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The Origin and Development of Geisha Coffee: Authentic and Contested Historical Accounts

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, The Geisha coffee variety was discovered in 1931 from the Geisha forests of Ethiopia, then sent to Kenya's Coffee Research Institute. It was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, brought to Costa Rica in 1953, and arrived in Panama in the 1970s when Mr. Francisco Serracin of the Tumba Estate received seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica, beginning the cultivation of Geisha coffee.

The Origin of Geisha Coffee

The Geisha variety was discovered in 1931 in the Geisha forest of Ethiopia and then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania. Costa Rica introduced it in 1953, and Panama began growing Geisha coffee in the 1970s when Mr. Francisco Serracin from the Pachi Baito farm received seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica. With hurricane-like force, it swept through the coffee world. This coffee revolution came with such momentum that the long-reigning king and queen of the coffee kingdom—Jamaica Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona—had to step aside. This wild variety native to Ethiopia, after countless battles, is now grown in all major coffee-producing regions, with its best ambassador being the "La Esmeralda" estate from Panama.

The History of La Esmeralda Estate

In 1924, Swedish citizen Hans Elliot established La Esmeralda farm, which was not used for growing coffee at the time but as a pasture. Forty years later, in 1964, Mr. Daniel Peterson's grandfather, Rudolph Peterson, purchased La Esmeralda farm as a retirement home. Grandfather Rudolph Peterson was born in Sweden and had served as President of the American Bank and as Director of the United Nations Development Program.

His son, Mr. Brice Peterson, moved from California to Panama in 1973 to inherit and manage his father's farm. In 1987, he converted most of the farm to coffee cultivation. In 1994, to establish a brand, he invested in and purchased specialized coffee processing equipment. While Mr. Brice Peterson and his wife Susan were getting the coffee farm on track for formal operation, they also raised three children: Elliott (born 1966 in Philadelphia), Rachel (born 1967 in Sweden), and Daniel (born 1974 in Panama).

The Discovery of Geisha at La Esmeralda

In 1996, Brice and Rachel visited a farm for sale in the Jaramillo region of the Boquete Valley and were immediately captivated by this beautiful farm, purchasing it on the spot. This became La Esmeralda Jaramillo farm. It was on this farm that the third son, Mr. Daniel Peterson, grew the Geisha coffee that would capture the world's attention!

The Rise of Geisha Coffee

Pronounced the same as the Japanese word for geisha, it also has the alternative name "Geisha coffee." Because the tree variety is taller than typical coffee trees, it was originally planted in a small area within the estate and used as a windbreak. The estate owner's son, searching for all coffee tree varieties on the estate to test for the annual "Best of Panama" coffee competition, gave it the opportunity to make its debut. Since then, it has also participated in various world coffee competitions, winning a total of eleven championships.