Although we have been working with Ernedis and his farm, El Paraiso, for several years, this is the first time we have purchased his Sidra to share with you. In the cup we find raspberry preserves, lemon, and white florals.
Sidra
Gigante, Huila
1,840 masl
August, 2023
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated to further remove defects and de-pulped on the day of harvest. Fermented in-cherry for 24 hours. Dry fermented for 36 hours. Dried in parabolic dryers for 18-25 days.
We have been working with Ernedis on and off for several years. Ernedis is an extremely unique producer, and rarely do we see someone invest more into their farm and infrastructure than at El Paraiso. For the last decade, Ernedis has been exclusively dedicated to quality, and has received higher prices for his coffee year after year as a result. He can now hire more workers to harvest and fertilize while he dedicates most of his time to processing and drying.
While we don't know exactly which variety it is, we do know for certain the variety colloquially called Sidra is an Ethiopian Landrace variety. Ethiopia is widely acknowledged as the geographic origin of coffee. DNA testing has confirmed over 60 distinct varieties growing in Ethiopia, making it home to the most coffee biodiversity in the world. How these Ethiopian varieties have made their way to various parts of the world varies wildly, and is the focus of much research and debate. Given climate change and the increasing difficulty to grow coffee, there is also a lot of research being done to develop new varieties and hybrids, usually starting with Ethiopian Landrace germ-lines.
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.