Your June 2022 Magic Seeds
We are super excited to introduce you to this month's Magic Seed from the Luhihi Village washing station in the South-Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We have plenty to say about that, but first let's take a look at our Daily Drinker.
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Two months ago we transitioned the Daily Drinker to a year round blend comprised of coffees from Peru, Colombia and Guatemala. As we said last month, Tony has worked with coffees from some of these groups for the past seven years and has traveled to farms in each of the regions the current groups support. We also noted the sweet milk chocolate foundation that they all share, creating a harmonious bond.
This month we want to look at the the different fruit flavors each of these regions contributes. We see a wide range of fruit flavors in the blend without the acidity being overpowering. The Colombian coffee from the Tolima region brings a nice green apple note that stands out to us the most, along with some tropical fruit notes that interact really nicely with the other two. The Peruvian components from Cajamarca, bring in a soft apricot note that acts as a bridge between the chocolate foundation and the brighter acidities of the other two. Our Guatemalan selection, from Huehuetenango, has a citric note and a lot of grape. These are not as much in the forefront as the other two, with the roast profile crafted to highlight sweetness. It just dances around the edges; making it a really enjoyable blend for every day of the week.
crossing Lake Kivu.
Your Magic Seeds for this month come from the Luhihi Village washing station in the South-Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a fully washed lot, comprised of over 350 smallholder farms growing Blue Mountain, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, and Kabare 2 varieties.
This washing station is part of the SOPACDI cooperative, founded by Joachim Munganga, a coffee farmer himself. The group began in 2003 when he restored a washing station, providing services and market access to the farmers in these extremely high elevations. Before Joachim began this work, farmers in there area had no way to transfer finished coffee to market and had to barter their cherry locally for food, clothing and necessities. The group was the first Fair Trade certified in DR Congo and also carries organic certification. They support 5,600 members, representing multiple ethnic groups with three different languages spoken. About twenty percent of the membership is women, many of whom are widows.
coffee growing at a SOPACDI member's farm.
The SOPACDI coffees are separated by washing station and each member is paid for what they contribute, based on volume. Coffee is traceable back to the individual farmers it suppers. Each mill has strong quality control and processing standard, allowing them to produce exceptional coffee. This particular station supports 350 members, each with a very small farm.
Tasting this coffee the first flavors that come to mind are ripe figs and plums with a lot of brown sugar, nutmeg and clove. These flavors work together in a way to remind us of Dr. Pepper. As it opens up a little more we're tasting a slight shift to apple and molasses. Continuing to sip as the cup cools we see the fruit turn to a brighter cherry note and resolve into a fresh baked fruit cobbler.
We're finding this to be a really enjoyable coffee that reminds us of desserts commonly found at our large family gatherings growing up.
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We hope that you have loved this month's award winning Magic Seeds and look forward to sharing another exceptional experience with you next month.
image provided by Café Imports
