Features
Bean Type:Arabica (Typica)
Harvest Time:June - April
Processing Process:Washed
Tasting Notes:Berry, black mulberry, peach, melon, chocolate
Aroma (Smell):Chocolate
Body:Medium
Altitude:1450-2000m
Acidity:Medium
Taste:Initially fruity, the taste is characterized by berry and black mulberry flavors. The aftertaste leaves a lasting impression on the palate, while the oval body and melon and peach flavors stand out.
Ecuador is a country located in Northwestern Latin America, bordering Peru and Colombia, and bordering the Pacific Ocean. Joja (or Lova) is a coffee-producing region located in the part of the country close to Peru. In fact, Ecuadorians say it's the region where the best coffee grows in the country. Undoubtedly, the elevation, reaching up to 2,000 meters, a level not typically seen in Latin America, plays a significant role in this.
Coffee planting accelerated during the colonial era of Spain and Portugal in Latin America. Because coffee seeds and saplings generally arrived on French ships, the Bourbon variety, grown on the Bourbon Islands, a French colony, spread to most South American states. Over time, Bourbon varieties mutated naturally or through genetic crossbreeding, creating a variety.
Unlike the Bourbon-derived beans we're accustomed to seeing in Latin America, Ecuador's Loja coffee consists of beans derived from the Typica variety. Ethiopia is the homeland of the Typica variety, and it is considered the ancestor of all Arabica-derived beans.
Ecuador, like many Latin American countries, first encountered coffee in the mid-1800s. Production began in the Manabi region in 1860 and spread throughout the country over time. The country's unusual geography, Pacific climate, and the influence of the Andes Mountains, combined with the differences in altitude, provide extremely favorable conditions for coffee cultivation.
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Coffee is Ecuador's largest export, along with cocoa, bananas, mangoes, citrus fruits, sugar, avocados, and rice. Coffee is a plant that absorbs the flavors of the plants it grows with, and Ecuadorian producers utilize this ability to enhance the flavors of other crops they cultivate. Typica-type coffee trees, often planted with fruit trees, enhance the existing floral and fruit flavors. Ultimately, the result is a flavor balanced with cocoa, enhanced by the basic chocolate flavor.
Ecuador's largest source of income is oil. Therefore, the country is not dependent on agriculture. Interestingly, Ecuador imports more coffee than it exports. One of the main reasons for this is the strategy implemented in Robusta coffee consumption. While the country primarily uses Vietnamese Robusta beans, which are much cheaper for domestic consumption, it exports its own, more expensive Robusta beans, thus managing to add the difference to its national income.
Because the country's economy is less dependent on agriculture, unlike other Latin American countries, there has been little research on coffee cultivation, and production has not been given much importance. After the 2000s, new coffee cultivation methods, developed particularly in neighboring Peru and Colombia, began to be used by a new generation of producers, particularly in the production of Arabica beans. With these successful production efforts, coffee has become a steadily growing product in the country.
Loja is a settlement located in the Andean valley at an altitude of 2,250 meters on the Peruvian border of Ecuador. It is a region in Ecuador known for its friendly and warm people, as well as its modern character. Because 3 4 of its surface area is covered by hills and mountains, it possesses numerous microclimates, creating suitable areas for the production of various agricultural products. However, unfortunately, due to its higher national income compared to other Latin American countries, it is negatively affected by labor-intensive work and, in particular, the high minimum wage. For this reason, traditional coffee production never gained popularity in Ecuador until recently. Fortunately, with the rise in value of specialty coffee on the international market in recent years, coffee is once again becoming a focal point for agricultural farms.
