Introduction to the History of Ecuador's Hacienda La Rica Coffee Region - Flavor Characteristics of Ecuadorian Coffee Beans

Ecuador, located between Colombia and Peru in South America, has a remarkably long history of coffee cultivation.

In fact, coffee plantations in Ecuador are generally not large in scale. Approximately 80% of coffee farmers have plantations smaller than 5 hectares, 13% have between 5 to 10 hectares, and only 7% have plantations exceeding 10 hectares. According to statistics, among the country's approximately 300,000 hectares of cultivated land, 20% of coffee plantation land is illegally occupied.

Intag Valley

The western foothills of the Andes Mountains south of Guayaquil, as well as the hilly coastal areas of Manabí Province, are famous for growing Arabica coffee beans. These coffee beans possess a perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness.

Pichincha Province

Located in the northwestern region of Ecuador, this area primarily cultivates Robusta coffee beans.

Galápagos Islands

Located in the waters of Ecuador, South America, directly beneath the equator, the Galápagos Islands are a mysterious and enchanting archipelago. Many unique species inhabit these islands, found nowhere else on Earth. The islands have been designated by UNESCO as a "World Heritage Site" for both cultural and natural significance.

Therefore, strict laws prohibit the import or use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or any other chemical products.

Loja Region

The Loja region in southern Ecuador, adjacent to the Andes Mountains, is one of the highest altitude coffee-growing areas in the world, situated at elevations of 1,450-2,000 meters. It is also an important coffee export city for the country. The main coffee varieties are improved Typica cultivars, processed using the washed method, with most grown under natural shade conditions. The local high altitude, climate variations, and soil quality are all exceptionally suitable for coffee cultivation, providing numerous excellent growing conditions.

Ecuadorian coffee beans receive mixed reviews in the market—some are truly exceptional, while others are rather disappointing. FrontStreet Coffee recently introduced a Geisha variety from the Fuyao Estate in the Loja region, and its performance has been outstanding.

Fuyao Estate is a new plantation established in 2017, where the owner dedicated a specific plot of land to cultivating organic specialty coffee. Currently, the varieties grown on this land include Geisha, Wushwush, and SL28.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha undergoes anaerobic washed processing, which allows the coffee to develop richer flavors through fermentation. The estate owner pays meticulous attention to controlling the anaerobic time, pH value, and temperature, striving to develop more complex flavors while preserving the essential Geisha characteristics.

This particular coffee also achieved fourth place in the 2022 Ecuador Cup of Excellence with a score of 89.10.

FrontStreet Coffee uses a medium-light roast profile. The flavors revealed through cupping include chamomile, lemon, honeydew melon, and Longjing green tea.

Pour-over Recommendations

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 90°C
Coffee Dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 80% pass-through rate on Chinese standard #20 sieve

First, pour 30 grams of hot water for a 30-second bloom. Then, starting from the center, pour with a fine stream in slow circular motions until reaching 125 grams. When the water level in the dripper drops to just above the coffee bed, continue circular pouring until reaching 225 grams. The total extraction time should be approximately 2 minutes.

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat: qjcoffeex

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473