A Coffee Story
This blog entry about the events of Thursday, November 29, 2007 was originally posted on December 04, 2007.
DAY 10: “Oooh! Real coffee!” raved Camilla. “It’s so good to have a good cup of coffee.” As a former barista of a Seattle’s Best in Portland, OR, my traveling companion was a bit of a coffee snob — as many Americans have become in our contemporary coffee culture. So far in Central America (and in other developing nations I’d been), we consumed coffee as the locals did — with hot water and instant coffee granules that locals were accustomed to through their upbringings in regions dominated by instant coffee pushing cartels like Nestlé.
Our good cup o’ joe was served at the Bagel Barn, an ex-pat hangout in Antigua that definitely put the “America” in “Central America.” With many gringos sipping lattes and mochas whilst on their laptops utilizing the free wi-fi, stepping in was like walking into an American Starbucks.
While the Bagel Barn’s specialties were bagels (that were mediocre at best), this is not another story of the doughy breakfast food (that was in San Pedro), for this is a different tale: A Coffee Story.
GUATEMALA BOASTS (AND ROASTS) some of the world’s best coffee. Different parts of the country have their different advantages for coffee production, and one of the premier zones is around the Antigua area. Antigua is not only known for its Spanish colonial charm, but its ideal blend of soil, climate and elevation that make its coffee arguably one of the most highly regarded. This was all explained to me at La Azotea, a cultural center and coffee plantation in the adjacent town of Jocotenango.
The day started in and around Antigua, where Camilla and I strolled around, energized by our morning brews of coffee beans. We walked the cobblestone streets, checked out some shops, and visited the imposing La Merced cathedral on the northern part of the historic center. Not surprisingly, Camilla was approached by many indigenous women trying to sell her scarves or jewelry.
Getting to the Azotea plantation involved waiting for a free shuttle (at a time we didn’t know), or by means of our own. “Let’s take a horse carriage,” I suggested to Camilla, seeing several of them circling the Parque Central, looking for a fare. “Let’s hail the wedding carriage.” We’d noticed that one horse-drawn carriage was decorated in veils, although not necessarily for a wedding. We arranged a fare with the driver, and soon our horse took to the cobblestone streets, out of the historic center and out on the asphalt roads of town where it wasn’t common to see horses. Camilla and I caught the attention of both tourists and locals alike, smiling and waving back to us.
“I think people think we actually got married,” she told me. I told her that it could be her excuse for extending her time off from work, so she could stay in Guatemala a couple more days than planned. “The parents of our black son got married,” she said. The fake procession ended out on the edge of town, near horse ranches and fields of crops. We paid off our horse driver and entered the plantation grounds.
THE MUSEO DEL CAFÉ of the La Azotea cultural center was a fascinating place for me — akin to the coca museum in La Paz, Bolivia — explaining all aspects of coffee: its history, its production, and its social impact. (It’s not just a beverage to dunk donuts into.)
Originally from Ethiopia, coffee plants were first consumed by goats. It was when the goat herders started noticing that the goats were all jittery and staying up late that they realized the potency of the coffee plant and begin consuming it themselves. Eventually, they perfected a caffeinated blend that monks served their listeners so that they wouldn’t fall asleep during long, boring sermons. (Seriously, I’m not making this up.)
Over the centuries, the Ethiopian civilizations traded coffee with the Arab world, where it flourished and became commonplace — so much that it caught the attention of European traders. Coffee became a hit in Europe, and in the 18th century, women called for a ban on it because it kept all their husbands out late when they spent hours socializing in coffeehouses. (The men retorted.) The social ramifications of coffee consumption flourished throughout Europe and eventually found its way to America. In 1971, the first Starbucks was opened; they haven’t looked back since. And to think it all started with a bunch of Ethiopian goats who couldn’t sleep at night.
Antiguan coffee sets itself apart from other coffee growing regions of the world, as the Antiguan farms take extra special care to their crops. While coffee plants in many regions are “sun grown,” with no protection from the sun, Antiguan coffee is “shade grown,” providing for extra flavor and richness. Also, unlike many places where coffee plants are harvested with machines, all Antiguan coffee fruits (picture above) are hand-picked by women.
