In a country as coffee-producing as Colombia, it could be very common to smell coffee aromas everywhere, regardless of the type or preparation, even many foreigners when getting off the plane begin to smell our coffee aroma; especially if we travel by road to the department of Caldas, we will find a particular aroma Let's pause for a moment, close our eyes, take a few seconds, and take a deep breath. We've reached the entrance to the so-called "Coffee Belt," which also encompasses the departments of Risaralda and Quindío. Its landscapes have a rural feel; as we travel along its roads, the aroma of coffee permeates us, welcoming us to a magical region of Colombia located in the central west of the country, rich in flora and fauna. If the weather is friendly, in the distance we can see the majestic Nevado del Ruiz, which overlooks the city of Manizales, the capital of the department and part of the Nevados National Park.
Let's get to know the department
Caldas is a department of muleteers, indigenous communities, coffee growers and peasant families Many of them led by enterprising women with hardworking and industrious hands, in a department with 56,000 hectares planted with coffee, 14,000 of which are cultivated by women (20% of whom are single mothers). All of them, generation after generation, have undertaken, allowing coffee to flourish in their 25 municipalities, energizing the economy as a source of roots and tradition. In the beginning, when coffee arrived in Caldas, it was peeled by hand, dried in the backyard, and finally roasted in a pan stirred with panela, then ground and consumed day after day mixed with panela water. Today, we call this combination a typical peasant coffee.
Coffee , since in its beginnings the leaders of the department opted to unite the farms, opening bridleways to take this crop to the cities, where the threshing machines were located and later exporting coffee, thanks to the development of means of transport such as the railroad or nautical means along the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. During this industrial genesis, the businessman marketed the coffee, while the farmer produced the daily sustenance. , selling the remaining coffee at the market to invest in manufactured goods such as tools, creating an internal market between towns and, in turn, integrating an entire department. For some historians, this was the beginning of the conquest of a model region in Colombia, due to its strength and development.
Characteristics of Caldas coffee
We have already highlighted one of the most outstanding characteristics of Caldense coffee and it is the fruity and herbal aroma, which has captivated all of Colombia, as in most of the central regions, The cup has a medium acidity profile, as well as its body, which will be essential to become a desired drink at any time, due to the cold climate that prevails in the department. It's worth noting that these coffee characteristics are due to the region's topographical features, featuring large hillsides and fertile topsoil, producing around 1,000,000 60-kilogram sacks of coffee at altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 meters above sea level.
“The heart of Caldas is coffee and it beats for its coffee growers.”
A widely used saying in the Caldense region, which encompasses the entire coffee process in its municipalities, including the efforts of the institutions and the coffee growers of the region, Certified, verified, and sustainable coffees are being produced, showing the world the variety and richness of Caldenses coffees. Currently, more than 45,000 hectares of coffee are dedicated to specialty coffees. Among the country's top 20 municipalities in terms of productivity are the following departmental municipalities: Palestina, Chinchiná, Risaralda, Manizales, Pácora, San José, Anserma, and Viterbo.
After being a region recognized for its excellent standards, the High Quality Coffee Competition has been held for over 16 years. This competition recognizes coffee growers for their consistent work, reflected in their coffee and their national and international presence. In addition to the competition, this department also houses the "El Ritual del Café" Coffee Quality Laboratory, which is certified as a campus by the American Coffee Association (SCA), allowing it to host the institution's Q Grader Certification courses.
Caldas has the aroma of coffee , for its high-quality products, for its vibrant and enterprising people Not only the peasant as the patriarch of a family, but also the matrons, capable of raising generations raised under the aesthetics of coffee, instilling the aroma of labor in each harvest. Surely, upon making this trip, you will not only leave with a sweet aroma in your nostrils, but also in your mind. It's time to open your eyes and remember the experience, of having passed through the "Coffee Belt" and having a cup of coffee, accompanied by its landscapes and its people.