Did you know that for Ecuadorians, coffee growing is an activity of significant economic, social, and environmental importance? You should also know that coffee in this country generates income for coffee growers, collectors, transporters, and marketers, as well as foreign currency earnings that contribute to boosting the rural economy in producing areas.
Ecuador isn't on the list of the world's most famous coffee-producing countries, but if you climb the Andes Mountains, you'll find coffee cherries slowly ripening on small farms. I'll describe key aspects such as the flavor profile of Ecuadorian coffee, the thriving development of specialty coffee, and the coffee-growing regions of this South American country.
The flavor of Ecuadorian coffee
What distinguishes Ecuadorian coffee is its sweetness. It's juicy and complex, with notes of jam, medium acidity, and yellow fruits. It has flavors like stone fruits, such as peaches, apricots and plums among others.
Specialty coffee in Ecuador
Ecuador is now on the world map for specialty coffee . Ecuadorian specialty coffee comes from steep mountains under the gentle shade of native trees. Ecuador currently has the option to produce the finest Arabica and Robusta coffees , sun-dried, processed by the wet method, Natural and Honey, in an almost perfect way highlighting the sparkling acidity, special body and the balanced flavors between floral and a light chocolate flavor.
Ecuadorian specialty coffee has developed rapidly over the past ten years, offering micro-lots and nano-lots (high-quality coffees) to markets in North America, Europe, Japan, and other Asian consumer countries, with the finest gourmet specialty coffees from high altitude coffees.
The price crisis that Ecuadorian producers and exporters have experienced in recent years has tested their ability to respond to adverse events. In specialty coffees, this situation is being overcome by connecting directly with producers and their families, learning and interacting in long-term sustainable relationships, understanding their production and post-harvest costs. , finding prices that justify their hard work in the field and the difficult marketing effort. Also, getting consumers to pay for this differentiated product, teaching them to appreciate the difference in the special flavors they find.
Producing specialty coffees in Ecuador is the result of coordinated efforts in a chain that seeks excellence, being aware that the quality of Ecuadorian coffee is not a product of chance, but of the work of thousands of people, ranging from the producer who plants the beans with the vision of having high productivity, to the person responsible for transforming the ripe fruit into washed parchment coffee, and subsequently into a green coffee or bean without parchment residue, obtained through an agro-industrial process with the excellent machinery at their disposal. Currently, they are exporting it both green and gold, roasted and packaged, and even processed with brands that add more value to Ecuador.
Coffee-growing regions of Ecuador
I'll describe the coffee-growing regions and the different types of coffee grown and produced in this beautiful country, which, although small, has a great diversity of climates, varieties, farms, and agricultural practices.
Fifty percent of Ecuadorian coffee is produced in the coastal provinces. The province of Manabí accounts for 30 percent of total production. The Amazon and Sierra (mountain) regions account for 30 to 25 percent of production. Robusta coffee is produced primarily in the Amazon, and Arabica coffee is grown along the coast.
In the south of the country, there are Typica, Caturra, and Bourbon coffees, which grow at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,300 meters above sea level, mainly in the mountainous areas of Loja, the Amazon region of Zamora, and the coastal region of El Oro. To the north, there are coffees from Pichincha, Imbabura, Sucumbíos, and Orellana. The Colombia and Castillo coffee varieties were imported from Colombia and are grown there.
In the coastal province of Manabí, coffee It is generally grown at altitudes between 600 and 800 meters above sea level. It is a region that, due to its geographical location, has very specific microclimates, where temperatures tend to be relatively low, creating potential for the production of very dry natural coffees after harvest.
Finally there are The Galapagos Islands. Coffee from this region is fashionable and expensive. , partly due to supply and demand, and also due to the difficulty in transporting it to the mainland.
Finally, it is necessary to highlight and value Ecuadorian coffee , which, although not as well-known as Colombian or Brazilian coffee, offers a delicious product full of sweetness, body, and fruity and floral notes.