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In the GrinderMay 2010 ArchivesPerla NegraMay 3, 2010
Perla Negra
Ever hear of a Brix Meter? We think this is pretty cool!
This is Francisca Chacon, an organic coffee farmer from Las Lajas in Costa Rica. We have 20 bags of her exquisite coffee Perla Negra P2430. She is holding in her hand a Brix meter, a refractometer that measures sugar levels in degrees Brix. What is Brix you ask? It is the degrees in a measurement used to determine the mass ratio of dissolved sugar to water in liquid.
 
Brix meters are used in the wine industry for measuring the approximate amounts of sugars in grapes to determine ripeness but Francesca is using it on coffee cherries that come in fully ripe. Those with more than 20 degrees Brix are set aside to be processed as “Natural” coffees on a raised bed, is that cool or what? A Brix meter can be used to determine sugars in everyday foods too. As a point of reference the Brix levels for other fruits are as follows: Apple-14, Lemon-12 and Passion Fruit-18.
 So after the Brix meter helps to choose the ripest cherries, they are placed on the raised bed. The beauty of the raised bed is there is increased air flow which makes it possible to dry cherries more evenly without them clumping together and fermenting. The challenge is that it needs a lot of attention. They need to be constantly turned by hand for optimum drying. So, as you can imagine, this requires a lot more labor and can only be done in small batches but more importantly it requires a desire to create a unique and remarkable product.
This drying technique requires a famer with the devotion and passion to create something exceptional with her own hands from her own land. A farmer willing to innovate with their own time energy and faith to create the best coffee they can. This type of person is exactly who Francisca is. For this we salute you Francisca.
These natural Costa Ricans are extremely fruity, like Fruity Pebbles. They have a little bit of Cinnamon, a full rich chocolate body and wininess in the cup. I can only imagine what a roaster could do with this and what it might produce in an Espresso. I think it is very exciting.
Best Regards, Andrew
 Cafe Imports Partners with Urban Farming!May 6, 2010
Cafe Imports is proud to announce they are partnering with Urban Farming by donating used burlap bags to support their cause. The burlap bags leftover from our green coffee can be used by this organization as a weed preventor in their gardens. It seems like it is a no brainer that something good should be done with all these bags, and we believe that Urban Farming is the perfect organization to help out.  From Urbanfarming.org... "Urban Farming began in 2005 with three gardens in Detroit, Michigan, which is the Urban Farming Headquarter City. In just four and a half growing seasons, Urban Farming has now expanded into thirty cities across the country and abroad with the equivalent of over eight hundred gardens based off of a twenty by twenty foot garden size. In addition to the Urban Farming Garden programs, the Urban Farming Model includes solutions to some of the contributing factors to hunger such as unemployment, lack of access to healthy produce and poor educational opportunities." We believe that this is an amazing organization that has found a way to not only feed the hungry and disadvantaged, but also teach people life long lessons regarding farming and self reliance. We encourage ALL customers that have extra burlap bags to contact Urban Farming in their area to let a local representative know that you have bags you would like to donate. Lets extend the life of these bags and put them to good use improving our neighborhoods! Click here to find UrbanFarming locations in your area! Urban Farming Call Toll Free: Phone: (877) 679-8300 Fax: (313) 664-0625 Email: info@urbanfarming.org Cafe Imports Videos Are Here!May 18, 2010
We are proud to announce that we have launched our brand new Educational Videos Page! We at Cafe Imports have set up a video forum on our website that allows us to share rich educational media with you as our customers. We started with videos that walk through some of the resources on our website, navigation through our offering sheets and position, and also a video that gives you a peak into the purchasing side of things in Peru. We believe that these videos and upcoming videos will be an invaluabe educational tool for you moving forward. Our plan is to continue to add videos that you as our customers value, that educate and train, and ultimately help you in making the most informed possible coffee decisions for your business! Enjoy the videos and continue to check back for our next ones!! Sincerely, The Cafe Imports Team Mexico El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve Turns 20! New Crop Is Now AvailableMay 18, 2010
New crop FTO El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve Mexican is here (ID 2122) with more on the way. The reserve, found in a cloud forest in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Chiapas, Mexico is home to a variety of endangered species, both animal and plant, and is also where the largest watershed in Mexico is located. 10 of the 18 types of vegetation that grow in Chiapas are found within the bounds of the biosphere reserve along with 791 known plant species. The reserve also hosts 22 percent of all species in existence in Mexico.
We purchase this coffee from the CESMACH coop where Amanda will be on the ground volunteering with Grounds for Health this summer. As mentioned in a previous blog, CESMACH is dedicated to bettering the quality of life for all of its members in addition to the conserving and enhancing the rich and rare ecosystem in biosphere reserve (and all other areas where they work) where some of the coop members are located. CESMACH works closely with Heifer International to provide livestock to their coop members and also strives for the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer among women in the region by collaborating with Grounds for Health. CESMACH also takes advantage of ongoing opportunities to work with various federally funded projects that improve basic living conditions for inhabitants all over the region.
Feliz Cumpleaños to El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve! Join us in celebrating by supporting the hard work done by these producers, enjoying their coffee, and sharing their story with your coffee drinkers.
COE Open Cuppings!May 24, 2010
Cafe Imports will be hosting open cuppings here at our lab for the Cup of Excellence Auctions from the following countries on the designated dates: 1. Nicaragua: Cupping Thursday June 3rd @ 10 AM / Actual auction Wednesday June 9th 2. El Salvador: Cupping Friday June 11th @10 AM / Actual auction Thursday June 17th 3. Honduras: Cupping Thursday July 1st @ 10 AM / Actual auction Wednesday July 7th 4. Guatemala: Cupping Friday July 9th @ 10 AM / Actual auction Wednesday July 14th (All cuppings at 10 AM, and there will be no regularly scheduled sales cuppings on those days) Anyone interested in these lots are welcome to join us to cup these exquisite coffees. Please RSVP to Jamin@cafeimports.com at least 3 days prior to the scheduled cupping(s) you would like to attend. From Cup of Excellence: "The Cup of Excellence is the most esteemed award given out for top coffees. These awards come from a strict competition that selects the very best coffee produced in that country for that particular year. These winning coffees are chosen by a select group of national and international cuppers and are cupped at least five different times during the competition process. Only coffees that continuously score high enough are allowed to move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the prestigious Cup of Excellence® and sold to the highest bidder during an internet auction." For more information on this wonderful organization, please visit their website. www.cupofexcellence.org. Cafe Imports 2140 Energy Park Drive, Saint Paul MN 55104 Thanks! The Cafe Imports Team Adios, Amanda! Off to Chiapas, Mexico for the summer.May 25, 2010
In case you haven’t seen my recent posts about my trip to CESMACH and the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve coffee, I want to let you know that I am heading to the CESMACH coop in Chiapas, Mexico for the summer! Grounds for Health (GFH) and CESMACH have worked as a team for a number of years now to promote cervical cancer prevention, screening, treatment among the women in the surrounding communities and I will be their on the ground intern/volunteer in June and July. - Swing by our booth at Coffeefest Minneapolis and say goodbye! I will be blogging here on the Café Imports website during my time there so please check in! For further information about GFH and the work they do, check out their website: www.groundsforhealth.org. With inquiries about international sales and shipments, please contact Noah: noah@cafeimports.com. |
