CENFROCAFE is one of the strongest cooperatives in Peru, both in terms of volume and quality. They have programs in place to increase production through organic fertilization also keeping plants healthy which is extremely helpful during coffee leaf rust outbreaks. CENFROCAFE produces about 120,000 quintales (1 quintal=100 lbs) of coffee per year, making it one of the leading cooperatives in the country in volume.
In terms of quality, CENFROCAFE is one of the top exporters in Peru as well. They have placed in the top places in national competitions having a big potential for microlots and excellent delivery and consistent full containers.
CENFROCAFE spans the lush provinces of Jaen and San Ignacio in northern Peru. As one of the strongest coops in Peru, the collective represents more than 1,900 families in 84 partner networks in 100 bases of the provinces of Jaén, San Ignacio and Bagua. These areas have actually been frontier regions in the last 40 years.
The cooperative was founded in 1999 with 220 small-scale coffee farmers in eleven community-based associations. Nearly ten years after their founding, CENFROCAFE was serving approximately 2,000 farmers in over 80 organizations located in twelve districts within the region of Cajamarca.
From technical assistance and quality control workshops for their farmers to economic and leadership training for the young people in their rural communities, CENFROCAFE works not only to support the commercial endeavors of its members but also to facilitate the development of the community. They provide loans that help farmers cover the costs of the harvest and materials in the coffee production as well as the costs of sending their children to school. The cooperative alliance with CEPICAFE, OROVERDE, and NORANDINO – all like-minded associations with a similar vision and objective – has provided important services to thousands of small-scale farmers (members and non-members alike) in Northern Peru, who without a strong organization would have otherwise been abandoned without access to even the most basic health, education, and other social services.
All of this fits within the larger values of the coop as this collective of families pursues a holistic approach; tying together methods aimed at economic, social, environmental and institutional improvement. These values and innovations have stimulated a mutually beneficial cycle for coffee growers and importers as incentives for higher quality stimulate greater innovations, better results for the farmers and their families, and finally, great coffees for you!
Welcome to my Table, here in the corner of this cafe. Today we’re sipping a cup of Peru CENFROCAFE, from Beanfruit Coffee Company in Flowood, Mississippi. Feel free to pull up a chair.
THEDETAILS:
region: Cajamarca, Jaen, Peru
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: CENFROCAFE
elevation: 1600 – 1700 meters above sea level
cultivars: Caturra, Typica, Pache
process: fully washed, patio dried
certifications: Fair Trade
BREWINGSPECS:
method: Kalita Wave
grind: 18, Preciso
coffee: 30 g
water: 300 g
water temp: 198°
bloom: 1:00
pour: 2:00 concentric pour
CUPPINGNOTES:
The aroma of the Peru CENFROCAFE is really nice; it’s somewhat straightforward, but it is very pleasantly so; sweet, but mild and subdued. Scents of toffee, dried fruits, brown sugar, and a floral bouquet including orange blossom and rose hips.
Taking my first few sips of the cup immediately post-brew, my palate is greeted by a medium-bodied coffee with a complex body—a texture falling somewhere between creamy and supple, with flavors of toffee and cantaloupe. Even up front here, I’m also getting the zesty acidity of orange rind.
As the cup cools, I’m now starting to taste the subtle sweetness of trail mix. Dried fruit pervades the back half of the cup with flavors of cranberry, fig, plum, currant, raspberry, and raisin while a dusting of almonds play out in a bittersweet, honeyed dark chocolate finish.
Medium body; creamy mouthfeel; citrus acidity; clean finish.
FINALTHOUGHTS:
I don’t want to say words like “straightforward” or “middle of the road,” but there are two regions that come to mind when I want coffees that are reliably, consistently, mildly delicious: El Salvador and Peru. While, of course, there are some coffees that really stand out from their peers, El Salvadoran and Peruvian coffees are, very generally and broadly speaking, breakfast coffees.
Beanfruit Coffee Company’s Peru CENFROCAFE is another in a long line of classic Peruvian coffees; it was everything I hoped it would be. Mildly sweet, subdued, laid back, and “easy like Sunday morning.”
Did you like this? Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome here at the Table! Pull up a chair and speak your mind by entering a comment below. Also remember to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!
Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.