The story of this community coffee starts in Jaen. This small city, which is the center of coffee trade in Cajamarca, has all the characteristics of a tropical merchant hub; it’s warm, humid, always busy, noisy, and full of hustlers. This dynamic and vibrant place is also the base of our Peruvian partners, Cultivar. From the city of Jaen, you can travel to the beautiful valley of Chunchuco to visit farmers.
Once you are en route to the valley, you pass Chontali jungle which is a mixture of the last remaining thick forests and agriculture sceneries with high mountain peaks that stretch as far as the horizon. After about 3.5 hours drive, you’ll reach the Chunchuco valley where the impressive Mount Corcovado looms.
Here you’ll find perfect conditions for coffee growing: high altitudes and cool temperatures. The grower families in this valley own 1.5 hectares of coffee on average, and have planted the varieties Yellow Caturra, Pache, Typica, and Catimor. Most of these growers raise cattle and produce granadillas to generate additional sources of income.
The name of this lot is ‘Estela de Chontali’ because of a beautiful and unique marker in this area; a 1.8 meter tall calcareous stone. It was discovered in a farmhouse in Mount Corcovado in 1984 and depicts snakes and feline forms that were created by the Chavin people, one of the oldest civilizations of the continent. The presence of this stone has surrounded the Corcovado Mount and its people with mystery for centuries. Locals say the foggy and dense forested mountain “swallows” those who dare to wander alone.
This community coffee, exclusively sourced by Trabocca, bursts with potential, both in terms of quality, volume and storytelling. The
farmers in the Chunchuco valley produce impressively sweet cups with a medium-round body and a lively and bright lime and apple acidity. This coffee is not like any other blend filler, but one that lifts other components, or attracts attention when used as a single origin. With Cutlivar’s local team on the ground, we have a solid sourcing and project partner within this community.
