Mindful Living with Coffee
During our recent visit to Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand we had been invited by local farmers to their coffee plantation to pick coffee cherries with them. This task was not as easy as we thought it would be!
Continue reading IS IT COFFEE HARVEST BY HAND AN EASY TASK?
“The essence of beauty is unity in variety.” –
Felix Mendelssohn, German composer (1809 – 1847)
Many coffee farmers do not only grow coffee plants on their plantations. Instead. They cultivate the coffee plants in the in the shade of taller trees together with various types of fruits and vegetables such as bananas or corn. In doing so, farmers not only gain additional income from the fruits and vegetables. But they also promote a sustainable coffee production and therefore impact on the environment in a positive way. For example, taller trees not only provide shade for coffee plants, but they also stabilize the soil and attract birds. A rich fauna attracts pollinators and supports a healthy soil. Continue reading SUSTAINABLE FARMING – HARMONY IN DIVERSITY
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today.
– Chinese proverb
We need trees. Why are trees so important? According to the Irish Botanist, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, trees are the most important living organisms on earth! Trees protect and feed our planet. They provide life-giving oxygen, store carbon and stabilise the soil.
Continue reading SHADE GROWN COFFEE CHERRIES
Today we went to Bajareque, a small fascinating coffee shop in Casco Viejo, a neighborhood in Panama City with lots of Spanish colonial architecture. As soon as the barista of the coffee shop found out that we are passionate about coffee, he introduced us to a manager, who gave us a detailed presentation about their business. He showed us many photographs of the farm, which is supplying the coffee… Continue reading BAJAREQUE – IN PANAMA CITY
Da Lat, Central Vietnam
They cooperate closely with farmers who own small coffee plantations in the outskirts of Da Lat. It is their aim to create a support framework to empower farmers so that they are fully equipped with the vital skills required to cultivate and process high-quality Arabica coffee beans. Passion goes a long way. Continue reading THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AROUND DA LAT, VIETNAM: A COFFEE PARADISE
We rented a car for 1 week and explored the Tarrazu region, which is located in the Central Highlands of Costa Rica. This area is a gourmet coffee growing center of the country and a mecca for coffee-lovers.
While driving through the highlands and valleys, we passed many coffee fields. We saw quiet mountain towns surrounded by spectacular mountains, which are completely covered with shiny-leafed coffee bushes. Continue reading THE AROMA OF TARRAZU, COSTA RICA
You travel on until you return home; you live on until you return to earth. – Ethiopian Proverb
Ethiopia is a fascinating country. ‘The Land of Origins’ has a rich history, hospitable people with deep spiritual traditions, indescribably beautiful landscapes with striking natural contrasts. Ethiopia is the home the world’s rarest animals and plants and the origin of the Blue Nile which merges with the White Nile in Sudan to form the longest river of the world. Continue reading ETHIOPIAN COFFEE BEANS
In doing so, only the skin and the pulp of the coffee cherry are removed. The coffee beans (seeds) are dried within the remaining honey-like, sugary, mucilage layer – the gluey substance, underneath the pulp of the cherry, covering the two coffee seeds. Continue reading THE VARIOUSE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HONEY PROCESSES
On map Numbers shows location. Please look on List. Map used from: http://www.vectortemplates.com
Continue reading THE 30 MOST EXCEPTIONAL COFFEE BEANS THAT SHOULD BE EXPERIENCED BY COFFEE LOVERS
We arrived at the mountain town of Boquete in Panama. There are many coffee plantations in Boquete. Today we took time and visited one of Panama’s most famous family-owned coffee companies: Cafe Ruiz.
Our tour guide Carlos informed us about the art of growing, processing and tasting coffee. Continue reading CAFE RUIZ, BOQUTE, PANAMA AND CAFE PRINCESCA
