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 When we meet the Quechuan coffee farmers they greet us with a warm welcome, the men with a double-handed handshake, and the women with a customary besito, "kiss", on the cheek. They immediately rush us in for dinner; a glass of tangerine juice, rice, yucca and armadillo. As the ladies finish the meal preparations we can hear them talking in Quechuan. Although this whole region speaks Spanish, they speak Quechuan because everyone in this community was originally from the mountainous region of Ayacucho, in the south-central part of Peru.
They were relocated to this northern site in the early and mid- eighties because of horrific terrorism of the Shining Path. The Peruvian government and several churches sent rescue missions into the most devastated parts of Ayacucho to offer the people a way out. Unfortunately there were so many people who wanted to leave that they could only take the most threatened families.
For several years the families worked hard to clear the jungle and begin cultivating their crops. Early on they decided to take the advice of many and grow shade grown coffee. During this time they almost exclusively lived on donations, which poured in largely from Europe. The perfect growing conditions and their hard work paid off. By 1991 the estate was producing the best coffee in the region and they continued to plant more.
We are confident that a cup of Café Selvanica stands on its own, but we hope that you continue to remember this journey with each drink of the best of Peru.
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