Through some short videos and a series of big, life-sized dioramas, the coffee museum took me through the entire true story of the Guatemalan coffee-making process:
1. First, faceless (but somehow distinctly Guatemalan) mannequins plant coffee seedlings.
2. Then, another mannequin, also faceless but in a straw hat, takes care of the crops.
3. A mannequin in women’s clothes picks the coffee cherries and brings it to two other mannequins (also in women’s clothes) to sort out.
4. Mannequins in striped shirts bag the coffee beans and have them weighed by another mannequin, wearing a hat.
5. Two more mannequins process the coffee beans in a mill.
6. A mannequin in silly-looking pants dries and rakes the beans.
7. Ultimately, the beans are packaged, ground and served to mannequins in bad toupées.
In one interesting display, I learned that one coffee plants yield 6.5 lbs of coffee cherries, which yields 1.5 lbs of coffee in parchment, which yields 1.25 lbs of green coffee, which yields a pound of roasted coffee, making about 40 cups. This tidbit of information fascinated me, and without the use of any mannequins either.
But the most intriguing fact that I learned in the coffee story came on a pie chart: for every dollar spent on a cup of coffee from a “megaroaster” in the States, the American coffee companies make 84 cents, while the country that provides the actual coffee only gets 16 cents: a nickel goes to the farmer, eight cents to the farm hands, and three pennies to the exporter. (It kind of makes you think twice the next time you spend $4 on a cup of coffee at Starbucks.) However, in an effort to help local farmers from getting screwed over, there is the “Fair Trade” movement which aims to cut out the middle man, passing the savings onto local coffee farmers. (Look for the “Fair Trade” logo on your next coffee house trip.)
Camilla and I cut out all middle men when we finally sampled pure Azotea Antiguan coffee at the end of the tour. Rich, robust, and with a slightly nutty flavor, the hot coffee went down smooth as I slowly sipped and enjoyed the brew of ground arabica beans. Camilla, the coffee connaisseur, made sure the aroma was up to par as well, and it passed with flying colors.
THE PARTS OF THE AZOTEA CENTER reserved for two other museums weren’t as interesting to me. In the museum of Mayan music, more faceless mannequins dressed up and played musical instruments. In the Rincon de Sacaterequez, most mannequins just created a civilization and culture, while two mannequins got married. Unfortunately, there was no mannequin of a horse to parade them around the old city like we’d done earlier that day. In fact, there was no more real horse to take Camilla and me back to town, so we took the shuttle instead.
Almost all the locals back in town were on long, block-long lines at every bank; it was the end of the month — pay day — and I’m told the lines at every bank is a common, monthly sight. Camilla and I avoided these lines and eventually ended up back at Bagel Barn (near our hotel anyway) to chill out, post another entry with my laptop and the wi-fi, and of course, drink more Antiguan coffee. It was like being in Starbucks without the guilt, but with all the caffeine — so much that day in fact, that I barely got a wink of sleep that night.
The “Bohemian Breakfast” on the Bagel Barn menu reads: “Two eggs, country potatoes, and bacon scramble. Served with a toasted bagel, and your choice of cigarette or multivitamin.”
Next entry: Nocturnal Eruptions
Previous entry: Karma
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.
Comments for “A Coffee Story”
First and that’s a first! Great story, wrote so well I had to go and get a coffee!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/04 at 04:05 AM
ROSE: It’ll keep you up!
ELISA: Where are your hook ups? I’m in San Salvador now, heading to the beach tomorrow…Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/04 at 04:49 AM
those mannequins deserve a raise….
Posted by markyt on 12/04 at 02:13 PM
so the shadier the coffee..the better!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/04 at 02:17 PM
Shade grown is much better for the environment too!
Coffee snobs unite - it’s a problem when I travel…
So much so that I get tea! If you look for fair trade, or fairly traded, you can help to ensure that the workers get the better end of the stick - and perhaps increase the usage of good coffee, so that there are MORE fairly traded blends available.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/04 at 03:07 PM
I like how, even in 17th century Women’s Petition, they still had to write SEX in large, capital letters.
