Mitad del Mundo - Ecuador - Mixed Varietal - Washed
A lovely washed lot from the 'Middle of the World'. This collective lot comes by way of multiple small scale producers in Loja, Ecuador. We have been big fans of Ecuadoran coffee for a long time, a country that has all the right conditions for growing very high quality coffee. This lot is a blend of Caturra, Bourbon and Typica Mejorada, with pre-fermentation before pulping and washing to produce a very sweet and floral coffee with good body and fine acidity. Expect notes of pear, orange blossom, and honey.
Info
Exporter
This lot was sourced through our friends at Caravela Coffee, who have feet-on-the-ground in Ecuador and are exporting some of the best coffees in of the country.
Region
Loja is a mountainous region in southern Ecuador. The capital city, also named Loja, is a tourist destination and famed for it's longstanding history of music.
Impact
These community lots are important as they provide a way for very small scale farmers to sell their coffee in the market. Most of them produce too little an amount to create their own lots, so the parchment is sorted by quality and blended to create bigger lots for export. The producers are paid a premium based on quality.
Elevation
The farms scattered throughout the Loja mountains sit between 1600 - 2100 masl.
Variety
This lot is made up of Caturra, Bourbon, and Typica Mejorada.
Process
Only fully-ripe cherries are hand picked and then floated to remove defects. The coffee is left to ferment for anywhere between 24-100 hours depending on the producers preferences. Coffee is then pulped and laid to dry on raised beds or shaded tents. The seeds are constantly monitored and turned every few hours to ensure even drying. The beds are covered at night to avoid the humidity and 'rehydration' of the coffee mass.
Circular Agriculture
Each farm that makes up the cooperative has been designed in the agroforestry model.
The farmers in Loja are not just solely coffee farmers. The farms are multi-purpose and each is designed with shade trees as well as integrating crops such as guabos and porotillos. Cattle, chickens, and other animal husbandry are also found on the farms as a means of fertilization, pest control and as another income source.
Mitad del Mundo
The name translates to the 'middle of the world'.
The equator cuts straight through the middle of Ecuador (hence the name) dividing it in half. One half in the Northern Hemisphere and the other in the Southern Hemisphere. This particular lot comes from the beautiful fertile mountans of Loja in the South. The combination of high altitude, fertile soils, a temperate climate, and distinct wet and dry seasons make it perfect for growing high quality coffee.
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