Peru Coffee Region Chanchamayo: Cultivation Varieties and Flavor Characteristics

Peru: The Land of the Ancient Inca Empire

Peru is the land of the ancient Inca Empire, covering an area approximately 35.7 times the size of Taiwan and stretching along the Andes Mountains, the highest mountain range in South America.

In 1533, 180 Spaniards entered what was known as the City of Gold, carrying away vast amounts of plundered gold back to Spain. Coffee cultivation began in the 18th century, with the Andes Mountains extending throughout Peru and covering approximately three-quarters of the country's area.

Located in South America, Peru's area exceeds half of Central America's combined area and it is also the source of the Amazon River. Peru has a total population of about 28 million people, including more than 200,000 small farmers who grow coffee, with an average planting area of less than 2 hectares.

Coffee is cultivated along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains, with vast coffee-growing areas that can be divided into three major regions: north, central and south.

Coffee Growing Regions

Northern Region: Piura, Amazonas, San Martín

Central Region: Huánuco, Junín, Pasco, Chanchamayo

Southern Region: Cuzco, Ayacucho, Apurímac, Puno, Urubamba

The main growing areas include the Chanchamayo Valley east of Lima, the northern mountainous regions and the western slopes of the Andes Mountains. More than 10 distinct regions can be identified for their unique coffee flavor profiles.

Production and Exports

Annual production is approximately 3 million bags of Arabica coffee, all processed using the washed method, with main exports to the United States and Germany.

Up to 98% of Peruvian coffee is grown in forest areas, with most production carried out by small farmers. Most Peruvian coffee is grown under natural conditions, and local farmers can barely afford fertilizers and pesticides. Because of this, locally produced coffee is almost entirely organic coffee beans.

Peru is currently the third-largest coffee exporter in South America and the ninth-largest coffee exporter in the world. Coffee varieties include Typica, Bourbon, Caturra and Pache.

Northern Region Details

The northern coffee growing area accounts for 43% of Peru's total coffee cultivation, including the Amazonas, Cajamarca, Piura and San Martín regions.

• Altitude: 1,250 - 1,950 meters
• Humidity: Maximum 12%
• Color: Dark green, blue-green
• Flora: Asteraceae, bitter almond trees, ferns, Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, Cedrela
• Fauna: Cock-of-the-rock, cougars, giant anteaters, Andean deer, squirrels
• Coffee Characteristics: Aromatic, high acidity, moderate aftertaste, medium body

CAJAMARCA

The Cajamarca region is located in northern Peru, named after its capital city and covering the northern end of the Peruvian Andes. The region's advantages include an equatorial climate and soil suitable for coffee cultivation.

Although most producers in the region are small farmers, they are often well-organized and belong to organizations. These organizations provide producers with technical assistance, training, loans, development and various forms of social support. One such organization, CENFROCAFE, operates in the area with 1,900 small farmers, promoting coffee roasting and local cafes to help farmers diversify.

• Altitude: 900-2,050m
• Harvest: March-September
• Varieties: Typica, Caturra, Bourbon, Pache, Catuai

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The clean, high-acid washed profile that Peru shares with much of East Africa is beautifully expressed in FrontStreet Coffee's Gedeb Guttity Cooperative. A washed single-origin from Gedeb village, it highlights jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity, and after a light-medium roast it opens into green tea and honey notes - clean and refined, and suited to pour-over, cold brew and espresso.

If you enjoy the crisp sweetness of a well-washed coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is a model of balance. Washed processing helps keep its aroma rich and its cup even, showing hazelnut, cream, chocolate and caramel notes with a balanced body in which no single note dominates. For a juicy, fruit-forward washed cup, FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Little Tomato brings the double-washed clarity of Kenya, with cherry tomato, smoked plum, snow pear and yellow sugar notes and a tangy, full body.