BajaNomad - ESTATE WHOLE BEAN COFFEE FROM CHIAPAS

ESTATE WHOLE BEAN COFFEE FROM CHIAPAS

DavidE - 1-7-2013 at 01:12 PM

If there is enough interest, the folks at the Miramar market in Asuncion are willing to try out an experiment. I versed to woes of expats about the lousy whole bean coffee the proveedores are offering. Eduardo, who operates the Almacen said he is willing to go the extra kilometer and get his hands on a very limited supply of Finca Cabeza de Vaca estate coffee from Chiapas and sell it -at cost- as a favor to premium coffee starved Americans and Canadians.

But there's a catch. In order for the coffee to be worth a damn it has to be ultra fresh whole bean. So the amount he gets FROM THE UNITED STATES has to be extremely limited per purchase, and has to be ordered per person individually.

I am familiar with this ultra-premium coffee having purchased a lot of it from CAFE LA SELVA in San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas. It is FAIR TRADE COFFEE meaning the indians who pick the berries and process them at the Finca's spring at the plantation are paid a FAIR WAGE. Personally I rate this coffee every bit as heavenly as the finest estate grown Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Better than Madagascar, Better than Sumatran coffee and better than KONA.

It ain't cheap. 130 pesos per POUND. But it's going to be sold AT COST. Actually cheaper than cost as the price above is FOB Houston Texas. This coffee is NOT AVAILABLE outside Chiapas.

But if no interest is shown, this is a no-starter. I am chipping in on this and other projects like getting turkey and REAL ham for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Boxing Day, and Easter. Chunk style peanut butter, Stuffing mix, spices, real butter, premium Darjeeling tea, Heinz catsup, and extra sharp cheddar cheese.

And for the gossips, I am helping for no money, re-numeration or other benefit. This beats sitting back and watching novelas or the thermometer

Hook - 1-7-2013 at 01:55 PM

You're buying Mexican coffee in the US to drink it in Mexico ?????

Udo - 1-7-2013 at 02:15 PM

I agree with Hook!

However, prior to my losing the entire house to a fire two years ago, I used to roast my own green beans and grind them myself.

The Chiapas coffee was one of my two favorite.
My number one is from a region in Costa Rica.
Brazil was #3, and #4 was Kona from the Greenwell farms.

$10.00 U.S. per pound is what I used to pay for the Chiapas coffee three years ago from a wholesaler in San Francisco. They in turn told me that I can buy it Mexico from a wholesaler in Cabo, when I moved down south.

I think it would be less trouble to find the distributor in either Cabo or pehaps La Paz.
I have seen the coffee sold in Ensenada at a coffee house opposite Costco and a Km south.
The name of the coffee house escapes me at the moment.

DavidE - 1-7-2013 at 02:25 PM

Isn't it the pits? It's freakin' like VANILLA. Can't find good authentic vanailla down here so have to get it from the states. Funny? Try finding Cholula hot sauce or even mineral water from Tehuacan.

There is so much fraud that so-called Chiapas or Veracruz coffee is diluted with or even pure dregs sawdust from the slopes of Michoacan or Guerrero. I tried different coffees multiple times from a very "famous" roadside coffee house in Baja Sur. GAG! Jamaica had to set up an elaborate system of authentication in order to lessen the chances of garbage being passed off as the genuine article.

The difference in flavor between estate grown chiapas coffee and ordinary coffee is like throwing Italian Swiss Colony Rose against Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Or Aunt Jemima against Grade AA Vermont Maple Syrup. Groton's Fish Sticks versus fresh Wahoo.

Bajaboy - 1-7-2013 at 03:05 PM

Back in the days, I had a small gourmet coffee store. I've tasted and sold my share of coffee. In my opinion, it's the roaster, not necessarily the coffee, that makes for a good cup. When I refer to roaster, I am referencing both the machine and the person.

But carry on...

[Edited on 1-7-2013 by Bajaboy]

DavidE - 1-7-2013 at 03:10 PM

It's got to come out of the roaster the instant the second crack takes place IMHO.

Loretana - 1-7-2013 at 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajaboy
Back in the days, I had a small gourmet coffee store. I've tasted and sold my share of coffee. In my opinion, it's the roaster, not necessarily the coffee, that makes for a good cup. When I refer to roaster, I am referencing both the machine and the person.

But carry on...

[Edited on 1-7-2013 by Bajaboy]

BB

Bien puede Ud. decirlo!

bajagrouper - 1-7-2013 at 06:47 PM

In Palenque the other day and picked up a kilo of fresh roasted beans at the roaster for 120 pesos....every time I get into my car on this road trip I get my caffeine fix........

J.P. - 1-7-2013 at 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajagrouper
In Palenque the other day and picked up a kilo of fresh roasted beans at the roaster for 120 pesos....every time I get into my car on this road trip I get my caffeine fix........

I totally agree about the Aroma, maybe we should carry a bag under the seat. :lol:

[Edited on 1-8-2013 by J.P.]

Udo - 1-7-2013 at 07:13 PM

You statement shows good knowledge of the roasting process, David!

Kona and Costa Rican have to come out at the beginning of the second crack.
Other coffees come out just before the second crack, particularly the pea body bean.

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
It's got to come out of the roaster the instant the second crack takes place IMHO.

bajagrouper - 1-11-2013 at 04:48 PM

I walked into a hardware/feed store in VALLADOLID the other day and found the Estralla corn/coffee grinder for $250 Pesos new in the case...

Pompano - 1-11-2013 at 05:00 PM

Ah Coffee!.....and What some people drink...

This van just passed me the other day...and reminded me of my dear friend, Randy, who lost his sense of smell and taste when we were in Iran during the days of the Shah. These days Randy drinks gallons of the stuff. I use it to float wrenches.