Nicaragua was our last stop on our trip to Central America during our visit in February. We entered the country through the Honduran town of El Paraíso, at a border crossing known as Las Manos. This area is frequented by money changers, truck drivers, women selling sweets, and a heavy police presence. So far, Nicaragua has been the safest country in Central America, although the current political situation seems determined to change that (our thoughts are with the Nicaraguan people).
Coffee farming is very important to the country; 15% of the population depends on it for their livelihood. Unfortunately, economic sustainability is lacking because the market is controlled by large exporters who exert immense pressure on small producers, who receive only one payment per year for their harvest. The urgent need for cash forces producers to sell below market price. As of July 10th, the market price is approximately €2.13/kg, a value that barely covers production costs.
Our activity is centered in the department of Nueva Segovia, specifically in Ocotal as our logistics hub, and Dipilto, Mozonte, and Jalapa as locations where we work directly with producers. This year has been a mixed bag for the producers we work with, as production has been reduced due to the large harvest of the previous year. However, both Luis Alberto Balladares and Samuel Zavala were finalists in the prestigious “Cup of Excellence.”
The first one was a champion of the same competition. We've been working together on fermentation and drying processes, and the quality of his batches is undeniable. His constant dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence make him a cornerstone of our Nicaraguan menu. On the other hand, Samuel, who came in fourth, perfectly embodies the generational shift. Last year, Joaquín came up with some wild ideas about controlled fermentation, which were implemented from the very beginning. Today, a large part of the production is done anaerobically, with temperature carefully controlled, as it's a crucial factor.
Based on our experience over the years, we can say that there are two groups of producers: traditional ones and those with a progressive approach. In Central America, producers traditionally harvest the coffee cherries and pulp them (remove the skin), leaving the seeds and mucilage in a tank where a strict and rigorous fermentation process takes place. This process is carried out for a specific, uninterrupted time, for example, 12 hours. The fermentation causes the mucilage to detach from the seed, and subsequently, after one, two, or three washes (depending on how tightly the mucilage adheres), the remaining mucilage is removed before moving on to the next step: drying. We must say that the objective of this process has been more than achieved, contributing to Central America's current reputation for "fine coffees." A culture has developed here that allows for the creation of pleasant flavors and results in a product with a longer shelf life. Knowledge is passed down from parents to children, and tradition is rarely questioned. Sharing information among them is also not common practice.
On the other hand, we have the exception that proves the rule and drives evolution. Specialty coffee has the power to unite producer and roaster, two sides of the same coin, both with much to contribute to each other. Roasters are in constant contact with worlds that convey the same message but in different languages, such as wine, beer, and bread, among others, where there is a greater awareness that fermentation is a metabolic process of yeasts and bacteria that feed on sugar and, through digestion, transform sugars into different acids (acetic, lactic, etc.). It goes without saying that fermentation will have a direct effect on the flavor of our coffee. Those who pay attention to fermentation as a "culinary" and dynamic process, rather than a "mechanical" and static one, are part of a new wave of producers who have stopped cultivating coffee like alfalfa, in large volumes at market price, and instead cultivate specialty coffee with an added value appreciated by the market/consumer: flavor.