People who know and love coffee have come to know quite a bit about Colombian coffee. Colombia has become the third-largest coffee-producing nation behind only Brazil and Vietnam. But, interestingly enough, it is the largest producer of the Arabica variety of coffee plant, which is the plant that makes up all western, high-end coffee. Colombian coffee has a handful of special designations due to the quality of its coffee. For instance, the European Union gave it a special protected designation in 2007. Also, UNESCO named its coffee axis as a world heritage site. Today, we will learn a little bit more about Colombia and Colombia Valle del Cauca coffee.
About Valle del Cauca
Valle del Cauca is a department within Colombia. A department is very much like what we might think of as a district or as a small state. Essentially, it is a region defined by the government rather than a geographic region or mountain range as many other coffees are. Valle del Cauca in particular is known not just for its coffee, but for having the largest amount of independent towns. Their towns are more rural and are not metropolitan in size. This gives Valle del Cauca an interesting diversity.
Valle del Cauca is well known for both its coffee and its sugar. This sounds like the perfect mix, but it should be noted that sugar grows in the valleys there while coffee grows in the mountains.
Coffee Introduction Timeline
In the late 1700’s a Jesuit priest introduced coffee to Colombia. And, even then, it took nearly a century for coffee to be exported from Colombia. Compared to some coffee growing regions in the world, this is coming late to the game.
Coffee Flavor Highlights
In terms of flavors, Colombian coffee in general is mild, and Colombia Valle del Cauca coffee is no different. Our particular coffee bean comes with a milk chocolate main body, with latent notes of cherry and strawberry. This, when given a medium-dark roast, gives a very creamy and milky flavor. When paired with our Cookies and Cream Milkshake cookie, we are accentuating this milky suppleness. The cherry and strawberry notes are extremely subtle with this combination. To bring out those notes more, try a cherry or strawberry cheesecake flavor, or any dessert that brings through those berry notes but without a major tart flavor that might overload the rest of the body.
Is Colombian coffee one of your favorites? Have you tried pairing it with anything before? We’re curious about your experiences. Leave a comment below, or message us on Instagram or Facebook to let us know.
Sources: Departments of Colombia, Colombia coffee region info, Colombia UNESCO and special designations, Colombia history of coffee.
