Coffee plantation in Boquete, Panama
In this series introducing coffee producing regions around the world, we will be looking at Panama, the country that produces "Panama Geisha ," said to be the most expensive coffee in the world.
We will tell you about the origins and appeal of Panamanian coffee.
We will tell you about the origins and appeal of Panamanian coffee.
The microclimate that is best for growing coffee
The Republic of Panama is a country located in Central America, which connects North and South America. It borders Costa Rica to the west and Colombia to the east. Panama's area is about 75,000 square kilometers, about the size of Hokkaido. Panama is famous for the Panama Canal, but other major industries include shipping, mining, and Hikaru , and coffee is the main agricultural product.
80% of the country is mountainous, with the remainder covered by tropical rainforest.
The climate is tropical, and some areas have fertile volcanic soil and large temperature differences, making it an ideal environment for growing coffee.
Tropical Panama is a treasure trove of nature. Its highest peak, Volcano Baru (3,474m), stands near the border with Costa Rica, Panama's western neighbor.
In this area, where mountain ranges stretch from the Rocky Mountains of North America to the Andes in the south, the cold winds from the Rockies collide with the warm winds rising from the Pacific Ocean in the south. This constantly creates clouds, causing rain, which then turns into finer mist and falls on the region. The locals call this mist "Bajaleque."
At the foot of the Baru Volcano, where a lot of mist is generated, known as "Bahareke".
In the highlands at the foot of Baru Volcano, the climate changes dramatically in a small area.
For this reason, it is said that the weather can be completely different even between coffee plantations that are just a few hundred meters apart.
This unique environment, called the microclimate, is what creates the perfect conditions for the growth of high-quality coffee cherries. Each region has different weather and soil conditions, which results in different types of cherries, resulting in a wide variety of unique coffees.
Panama's coffee producing regions and their characteristics
Panama's coffee plantations are concentrated in the Boquete and Volcan regions at the foot of the Baru Volcano.
The country's annual coffee production is not very large, only 1/10th of that of Costa Rica and only 1/100th of that of Colombia.
The Boquete region, located on the eastern slope of Baru Volcano, and the Volcan region, located on the western slope, have soils that are volcanic ash and rich in minerals.
Coffee is mainly grown in areas at an altitude of 1,500m to 1,700m. This high altitude creates a large difference in temperature between day and night, making it possible to grow flavorful coffee. On the other hand, there are clear rainy and dry seasons, which are unique to tropical areas, and as mentioned above, fog often occurs and blocks direct Hikaru , which helps maintain a moderate temperature.
In terms of coffee processing, the basic method is natural, where carefully harvested coffee cherries are dried in the sun, due to the climate having a clear rainy and dry season. On top of that, other processing methods have also been used to create various flavors.
Coffee is mainly grown in areas at an altitude of 1,500m to 1,700m. This high altitude creates a large difference in temperature between day and night, making it possible to grow flavorful coffee. On the other hand, there are clear rainy and dry seasons, which are unique to tropical areas, and as mentioned above, fog often occurs and blocks direct Hikaru , which helps maintain a moderate temperature.
In terms of coffee processing, the basic method is natural, where carefully harvested coffee cherries are dried in the sun, due to the climate having a clear rainy and dry season. On top of that, other processing methods have also been used to create various flavors.
Drying coffee cherries at a farm in Boquete
After the so-called "coffee crisis," Panama switched its focus to specialty coffee production. For this reason, most of the farms are small to medium-sized, and each farm is involved in the entire process from cultivation to harvesting, refining, and shipping.
They grow a wide variety of coffee varieties, including the famous Geisha , Pacamara , Catuai, Caturra , and Typica , and each farm conducts its own research and trial and error into processing methods, exchanging know-how with other farms to produce the high-quality coffee that is unique to Panama.
They grow a wide variety of coffee varieties, including the famous Geisha , Pacamara , Catuai, Caturra , and Typica , and each farm conducts its own research and trial and error into processing methods, exchanging know-how with other farms to produce the high-quality coffee that is unique to Panama.
History of coffee cultivation
Coffee cup monument in the center of Boquete
Coffee cultivation began late in Central America, between 1870 and 1890 in the Boquete region of Chiriqui province in the west.
At this time, coffee cultivation was already becoming active in neighboring countries, and Panama's coffee, being smaller in scale, had a low production volume compared to neighboring countries and was not highly regarded on the international market, so there was a time when it was shipped via Costa Rica as Costa Rican coffee.
Furthermore, the fall in international prices put Panamanian coffee exports, which had a weak foundation, into crisis. In response to this situation, Panama decided to improve the quality of its coffee and establish a policy to add value as a specialty coffee producer, and established the Panama Specialty Coffee Association. It held an international competition and auction called "Best of Panama" and began to promote the quality of its coffee to the world.
Within this framework, the Geisha variety from the Esmeralda Farm appeared like a comet. Geisha was purchased at an unprecedented price, making Geisha a global trend and making the quality of Panamanian coffee known to the world.
At this time, coffee cultivation was already becoming active in neighboring countries, and Panama's coffee, being smaller in scale, had a low production volume compared to neighboring countries and was not highly regarded on the international market, so there was a time when it was shipped via Costa Rica as Costa Rican coffee.
Furthermore, the fall in international prices put Panamanian coffee exports, which had a weak foundation, into crisis. In response to this situation, Panama decided to improve the quality of its coffee and establish a policy to add value as a specialty coffee producer, and established the Panama Specialty Coffee Association. It held an international competition and auction called "Best of Panama" and began to promote the quality of its coffee to the world.
Within this framework, the Geisha variety from the Esmeralda Farm appeared like a comet. Geisha was purchased at an unprecedented price, making Geisha a global trend and making the quality of Panamanian coffee known to the world.
The world's most expensive coffee, Geisha is here
Harvesting coffee cherries at Esmeralda Farm
The quality of Panamanian coffee has improved in this way, but the turning point was the appearance of Geisha . Geisha , which originated in Ethiopia, was first transplanted to neighboring Costa Rica. In 1963, the first Geisha coffee was transplanted to the Boquete region of Chiriqui Province, Panama's most prosperous coffee growing region.
Geisha variety was introduced to Panama as a variety that was resistant to rust disease, but it had many disadvantages, such as the fact that it had limited suitable growing conditions, such as the need for high altitude, and the coffee trees growing there grew nearly twice as tall as those of Typica or Bourbon varieties, making it difficult to cultivate and harvest, and yielding low yields, so it never caught on among coffee farmers.
However, it was Esmeralda Farm that noticed this potential, and a dramatic story unfolded when this variety, which happened to be planted there, was rediscovered.
Geisha variety was introduced to Panama as a variety that was resistant to rust disease, but it had many disadvantages, such as the fact that it had limited suitable growing conditions, such as the need for high altitude, and the coffee trees growing there grew nearly twice as tall as those of Typica or Bourbon varieties, making it difficult to cultivate and harvest, and yielding low yields, so it never caught on among coffee farmers.
However, it was Esmeralda Farm that noticed this potential, and a dramatic story unfolded when this variety, which happened to be planted there, was rediscovered.
Geisha 's success has continued to this day. Its unique and noble flavor, also known as Geisha flavor, shocked the coffee industry and quickly became highly regarded around the world.
And on advanced coffee farms in Panama, experimental attempts are being actively undertaken in an effort to discover what's next for Geisha .
Various varieties that will lead the next generation are emerging, and I am excited to see what other coffees will come out of Panama in the future.
Why not try some Panamanian coffee and let your thoughts wander to Panama?
Why not try some Panamanian coffee and let your thoughts wander to Panama?
