Why does one bag of Colombian Coffee taste like sweet chocolate and another like lime? In this episode of La Taza Habla, we unlock the secret to Coffee Flavor by revealing Colombia’s "mountain map". Moving beyond the economics of Part 1 (The Paradox of Plenty ), we dive into Coffee Terroir and how the three Cordillera mountain ranges create hundreds of distinct microclimates.
Host Don Cox takes you on a tour of five key Coffee Origin regions —from the juicy citrus of Huila (home to the Cadefihuila Coffee Cooperatives ) to the electric brightness of Nariño. We confront the ongoing Coffee Crisis as climate change threatens these unique microclimates , underscoring why co-ops are vital safety nets. Finally, we share a surprising family story: the traditional Colombian ritual of Queso en el Café—adding soft cheese to your cup. This episode is essential for any Specialty Coffee drinker ready to taste place and culture.
5 Takeaways
- Map Flavor by Mountain Range: Colombian coffee flavor is defined by its three Cordilleras (Western, Central, Eastern), which create hundreds of microclimates. Use this geographic map to predict the flavor profile in the bag.
- Huila is Your Citrus Anchor: Huila coffee, grown in mineral-rich volcanic soil, is the quintessential "Colombian" taste, offering balanced notes of green apple, apricot, and citrus.
- Altitude Equals Brightness: Regions like Nariño grow coffee above 2,100 meters, where cool temperatures slow ripening, producing bright, expressive flavors like jasmine and lime.
- Queso en el Café is Culture: The tradition of dropping soft queso campesino into coffee (or hot chocolate) is a Colombian comfort ritual. The salty contrast cuts bitterness and adds a rich, velvety body.
- Co-ops Preserve the Future: Cooperatives like Cadefihuila are essential safety nets. They invest in infrastructure and training to combat climate change threats and economic pressure that discourage replanting.
3 Questions
- Have you ever tried queso en el café or do you have a similar unexpected family food ritual that sounds strange but tastes amazing?
- How does knowing about the work of Coffee Cooperatives (like Cadefihuila ) change how you value the price of your Specialty Coffee?
- The three Cordilleras create unique microclimates. What other product (wine, chocolate, etc.) do you think is most affected by Terroir?
Related Episode Recommendations
Episode 1 - The Paradox of Plenty: Why is Colombian Coffee so expensive? We cover the intensive labor required, the cost of quality control (like floating ), and the economic irony of the Coffee Crisis
This glossary is formatted as a simple list to be easily integrated into your Podbean show notes, providing definitions and context for the episode's key terms.
Glossary of Terms
- Antioquia: Colombia’s historic coffee heartland, known for a quiet transformation toward higher-altitude farming and typically offering flavors of milk chocolate and nutty sweetness.
- Arabica: The species of coffee grown in Colombia, favored for its high quality and complexity. Tolima's volcanic soils are ideal for its production.
- Cadefihuila Cooperative: A cooperative in the Huila region established in 1963. It unites smallholder farmers and acts as a support system to invest in drying facilities and improve quality.
- Castillo & Caturra: Common coffee varieties grown primarily in the Huila region.
- Cordilleras: The three major north-south mountain ranges—Western, Central, and Eastern—that carve Colombia's landscape and create hundreds of distinct microclimates.
- Huila: A southern region framed by volcanoes along the Central Cordillera. Its coffees are known for a balanced, juicy, clean cup with notes of green apple, citrus, and chocolate.
- Microclimates: The hundreds of distinct, highly localized climate areas created by Colombia's mountain ranges. They diversify the land and influence everything from harvest cycles to cup profiles.
- Nariño: A southern region known for its high elevations (often above 2,100 meters). The cool temperatures here extend the ripening period, resulting in bright, expressive flavors like jasmine, lime, and stone fruit.
- Panela: A nutty sweetness often found in Antioquia coffees.
- Queso Campesino: A soft, salty white farmer’s cheese that is traditionally dropped into hot coffee or chocolate in rural Colombian areas.
- Queso en el Café: The traditional Colombian practice of adding queso campesino to coffee. The saltiness and melting cheese create a "surprising but luxurious contrast," lending a rich, velvety body to the drink.
- Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: An isolated mountain range rising from the Caribbean coast where Indigenous communities grow mellow, meditative, shade-grown coffees that lean soft and herbal.
- Terroir: The concept that a product's flavors reflect the natural environment and land characteristics.
- Tolima: A region that has stepped into the specialty coffee spotlight, known for its volcanic soils. It offers bold, characterful coffees with notes of red berries, caramel, and warm spice.
