Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Colombian Coffee

I was never a fan of coffee when I was younger, in fact, as a child I used to detest the coffee flavoured chocolates that I might've accidently popped into my mouth from a mixed selection pack. As soon as I tasted them I was frantically spitting them out and rapidly stuffing my face with a sweeter version. Panic averted!!

Ireland was traditionally a tea consuming market when I was a child growing up, coffee wasn't as popular as it is now. It was normally over roasted and bitter to the taste and of course usually drowned in milk and sugar to make it palatable. Thankfully there are some great roaster's and barista's blending some wonderful tasting coffees today and as a result the market for coffee has superseded tea. It was only in my late 20's that I began consuming coffee but not for it's flavour. It was a substance to give me a kick when I needed it. At that time I was appointed to a project that seemed to go on forever. The days began at 7am and usually finished at 8pm, an 80km drive from home to office and 80 km back again on cross country roads. The drive would take over an hour, each direction, the roads were not in good shape and barely wide enough for a single car, it was always a nervous moment when a car from the opposite direction approached, avoiding the car and the ditch that was constantly getting slapped from every car passing by it. Just arriving to the office felt like a day's job! It was physical work, lot's of walking and moving of equipment. Late evenings getting the equipment onto the network and testing, ensuring everything was fit for purpose the following morning. I needed something to keep me awake and alert and I found my friend, a vending machine that produced a substance that gave me the kick I needed, it's taste was a bad as pond water but I didn't care, I would tolerate it so long as It could get back home in one piece.

Luckily for me that project finished within a year and I was appointed elsewhere, places where the coffee tasted better and therein began my addiction. Cappuccino's sprinkled with chocolate or frothy lattes with a spoonful of brown sugar, what better way to start your day or a nice pick me up for the afternoon that lay ahead. I knew the best places to stop into and the places to avoid, I thought I knew what great coffee was until I came to Colombia. I had no idea the process involved or where coffee came from, sure I convinced myself coffee came from a pod, just like peas!! I really had no idea.

Since living in Colombia my addiction has worsened, who could blame me, a country renowned for its coffee production. Ironically enough, the majority of Colombia's best coffee is exported around the world and the consumer market locally is generally drinking coffee that isn't fit for export. It's called 'Pasilla' and they are generally the beans that are very small, partially eaten by the coffee borer beetle, commonly known as 'broca' or some other deficiency. They are Roasted locally and packaged for the local market. Ironically enough this coffee tastes a million times better than my vending machine friend back in Ireland but also better than what most people would consider top coffee shops in Dublin. Why!!??!!

I initially didn't get it, what was happening? how could the best beans be exported and yet when I bought coffee in Ireland labelled as '100% Colombian' from reputable cafe's or from supermarket shelves it would taste, well.... not good, or nothing like what I had tasted in Colombia!!! Ok, having a cup of coffee from a single estate farm or single origin coffee gives superior quality and unique flavours but i'm talking about coffee for the general public from a supermarket shelf, not expensive coffee. Well there are a large number of factors in play, one of the biggest factors is, if a bag of grounded coffee is sitting on the shelf for about 3 months, it's not going to taste good so it's always best to buy the whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. Whole bean coffee can store its properties longer than grinded coffee but like grinded coffee, if it's sitting on a shelf for 6 months it's losing its best flavour. Unlike tea, which can store it's flavours for years and enjoyed over a long period of time, coffee is the opposite. A few days after roasting, the beans are slowly breaking down and losing their unique flavour. Unfortunately it's not a good idea to buy expensive coffee and use it for special occasions, it just won't taste the same. So it's always a good idea to check with the shop when purchasing your coffee the date when it was roasted so you know you can enjoy it for a few months. So coffee, it seems, is something that we need to enjoy the sooner we get our hands on it. Share it with friends and loved ones and enjoy the aroma and taste of that fresh coffee while it lasts.

Having been exposed to the process of coffee since living here I have been educated and I'm still learning so much all the time. Coffee is an art and a science, every step of the bean's journey is effected some way or another from the moment the flower is pollinated right to the moment when and how it is mixed with hot water to make that brew.

I'm by no means a coffee expert but here are some things to know the next time you consume that delicious drink to start your day. How does it all come together? I've listed some points but not every detail, if you are lucky to experience a coffee tour then I don't want to ruin the fun for you either. :-)

• Coffee beans are not beans at all, they are the seeds within the fruits on the coffee tree.

• The soil and it's nutrients that a coffee tree is growing in affects the flavour of the 'coffee bean' as it matures inside the cherry.

• Insects can add subtle flavours when collecting pollen from the coffee flower, the flower only lasts about 3 days and smells like jasmine. (coffee trees are self pollinating and don't need insects to help them pollinate).

• Usually it takes 4-6 months for a cherry to develop where it's ready for picking. Colombian coffee trees can produce two crops a year, in other parts of the world it's a single crop a year.

• Colombian coffee is hand picked because of the terrain but this helps ensure the right coffee cherries are being picked from the trees unlike machine picked trees in other parts of the world.

• The cherry the seeds(coffee beans), are maturing in should be picked when they are a bright red colour, picked too early or too late affects the flavour in a negative manner.

• Altitude is an important factor for great tasting coffee. Higher altitudes have different flavours to lower altitudes. (Arabica coffee like higher altitudes, coffee in Colombia are the arabica variety)

• Climate, arabica coffee tree's originate from the mountains of Ethiopia where in their natural habitat are exposed to dappled sunlight under the shade of taller trees. They love humidity. Too much direct sunlight and not enough water can lead to a poor tasting crop.

• Coffee seeds(beans) are easily squeezed from the cherry, they are covered in a layer of mucus that makes them difficult to hold as they are so slippery. This mucus is washed away while the coffee bean is fermenting in water tanks. If it's left on it can produce a different flavour but not in a negative way when done right.

• The raw coffee bean (before roasting) is sensitive to humidity. changes in humidity affects the flavour.

• Roasters need to be aware of the humidity in the room and the bean before roasting, it all affects the end flavour.

• An experienced roaster can draw out the best flavours from the bean.

• An inexperienced roaster can destroy most of the best flavours from the bean.

• A great barista can complement the flavour of the roasted coffee.

• A poor barista can destroy all the hard work done before them.

At Paradise Colombia we have sought out the most reputable and award winning coffee farms for our customers to enjoy the coffee tour experience. Of course, they also get the chance to consume a great cup of coffee and purchase a bag of freshly roasted coffee to take home too. Don't forget your family and friends, let them discover a piece of your time in Paradise too. The coffee won't last forever but the memories will.

#Coffee #Colombia #ParadiseColombia #colombiancoffee #EjeCafetero #Quindio #travel