Posted by Neil on 12/04 at 07:15 PM
great range of Ed Hardy products. Ed Hardy Women’s Ellerise Lowrise Sneaker · Ed Hardy Women’s
ed hardy jeans, ed hardy hoody, ed hardy shirt, ed hardy clothing, ed hardy cap, ed glasses, ed belts,
women fashion shoes, men’s clothes. helping .perhaps you will like
Ed Hardy
Ed Hardy shoes
Ed Hardy shirts
Ed Hardy clothes
Ed Hardy clothing
Ed Hardy shoes
Don Ed Hardy is an American tattoo collector raised in Southern California
Ed Hardy Clothing,Christian Audigier,Ed Hardy Shoes,Ed Hardy Swimwear,Ed Hardy Hat,
ED Hardy Caps
Ed Hardy Sunglasses
Ed Hardy Wallets
EdHardy
Gucci outlet store online, numerous cheap Gucci bags, handbags, wallets, purses, totes, shoes on sale,
cheap prices and authentic qualities
gucci handbags
gucci jewelrytrjytkjPosted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/09 at 02:47 AM
It’s a supreme data connected with university. Some students would like to have such kind of high writing abilities. But they must buy the doctoral dissertation recommended by some experienced dissertation help.
Posted by ShariWalls35 on 09/21 at 09:03 AM
Prada replica handbags each more successful innovations in quality, color models, to meet with different needs, Chocolate Brown is the most conservative colors, but the texture of crocodile skin to make it fashionable and live if women themselves have a “gucci replica handbags”, “balenciaga handbags “” coach replica, avant-garde metal package, the luxury complex three-dimensional decorative replica coach handbags, replica balenciaga handbags new levels of classic patterns, strong rattan style, etc., High to the limit before a grand wedding for the bride fashion acceptable to all the painting, bright but not exaggerated , consider replica coach what you want to change; juicy couture replica handbags forward party girl. season’s most popular 80-year Party, the war should be sexual dutifully completed to standard, “the brilliant title, then in the United States on behalf of the Ying and even reminiscent of the tropical jungle The rare animals, but such a package definitely make you jump out balenciaga of the crowd. Perfect pitch period. Pouring; Sky Blue’s skin began to be highly mobile Green Lake CHRIS brown After you pick the package, colorful replica prada handbags image of the fashionable woman’s burberry replica handbags might test pure color gradually, quality blue, green and clever sense of striking, memorable. Soft plastic so precious and elegant fashion Louis Vuitton 96800 designs and to the different plastic materials are not as often in the spring and summer of occasional visitors, but it never looked very bright and accessories, in particular several crocodile cute. Fendi Fendi, an up bally bags and replica balenciaga. chanel replica handbags was an outstanding taste, mulberry bags, beautiful prints and trendy interesting profile shape, everything is a “crystal package,” There are two materials, transparent plastic with the colors of canvas, the quality of replica fendi crystal major theme is the pendant, but Prada has not given out too freely used this element, feeling too fresh in the marc jacob of crystal button, beautiful and practical. Ling chandeliers, crystal embellishment; and canvas material at least Prada store display plastic valentino handbags this season, the only large area of crystal ornaments chanel replica to enhance the magnificent canvas of a sense of rough and smooth, opaque color and attractive shine. We start with louis vuitton replica of view, let’s call it crystal package. cartier handbags, the button is a small crystal-like decoration should be derived from a sense of ysl bags shop great new fall and winter are not necessarily monotone then several, prada handbags spring and summer series of absolute field full season full of chanel handbags fashion show ground and practical and very easy to style with deep, rich colors of the versace handbags, winter show, there are hundreds of games installed week show, but can not forget to also look over people.
Posted by lv replica handbags on 10/13 at 03:56 AM
MP5 Player - Wholesale MP5 Players - Cheap MP5 Video Player
MP5 Player
MP4 Player
Wholesale Electronics
Mobile Phone
Car DVD
wedding dresses
prom dresses
evening dresses
cheap dresses
women dresses
dresses salePosted by dress on 11/09 at 06:20 AM