PERÚ CHINCHIQUILLA – WASHED

Description

ORIGIN: PERÚ

REGION: CAJAMARCA

ELEVATION: 1500-1950 MASL

COFFEE INFO

Northern Peru, particularly the department of Cajamarca, is renowned for its delicious coffees. In San Ignacio, one of its most significant districts, lies an important environmental conservation corridor known as the Forests of Chaupe, Cunía, and Chinchiquilla. This cloud forest plays a crucial role in the region’s ecosystem, boasting incredible biodiversity of flora and fauna. Stretching across several provinces of San Ignacio, including Chirinos, La Coipa, Namballe, San Ignacio, and Tabaconas, this green corridor features diverse microclimates and experiences consistent rainfall throughout the year, with a peak from January to March. Moreover, it serves as the primary water source for the communities of San Ignacio. Established by the Peruvian government in 2019, this conservation area serendipitously coincided with Caravela’s starting its operation in Peru and thus direct engagement with producers. In San Ignacio, under the Chinchiquilla brand, Caravela initially partnered with 18 producers, a number that has since grown to 30 in 2024. Working directly with these producers, supported by PECA technicians and operating two purchasing stations in Chirinos and Jaen.

THE PROCESS

The producers contributing to Chinchiquilla begin with manual cherry picking, focusing solely on selecting ripe cherries. These cherries are then floated at the wet mill on the farm to remove any floaters, which are defective cherries. Subsequently, the cherries are pulped without water, followed by fermentation, typically carried out in plastic bags or open-air tubs for an average of 35 hours. Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is washed and placed in the drying area, which commonly consists of solar dryers or plastic tarps laid over wooden planks. Drying typically takes 10 to 15 days on average to reach the ideal humidity level. When the parchment coffee is ready, it is stored and transported to Caravela’s purchasing station, located in either Chirinos or Jaen. At the purchasing station, the coffee undergoes physical and sensory analysis conducted by the quality analyst to determine its quality grade for purchase. Following this assessment, the coffee is gathered at the purchasing station and then transported to the mill in preparation for export.