are able to share Mitad del Mundo with you.
