Ecuador Galápagos San Cristobal Hacienda El Cafetal

Солодкий, Табак, Карамель

For the pretentious gourmet one of the most extraordinary coffees in the world comes from the Galápagos Islands. Famous for their unique animal world they are located 1000 km away from the west coast of South America, situated in the Pacific Ocean and belonging to Ecuador since the 19th century. In 1835 Charles Darwin observed during a first scientific expedition to this group of islands the native animal kingdom which had become very strange due to total isolation. At that time Darwin obtained main suggestions for his later theory about the origin of the species.

In 1879 a certain Manuel J. Cobos planted together with French agronomists coffee on the island Chatham, the present San Cristóbal, for the first time. They were Arabica plants of the Bourbon type, which had been imported from the French colonies before. It is almost unbelievable that these coffee trees, which had been planted approximately 120 years ago, still produce excellent coffee beans today. Usually coffee bushes have a span of life of 30 to 40 years. Today about 6000 bags of coffee, of which 3000 come from the island San Cristóbal, are produced on the Galápagos Islands.

What makes this “Island coffee” that unique? Due to the cold Humboldt stream, coming from the Antarctica, the climate is moderate oceanic and brings tropical rain to the southern hillsides of the islands between January and May. The coffee trees grow on relatively young and nutritious volcanic soil. The completely intact ecosystem and the unique micro climate – any kind of employment of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and chemical fertilizer is forbidden – allows the production of excellent biological coffee. Galápagos coffee grows under shade trees (like avocados, guavas, and oranges). Only organic substances, which occur naturally, are used to dung.

Harvesting is done twice a year and it is possible to see coffee flowers and cherries on the same branch at the same time. The ripe coffee cherries are harvested by manual labour and then brought to so- called Nass- Beneficios, where the coffee beans are separated from the pulp and other substances. Also during this process it is strictly paid attention to keep the environmental burden as low as possible and to keep the high purity of water as well as the quality of the products. After the fermentation, the washing, the drying and the selection, the raw coffee beans are exported. During each stage of the process it is certain that a sustainable development is guaranteed, that a suitable technique is used, that the employees receive an appropriate salary and that the Galápagos coffee is produced by the locals.

Coffee experts appreciate the Galápagos coffee due to its full body and its rounded flavour. Its fresh aroma and its pleasant and wholesome acid in combination with a soft chocolate flavour make it comparable to the most expensive caribbean plantation coffees. This pleasant taste lingers intensively and for a long time.

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