Guatemala Cafe Delas - Juana Perez (2023 Crop)

Caramel, toffee, cherry, plum, lemon bar

On Sale

Bag Weight	69 KG BAG
Harvest Season	2022/23
Status	Spot
Lot Number	P610735-1

Carteret, NJ: 8 Bag(s)

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About This Coffee

Forty years ago, Juana and her husband decided to dedicate themselves to coffee. As the years have passed, they have inherited their love for their crop, and now it is their children and grandchildren who are working with them on the farm, learning and innovating. The farm is named after the generous and leafy "Matasano" trees found in the area.

El Pajal is a small village located in San Antonio Huista, which is a municipality in the department of Huehuetenango in Guatemala. The road conditions in rural areas of Huehuetenango, including San Antonio Huista, can be challenging. The region is characterized by rugged terrain, and the roads are often unpaved, narrow, and winding. Traveling to remote villages like El Pajal may require using dirt or gravel roads, which can be an adventure.

Country of Origin	Guatemala
Region	San Antonio Huista, Huehuetenango
Producer Type	Single Estate
Farm Name	El Matasano
Processing	Washed
Processing Description	Fermented 48hrs, sun-dried on patios
Growing Altitude	1550m

Harvest Season	2022/23
Bag Weight	69 KG BAG
Bag Type	Grain Pro / Ecotact
Plant Species	Arabica
Variety	Bourbon, Caturra

History of Coffee in Guatemala

Although coffee was brought over from the Caribbean in the mid-18th century by Jesuit priests, it was used primarily as an ornamental plant and garden crop for 100 years in Guatemala. Coffee wasn’t widely traded, however, until commercial production began in the 1850s. The volcanic soil and various micro-climates proved ideal for growing coffee in Guatemala. Coffee, within a generation, became the country’s most important crop. In 1860, Guatemala exported 140,000 pounds of coffee, and just 25 years later, the country was exporting over 40 million pounds. Large numbers of coffee farmers were German immigrants responsible for many inventions and innovations related to coffee milling. Most of Guatemala’s coffee was exported to Germany until the First World War, when exports shifted to the United States.

Growing Coffee in Guatemala

Coffee farming practices are similar to other countries in the region, but Guatemala has an abundance of water, volcanic soil, and very distinct micro-climates compared to its neighbors. Although late to coffee, Guatemala recognized and responded to the needs of the emerging specialty coffee sector earlier than most coffee-producing regions. Anacafé, the coffee producers association in Guatemala, identifies seven growing regions: Fraijanes, the plateau south of Guatemala City; Coban, a rainforest region in the center of the country; Huehuetenango, highlands near the border with Mexico; Atitlan, primarily the volcanic mountains on the Pacific side of Lake Atitlan; San Marcos, between Huehuetenango and the Pacific Ocean; Oriente, the driest of the growing regions located near the eastern border with Honduras; and the most famous of all, Antigua, nestled among the volcanoes an hour’s drive southwest of Guatemala City.