£11.15
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Guatemala, Huehuetenango
Varietal : Caturra, Bourbon, pache
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1,675 - 1,740
Plum, dates, cherry, syrup
Coffee was introduced to Guatemala in the 1700s by Jesuit missionaries and was initially used local; it was not viewed as an important export. At the time, the Spanish exported mainly Indigo and Cochineal dyes until the mid 1850s when synthetic dyes came into development. Before the Spanish Conquest of Guatemala, the Mayan peoples used the dyes, both in everyday life and in ritual. Indigo was used to dye clothing but also had many symbolic meanings: representing the sky, rain and the underworld. It was also connected to specific deities like Ix Chel the goddess of the moon and fertility, and Yum Kaax the god of flora and fauna. Cochineal is a red dye and pigment extracted from an insect of the same name. The dye was used for clothing, but the pigment was used in manuscripts. Similarly to indigo, Cochineal made an appearance in ritual too; representing blood, death and sacrifice, and is associated with Ah Puch the god of death, and Kinich Ahau the god of the sun.
Luis Hernan Lopez inherited the Los Laurales farm from his parents in 1995. Previously he had been working in construction waiting patiently to carry on the family tradition. Immensely proud of continuing his family legacy, he takes great care in the processing of his coffee which definitely shines through in the cup.
