Exploring Oaxaca's Coffee Roots

EXPLORING OAXACA’S COFFEE ROOTS

BY: NIC GRAY

The Oaxacan Emerald Coast and surrounding Sierra Madre del Sur mountains play hosts to a plethora of options for day trips and unique experiences.

By sharing my experiences I hope to inspire you to visit us and seek out your own adventures.

Most recently, I was fortunate to get the chance to venture into the canopies of the lush Oaxacan forest for a guided tour of Finca Tianna, a mountainside coffee farm.

Even if you are not a coffee lover, this trip is a great conduit for learning about an intrical aspect of the history of Oaxaca and the early growth of Puerto Escondido.

Along the way you’re sure to meet new people, catch spectacular mountain views and feast on mouthwatering local cuisine.

Prior to departure it is helpful to book ahead to ensure you get the full experience and an English translator. With a meal included, the cost is approximately 950 pesos per person. Note, this doesn’t include the cost of transportation to the farm.

It’s about a 60 km drive to San Gabriel Mixtepec which is where you’ll kick off the tour. It takes about 1.5 hours from Vivo Resorts if you venture through Puerto Escondido. The roads are better than accessing via Chila (which is the alternate route suggested on Google).

As seen on Google Maps

Along the way we stopped in San Pedro Mixtepec where we visited the legislative building. The walls are adorned with copies of old photos illustrating how coffee has been an integral component of the local economy for a long time. Oaxaca has a rich tradition of producing coffee and Puerto Escondido was a trade port long before it was known for its big surf.

After picking up Elloy at the Finca Tianna homestead in San Gabriel Mixtepec, we take a short drive to the farm (finca).

For a guy from the prairies of Alberta I must admit it seems odd to call it a farm when it’s on the side of a mountain.

We quickly learn that elevation and topography are two of the most important factors to naturally growing coffee. This farm is at approximately 900 meters. The two neighboring farms are slightly higher and the quality of the beans produced are also considered better as you climb.

I am in awe of the scene. We are in the middle of the driest season but everything here is lush and green. Water plays such an important part in the lifecycle of coffee and here is no exception.

A gentle stream cascades along the backside of the property and we are only a short walk away from a beautiful waterfall. We are fortunate to have the sun shining on us today as this place is quite often engulfed in clouds. Here is a place where clouds are welcomed because they bring the moisture necessary for the coffee plants to grow naturally.

Even when the sun is shining, trees that are hundreds of years old stand high above providing a natural canopy of shade that allows the coffee seedlings below to flourish.

Elloy walks us through the process of harvesting the coffee and the traditional steps they still take to ensure the beans are prepared to be shipped and roasted.

Farmers look for the red beans and pick them all by hand. Peeling the soft red shell reveals the beans, two per pod.

The red shell is quite sweet and has a sticky consistency which adds to the laborious process of peeling, fermenting, washing and drying the beans.

Looking across the massive concrete slabs used to dry the beans, Elloy mentions they have to be gathered and stored every night to avoid inclimate

weather destroying the harvest overnight.

Elloy says it takes about 5 days in the sunshine to dry the beans. I can only imagine the number of man hours dedicated to spreading and collecting the beans from these pads day-in and day-out.

With our tour of the hillside farm concluded, we return to Finca Tianna where we are welcomed by the smells of freshly grilled chorizo and sopes cooking on the wood burning grill.

Sitting down for lunch, I am like a kid in a candy store doing my best to sample everything that’s put in front of us. Nothing disappoints! I want to keep eating but eventually I have to tap out by declaring my ultimate “satisfaction”. It seems to be a term both the Spanish and English speakers at the table can identify with.

We finish with a bowl of locally made coffee ice cream and of course a sample of fresh brewed coffee.

Sipping my drink gives me a sense of appreciation for all the work that goes into a daily activity that I often take for granted. At the same time, Elloy walks us through the process of harvesting the cocoa pod and how they make chocolate.

The demonstration concludes with a home-made cup of hot chocolate mixed with an optional shot of Mezcal. It’s a surprisingly comforting combination that I will most certainly try again back home.

It’s the perfect end to a memorable day. Not only do I have a better understanding of coffee’s significance in Oaxaca’s history, but I’ve garnered a new appreciation for the people who help bring it to my cup.