Coffee and its makings

What is a good cup of coffee? Many of us, being Seattle-lites, think we know the answers from the Starbuck's to the Peets (thanks Jerry Baldwin) to the small little roasters we all dearly support every morning. Being in Mexico I've learned to "get by" with the coffee. Surprisingly Mexico doesn't have too many places where one can buy, what I classify, as good coffee. Most Mexicans, if they drink coffee, drink instant coffee in warm water and call that good

However, the other day I got to see good coffee and its beginnings.

I had heard of a town called Cuzulapa from many local people and knew that it has a coop coffee plantation and that this coop was run by a group of women. Everyone that had been there saying that I MUST GO. So finally this last Tuesday I got the chance. Even though the town is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours away, the drive alone was worth it; winding through the mountains, slowing for the infamous topes. Finally we get to the house/office/roaster and walked into to warm welcomes. I, being the only one that had never been before, was given the informal tour of the place, being shown the roaster and the huge sacks of coffee and molida mojote (ground mojote) that they sell to various buyers. Also seeing how a small coffee coop works with the process of measuring by hand each kilo bag of beans, grinding them, packaging them and putting labels on the bags. All being done on one huge table in the front room of the house with the ladies talking and laughing always.

Hearing that the women were getting lunch ready for us, I went outside to check out what they were doing. And in a matter of minutes I was handed a bit of dough and showed how to roll it into a ball then flatten it to make a sopita. Onward my cooking lesson went over the wood oven, us talking the entire time. Finally lunch and coffee were served. The food was delicious, without a doubt, but the coffee made by hand with steamed milk was to DIE for. I could have drank it all day - it put Starbucks to shame.

After the dishes were cleared, I was ushered with outside everyone else to start a tour of the jungle. And my lesson began. As with many of you, I've heard the term "shade grown" coffee thrown around. But the true meaning of it never fully conceptualized by me. Two older women from the coop led us, along with Martin, on the walkabout. Also with us was a Mexican women from Guadalajara with her childern and a couple of kids from the coop. Down the path we went, the women showing and explaining to us every plant along the way, giving the name and medicinal value of each. I, being the only english speaking person, had to struggle to understand. But both Maria (woman from Guadalajara) and Martin tried to help me understand. Finally we came upon the coffee plants. The deal with shade grown coffee is that they are not necessarily planted, they reseed themselves well. So, the coffee plants are haphazardly growing throughout the area. There are not organized rows of coffee plants (at least not at this plantation)as I had expected. I liken it to hiking through the NW where we have huge canopies of pine trees and many varities of plants below. But here, instead they have mango trees above, or lemon trees, or mojote trees and on and on. And below are the coffee plants. The taller trees protecting them. Why is it that shade grown is so much better I asked, and the answer was the flavor. Shade grown trees take longer to flower and produce the bean. Where sun grown coffee may be harvested in a few months and even quicker with fertilizers, wjereas a shade grown tree takes anywhere from 6-8 months to produce a coffee bean. But what you get is a deeper, richer flavor. And you create a better eco system; there are more birds since there are more for them to eat, you need less water since there is a natural canopy (with the above trees) and in less space you have many other edibles (mangos, lemons, mojote and natural medicinal herbs). It is a very friendly system for all.

As we walked back, occasionally stepping aside for the cow hearders on horseback or crossing small rivers with shoes in hand. I remind myself how easy living can be with little. These people have learned to live efficiently with nature and at the same time support themselves. Not only do they have beautiful landscapes they also have happiness and knowledge of all that surrounds them.