MEGA REGION

Atitlán

Export Café exclusive Atitlán Oro Maya®
Province
Sololá
Languages Kaqchikel, Spanish, Tzutujil Location
After traveling through some of the most memorable scenery in Guatemala, at the highland crossroads of Los Encuentros (8,500 feet/2,600 meters), it’s a right to Chichicastenango, the most famous of Guatemala’s many Indian markets, straight on to Quetzaltenango and Huehuetenango, or left to go zigzagging down hairpin curves to catch a ferry at Panajachel, tourist hub of Lake Atitlán.

Description
Millennia ago, deep magma and tectonic movement caused a massive collapse into a steep structural basin, which—over time—filled with water creating the stunning lake of Atitlán. Three volcanoes later rose on the Pacific south side forming a barrier and locking the water in. Today, the only outlet of this twelve by six-mile lake is underground. Two of the three volcanoes, San Pedro and Tolimán, are extinct. The dormant volcano Atitlán last erupted in 1853 darkening the region under a thick cloud of heavy ash. Today, steam wafts up from fumaroles along the rim of its crater (820 feet/250 meters in diameter) whose floor provides campers with a natural heating pad.

The views afforded by Lake Atitlán, whether from the shore or two thousand feet (600 meters) straight up along the basin’s rim are extraordinary, moving through an immense range of blues, pinks and greys depending on the time of day and year. The easiest way to get to most of the villages that dot the shore is by boat (in some cases, the only way).


Focus on Small Producers
Around 95% of those who grow coffee in Guatemala are small producers (some 59,000). Most live in remote mountain villages and hamlets, far from the amenities of modern life. Typically they produce SHB grade. They work small family plots (1 to 25 acres/half to 10 hectares) and process their harvest by hand. They are steeped in a tradition that has been handed down to them through generations. As traditionalists, they tend to favor the variety of bourbon (and a smattering of typica) in spite of lower production rates, convinced it delivers more flavor in the cup. With less capital, they use fewer chemicals than mechanized farms, controlling undergrowth by managing shade and applying natural fertilizers. Fiercely proud of their quality, they are exploring new possibilities for better prices in the specialty market.


Atitlán Oro Maya®

What distinguishes the region of Atitlán Oro Maya®?
The lake region has weather all its own. This fifty square mile cold-water basin is a frontier zone between the tropical lowlands and the cool volcanic highlands. The strong afternoon winds, called Xocomil (“fury of demons”), are an important influence lowering the warm daytime temperatures.

Rainfall is moderate, arriving punctually in May and finishing at the end of October. The hottest month is June and the coolest February, when every once in a while frost threatens. The brilliant, clear skies in the dry season guarantee that all Atitlán Oro Maya® is 100% sun dried.

The towns of San Lucas Tolimán, Santiago Atitlán and San Pedro, on the south side of the lake, are the hubs of coffee growing, cooperatives and trading.

Virtually all Atitlán Oro Maya® is produced by small growers, most of whom work family plots of a few acres or hectares, processing their harvest by hand with extraordinary precision. As with small producers everywhere, bourbon and typica are the preferred varieties (around 50%), with the rest evenly distributed between lower-growing pache, caturra and catuaí.

Because their soil is exceptionally rich in organic matter as well as minerals—thanks to its volcanic origin—, producers eschew chemical fertilizers, relying instead on natural options such as coffee pulp and chicken manure, as well as onion, hot peppers and garlic as insecticides.


Story
Like many Tzutujil these days, Salvador Pablo has a cellular phone riding on his hip. Good communications have made it easier for him to handle the many irons he has in the fire. This thirty-two year old grows coffee near his Santiago Atitlán home, has a banana trading business in town, and farms sesame seed, peanuts and corn on the coast. He is also president of Aposa Xejuyú Atitlán, a three-year old coffee cooperative. Aposa stands for Asociación de Productores Orgánicos; Xejuyú means “under the mountain” in Tzutujil. The association’s 120 members plan to market the equivalent of 2,275 60-kilo bags (300,000 pounds) of organic green coffee a year. Along with his cell phone, Salvador also sports the elegant lavender and white striped pants—woven by his wife—that are traditional dress for the men of Santiago.

Cup Characteristics
Atitlán Oro Maya® is extraordinarily robust and complex. Its smooth flavor has a light and extremely pleasant floral dimension. A citric component—equally subtle—distinguishes the pronounced acidity, wonderfully balanced by full body. Very fragrant, aroma remains constant, while floral and citric notes slowly dissipate in the aftertaste.