About This Coffee
Roque Abel Rios Canana inherited Sitio de Maria in 2007 from his parents, who were also coffee farmers. Roque and his entire family are dedicated to coffee production. The farm in 41.3 hectares and sits at 1,250 to 1,600 meters above sea level in the Volcan Chingo, Santa Ana region of El Salvador.
Cultivation
To ensure his farm stays productive, Roque renovates 10% of his farm annually. Recently, he’s been adding new varieties including those resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Laborers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and visually hand sort it before processing. Cherry is transported to a nearby wet mill and pulped. Coffee is fermented in piles for up to 8 hours and then washed in clean water. Parchment is laid on raised beds to dry. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 14 days for parchment to dry.
Coffee in El Salvador
Don’t be fooled by El Salvador’s small size. It was once the 4th largest coffee producer worldwide and continues to produce high quality lots. The country is known for its great cupping varieties, such as Bourbon and Pacamara. In fact, two beloved, frequently high-scoring varieties—Pacas and Pacamara— originated in El Salvador.
Unlike other countries, where specialty coffee production has required a great deal of additional investment and training, El Salvador already has a broad and skilled specialty coffee workforce. Farming traditions run deep, and many Salvadorian farmers are extremely passionate about coffee production and continuously strive to improve their crop. El Salvador has optimal conditions for coffee processing. The prolonged dry season typically occurs during the harvest season, making it easier to sun dry coffee.
Though coffee output in the country has been declining for over two decades – exacerbated by the CLR crisis – the approach to coffee production has changed from volume- to quality-driven. A new generation of coffee producers has sprouted around the country with a new vision and approach to production. Many of this generation are experimenting with processing and varietals.