More Adventures in the Coffee Triangle

On our second day of exploration in the Coffee Triangle, we started with a visit to Jesus and Angela’s roasting facility. As I mentioned previously, it’s highly unusual to find a Colombian coffee grower who roasts his or her own beans. But Jesus clearly isn’t an ordinary coffee grower. (I actually think of him as Colombia’s unofficial coffee ambassador.) 

Part of Jesus’s commitment to producing the highest quality coffee is having complete control over the roasting process. It’s roasting that brings out the attributes of the coffee. The goal is to produce coffee that has the proper balance of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. Thus, Jesus did extensive research and set up a roasting facility in a small nondescript building in the town of Salento. 

Carlos, the master coffee roaster, was waiting for us. He obviously shares Jesus’s high standards. Roasting is a process of dehydration and Carlos led us through the exacting series of steps. First, the beans were peeled to get rid of the husk (the thin outer layer of parchment). Carlos did a careful visual inspection, rejecting any defective beans, such as those with beetle bites, which were reserved for the darker roasts since dark roasting burns everything away (and results into a lower quality product). Hmmm, I’ll have to remember that next time I start to reach for a can of dark roast coffee at Trader Joe’s. 

Jesus relies on a special piece of equipment imported from Germany, as well as the expertise of Carlos, to roast the beans to the optimum point. 

When the process begins, sugars in the beans caramelize and the beans start to change color from green to brown. With the roar of the machine in our ears, we watched Carlos check the color of the beans periodically. It’s important to check frequently because every batch of beans is different. The desired look for this medium roast was beans that looked matte and brown. If they appeared shiny and black, that would mean they were overdone. 

Once the beans reached the desired point, the heat was reduced, allowing the beans to cool. Then they fell into a spinning tray where a raking arm swept through them. This allowed Carlos to do another visual check to sort out any beans that didn’t look quite right. 

The entire roasting cycle generally takes 12-16 minutes. Of course, this depends on the desired roasting level – light, medium, dark, super-dark. Spanish roast is the darkest of all, followed by Italian and French. 

In addition to learning about roasting, we also learned that brewing method is another factor to consider. Some brewing methods are very quick and others take a very long time. For example, espresso has a very short brewing time while the cold brew method takes about 12 hours. A longer brewing time results in more caffeine in the coffee. I wonder how the pour-over method I use at home compares. 

In the center of Salento, we stopped by the Jesus Martin Café, owned by Jesus and Angela, to try some of Jesus’s coffee. We didn’t only get to enjoy the excellent coffee. We also got a lesson in “latte art” from Jhonny, one of the baristas at the café. 

Then it was our turn to try. I ordered a macchiato (1:1 ratio of espresso to foamed milk) rather than a capuchino (1:3 ratio of espresso to foamed milk) in order to get the maximum coffee flavor. Here is my attempt to recreate one of Jhonny’s artistic designs. As you can see, I need a little more practice. 

I would have enjoyed walking around Salento, but while we were in the café, the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down. I darted into shops selling handicrafts, determined to find a souvenir. These iron birds, crafted locally, now hang on the wall in my kitchen. 

Salento in the rain

Even if you’re not a coffee lover, the Coffee Triangle is worth visiting. The small towns are delightful and the countryside is spectacular. The small town of Filandia (the name is derived from Greek words meaning “son of the Andes”) dates back to 1878. It looks similar to Salento but is smaller and a bit less touristy. Like Salento, its steep streets are lined with colorfully painted houses and storefronts. Once again, I was struck by how the people of this region surround themselves with art in their everyday lives.

Throughout our stay in the Coffee Triangle, I marveled at the beauty of the countryside. Something about the sight of those green rolling hills calmed my soul.

Forests of the native bamboo, called guadua, were everywhere. I’ve mentioned this bamboo before but I learned more about it while we were in the Coffee Triangle. Guadua is considered sustainable since it’s very quick growing. In fact, it can reach a height of 75 feet in 6 months. However, its wood cannot be harvested until the tree is two years old. It was fascinating to learn from Alejo that the indigenous people believed that the best time to cut bamboo was during the last quarter of the moon’s cycle. This has something to do with the tides, which are controlled by the moon. They timed the cutting to take place when the water level in the tree is at its lowest point so that the bamboo would be as dry as possible. 

The biodiversity of the area’s fauna is quite impressive. We didn’t have time to go in search of animals, but Alejo told us that the Coffee Triangle is home to pumas, ocelots, red howler monkeys, possums, coatis, two kinds of snakes, tapirs, red and black spotted poison dart frogs, spectacled bears (the only bear native to South America, it looks like it’s wearing glasses), and over 600 kinds of birds, including the majestic condor, a national symbol of Colombia. Speaking of the condor, I actually spotted one! You’ll see it if you look closely at the photo below. 

The condor sighting took place on the same day as our visit to Salento, when we were hiking in the Cocora Valley Nature Park. “Cocora” means “water star” in the local indigenous language, and our visit to the Cocora Valley was one of the highlights of the trip. The park is privately owned, which accounts for the somewhat off-putting theme park design at its entrance. Once past that distraction, however, you can focus on the breathtaking views as you ascend steep paths to various lookout points. The hike up left me panting for breath (the altitude may have been a factor), but I’m so glad I pushed onward. And thanks to fellow traveler Gwen for encouraging me and reminding me to hydrate when I felt my energy lagging. 

As you can see in the photos, distinctive wax palm trees, Colombia’s national tree, dot Cocora Valley. This is the tallest variety of palm and it only grows at elevations of 6000 to 11,000 feet. It takes decades of growth to reach its final height, which can be 220 feet. The tree gets its name from the waxy substance that covers the wood, “waterproofing” the tree. 

One tourist attraction in the Coffee Triangle that was not on our itinerary was Parque del Café, the National Coffee Theme Park, aka Coffee Disneyland. If I ever come back here with my grandchildren, I’ll check it out. In any event, I was totally enchanted by the Coffee Triangle.

"The magic and taste of real Colombian coffee"
(In the Jesus Martin Café)