Getting There
Colombia is one of the largest exporters of coffee. Knowing that coffee production is something that Colombia is known for and very proud of, I really wanted to check out a coffee farm. Decided to book a full day tour at Cafe de la Cima, located in the Antioquia region of Colombia. It makes for an easy day trip from Medellin. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in the Colombian coffee culture.
After much searching, I found Toucan Cafe & Tours. On their website, you will find quite a few different options available:
- Coffee tasting tour
- Barista Workshop tour
- Coffee farm tour
- Medellin Graffiti tour
- Street food tour
- Market & fruit tour
- Medellin walking tour
- Flower festival tour
- Cacao Farm Tour
- Guatape Tour
I participated (and recommend) the highlighted Coffee Farm tour option. The total price was 180.000 Colombian Pesos (~$65 USD) and was completely worth it. You get to visit Cafe de la Cima, an organic coffee farm villa located in the beautiful and picturesque Andes Mountains. The first thing we did was enjoy a big, hearty breakfast at the farm. Breakfast consisted of arepa and fresh farm cheese. Probably the best arepa I had while in Medellin.
Here is a step by step on the Coffee production process which you will get to experience should you take this tour.
Berry picking
The first thing you want to do is go berry picking! Be sure to only pick the red ones, as the green ones are a bust. No bueno. It’s crazy because in Brazil and other regions of the world, they have machines to pick the berries for you. But the problem is, green ones get mixed in, so Colombians only hand pick each berry. That’s the difference between strip picked and selectively picked. When they’re selectively picked, only the ripe cherries are harvested. It takes about 9 months for the green cherries to reach their deepest red color.
Because this kind of harvest is labor-intensive, and thus more costly, it is used primarily to harvest the finer arabica beans.
It would take me hours to fill up a basket! But of course for those who pick berries for a living they are pros and quick with it. Here’s a pic of me getting my ripe berries, dressed completely appropriate for this activity. Make sure you spray your entire body with bug spray. Thank me later.
Drying
The coffee cherry then has the fruit or pulp removed leaving the seed or bean which is then dried. The drying method used can have a significant effect on the favor of roasted and brewed coffee. Keep in mind that the owners of Cafe de la Cima require their beans to be sun dried. They’re typically sun dried on tables or in thin layers on patios. The most natural way and allows for optimal flavor.
As the cherries dry, they are then raked or turned by hand to ensure even drying and preventing mildew. It may take up to 4 weeks before the cherries are dried to the optimum moisture content, depending on weather conditions. We then were taught some more about the history and culture of coffee production.
Our tour guide, the gentleman with the white collared shirt, is Hernan. He works with Toucan Cafe & Tours and was the coolest guy. He was very passionate about these educational tours. The owners of the farm were also just as pleasant! So welcoming. I can’t say enough good things. They fixed a delicious homemade lunch – beef, rice, and salad. We also drank unlimited amounts of coffee (duh!). Overall, this tour of Cafe de la Cima was an incredible experience.
Milling and Roasting
After the drying process, there’s the milling stage, which is the final steps which involve removing the last layers of dry skin and remaining fruit residue from the now-dry coffee, and cleaning and sorting it. Then it is stored and roasted.
So the next time I sit down and enjoy a nice cup of coffee, I’ll be sure to remember all of the hard work that goes into the coffee production process. Thank you to the hardworking men and women producing this great treat for us that for some is more than a treat: a daily way of life. The only way they can make it through the day. Heading to Medellin? Need some help planning? Contact me for a free quote and help planning your day-to-day: cassandra@accent-on-travel.net. Additionally, if you’d like to look at my 10-day Colombia itinerary (Cartagena + Medellin), you can read that here.
Heading to Medellin?
