Country: Peru
Region: Cajamarca
Province: Chota
Municipality: Querocoto
Community: Pariamarca
Producer: Carlos Martinez Cubas
Farm: El Limon
Altitude: 1816 masl
Variety: Caturra and Typica
Process: Washed
Fermentation: 36 hours in cement tanks
Drying: 15 days on solar dryers
Best for: Pour over, Chemex, drip

Trees, man. Is there anything they can’t do? Is there anything they can’t teach us? Not if our eyes are open and our minds follow; no Lorax necessary to hear what our bushy brethren have to say. The people of Querocoto have been immersed in the world of quina trees since the time of the Incas, utilizing their bark for alcoholic beverages and their extracted quinine for malaria treatment - medicine both spiritual and physical. Coffee producers here use the quina to provide both shade and organic matter for their farms, and this is one of the last remaining places where these trees continue to thrive, having been driven to extinction in other parts of the country due to the invasion of foreign species and indiscriminate logging.



But therein lies a lesson that wasn’t lost on the farmers of Querocoto. Whereas their economy was originally dependent upon the land-hungry practice of cattle ranching, they began to successfully harvest coffee in the early 2000s, cultivating their crop in perfect synchronicity with the native trees. These farmers avoid reliance on outside labor during the harvest by practicing the ancestral Inca practice of Ayni. Mutual aid among families, neighbors and friends mirrors the symbiotic relationships of the plant world where trees, mycelium, soil, smaller plants and countless critters and microscopic organisms work together to thrive in their shared natural habitat.
This community effort involves fermentation for roughly 50 hours in cement tanks and 10-20 days of drying in solar dryers, African-style beds or simple patios, as dictated by the weather. The integrity of Querocoto’s flavor profile, its elegance & vibrancy, is preserved through these proven techniques. Unfortunately, the region is lacking in educational opportunities for the younger generations and many tend to migrate to larger cities to attend university, leaving many of the farms to be managed and maintained by elderly producers. Perhaps we can be hopeful that the educated youth may eventually return and learn yet another lesson from our leafy friends: that seeds grow strongest in the soil they call home.